The Geography of Costa Rica
| Location: | Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama |
| Geographic coordinates: | 10 00 N, 84 00 W |
| Area: | total: 51,100 sq km land: 50,660 sq km water: 440 sq km note: includes Isla del Coco |
| Area – comparative: | total: 639 km slightly smaller than West Virginia |
| Land boundaries: | border countries: Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km |
| Coastline: | 1,290 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm |
| Climate: | tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands |
| Terrain: | coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m |
| Natural resources: | hydropower |
| Land use: | arable land: 4.41% permanent crops: 5.88% other: 89.71% (2001) |
| Irrigated land: | 1,260 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural hazards: | occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes |
| Environment – current issues: | deforestation and land use change, largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching and agriculture; soil erosion; coastal marine pollution; fisheries protection; solid waste management; air pollution |
| Environment – international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation |
| Geography – note: | four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capital of San Jose in the center of the country; one of the volcanoes, Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963-65 |
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