Costa Rica Natural Environment

Costa Rica is located in Central American 10° North and 84° West, with Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south, and is between the Caribbean to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.  The widest distance between the east and west coasts is 282 km and the narrowest point is 119 km.

The total size of the country is 51,100 sq km (19,730 sq ml).  The highest point is Cerro Chirripó, at 3,820 metres (12,532 ft), which is the fifth highest peak in Central America. The highest volcano  is the Irazú Volcano (3,431 m / 11,257 ft).  The largest volcanic crater is on Poas Volcano; it has a diameter of 1,320 m and a depth of 300 m.

Rugged highlands are found throughout most of the country, ranging from approximately 1,000 to 2,000 meters above sea level.  More than half the population live on the Meseta Central, a plateau with a moderate climate. The capital city, San José, is located in this region.. The Caribbean coastal area is mainly swampy lowland, whereas on the Pacific coast the north west is savannah and dry forest turning into  mangrove and rainforest southward.

Several mountain ranges, including the Guanacaste, Central and Talamanca Mountain Ranges, run through the entire length of the country.  The mountains in the centre and in the Pacific northwest are of volcanic origin, and include several active volcanoes (Arenal Volcano, Irazu Volcano, Rincon de la Vieja Volcano and Turrialba Volcano).  In January 2009, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck an area near the Poas Volcano National Park about 35 km northwest of San Jose, killing at least 18 people.

The southern half of the country is dominated by mountains of tectonic origin.  The highest mountain, Cerro Chirripó, is in this region.

The country has a long coastline in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as a number of rivers that cut through the mountains flowing to both the Caribbean and the Pacific which attract specialist kayakers and rafters from all over the world.  The largest lake is Lake Arenal.

Costa Rica also has several islands; the furthest one is Cocos Island, which is 480 km from the  Puntarenas coast, and is a natural reserve.  The largest island is Calero Island with an area of 151.6 sq km. 

Costa Rica protects 23% of its territory within the Protected Areas system.  It also has a large number of species of wildlife.