| Geography | Costa Rica |
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Location:
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Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama |
Geographic coordinates:
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10 00 N, 84 00 W |
Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean |
Area:
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total: 51,100 sq km
land: 51,060 sq km
water: 40 sq km
note: includes Isla del Coco |
Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than West Virginia |
Land boundaries:
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total: 639 km
border countries: Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km |
Coastline:
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1,290 km |
Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm |
Climate:
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tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands |
Terrain:
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coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m |
Natural resources:
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hydropower |
Land use:
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arable land: 4.4%
permanent crops: 5.87%
other: 89.73% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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1,080 sq km (2008) |
Total renewable water resources:
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112.4 cu km (2000) |
Total renewable water resources - per capita:
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24,560 cubic meters per capita |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 2.68 cu km/yr (29%/17%/53%)
per capita: 619 cu m/yr (2000) |
Natural hazards:
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occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes
volcanism: Arenal (elev. 1,670 m), which erupted in 2010, is the most active volcano in Costa Rica; a 1968 eruption destroyed the town of Tabacon; Irazu (elev. 3,432 m), situated just east of San Jose, has the potential to spew ash over the capital city as it did between 1963 and 1965; other historically active volcanoes include Miravalles, Poas, Rincon de la Vieja, and Turrialba |
Environment - current issues:
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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:
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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:
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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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