ÿþ<html> <head> <title> Costa Rica Geography 2012, CIA World Factbook </title> <META NAME="Description" CONTENT="Costa Rica Geography 2012, CIA World Factbook"> <META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="Costa Rica, Geography, 2012, CIA, World, Factbook"> <script language="JavaScript"> function AddToFaves_hp(){ var is_4up = parseInt(navigator.appVersion); var is_mac = navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase().indexOf("mac")!=-1; var is_ie = navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase().indexOf("msie")!=-1; var thePage = location.href; if (thePage.lastIndexOf('#')!=-1) thePage = thePage.substring(0,thePage.lastIndexOf('#')); if (is_ie && is_4up && !is_mac) window.external.AddFavorite(thePage,document.title); else if (is_ie || document.images) booker_hp = window.open(thePage,'booker_','menubar,width=325,height=100,left=140,top=60'); //booker_hp.focus(); } //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript"> (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; 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/* WFB Large Rectangle */ google_ad_slot = "8137512903"; google_ad_width = 336; google_ad_height = 280; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <br> Page last updated on February 21, <p><b><a href = "http://www.theodora.com/wfb/wfb2000/definitions.html#location">Location:</a></b><br> Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama <p><b><a href = "http://www.theodora.com/wfb/wfb2000/definitions.html#geographic_coordinates">Geographic coordinates:</a></b><br> 10 00 N, 84 00 W <p><b><a href = "http://www.theodora.com/maps/">Map references</a>: </b><br> Central America and the Caribbean</a> <p><b><a href = "http://www.theodora.com/wfb/wfb2000/definitions.html#area">Area:</a></b><br> <i>total:</i> 51,100 sq km <br>[see also: <a href="http://www.photius.com/rankings/geography/total_area_sq_km_2012_0.html" target="_blank"><u>Area - total country ranks</u></a> ] <br><span style="padding-left:7px;">country comparison to the world: 130 <br><i>land:</i> 51,060 sq km <br>[see also: <a href="http://www.photius.com/rankings/geography/land_area_sq_km_2012_0.html" target="_blank"><u>Area - land country ranks</u></a> ] <br><i>water:</i> 40 sq km <br>[see also: <a href="http://www.photius.com/rankings/geography/water_area_sq_km_2012_0.html" target="_blank"><u>Area - water country ranks</u></a> ] <br><i> <em>note:</em></i> includes Isla del Coco <p><b><a href = "http://www.theodora.com/wfb/wfb2000/definitions.html#area_comparative">Area - comparative:</a></b><br> slightly smaller than West Virginia <p><b><a href = "http://www.theodora.com/wfb/wfb2000/definitions.html#land_boundaries">Land boundaries:</a></b><br> <i>total:</i> 639 km <br><i>border countries:</i> Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km <br>[see also: <a href="http://www.photius.com/rankings/geography/land_boundaries_km_2012_0.html" target="_blank"><u>Land boundaries country ranks</u></a> ] <p><b><a href = "http://www.theodora.com/wfb/wfb2000/definitions.html#coastline">Coastline:</a></b><br> 1,290 km <br>[see also: <a href="http://www.photius.com/rankings/geography/coastline_2012_0.html" target="_blank"><u>Coastline country ranks</u></a> ] <p><b><a href = "http://www.theodora.com/wfb/wfb2000/definitions.html#maritime_claims">Maritime claims:</a></b><br> <i>territorial sea:</i> 12 nm <br><i>exclusive economic zone:</i> 200 nm <br><i>continental shelf:</i> 200 nm <p><b><a href = "http://www.theodora.com/wfb/wfb2000/definitions.html#climate">Climate:</a></b><br> tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands <p><b><a href = "http://www.theodora.com/wfb/wfb2000/definitions.html#terrain">Terrain:</a></b><br> coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes <p><b><a href = "http://www.theodora.com/wfb/wfb2000/definitions.html#elevation_extremes">Elevation extremes:</a></b><br> <i>lowest point:</i> Pacific Ocean 0 m <br>[see also: <a href="http://www.photius.com/rankings/geography/elevation_extremes_lowest_point_2012_0.html" target="_blank"><u>Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks</u></a> ] <br><i>highest point:</i> Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m <br>[see also: <a href="http://www.photius.com/rankings/geography/elevation_extremes_highest_point_2012_0.html" target="_blank"><u>Elevation extremes - highest point country ranks</u></a> ] <p><b><a href = "http://www.theodora.com/wfb/wfb2000/definitions.html#natural_resources">Natural resources:</a></b><br> hydropower <p><b><a href = "http://www.theodora.com/wfb/wfb2000/definitions.html#land_use">Land use:</a></b><br> <i>arable land:</i> 4.4% <br>[see also: <a href="http://www.photius.com/rankings/geography/land_use_arable_land_2012_0.html" target="_blank"><u>Land use - arable land country ranks</u></a> ] <br><i>permanent crops:</i> 5.87% <br>[see also: <a href="http://www.photius.com/rankings/geography/land_use_permanent_crops_2012_0.html" target="_blank"><u>Land use - permanent crops country ranks</u></a> ] <br><i>other:</i> 89.73% (2005) <br>[see also: <a href="http://www.photius.com/rankings/geography/land_use_other_2012_0.html" target="_blank"><u>Land use - other country ranks</u></a> ] <p><b><a href = "http://www.theodora.com/wfb/wfb2000/definitions.html#irrigated_land">Irrigated land:</a></b><br> 1,080 sq km (2008) <br>[see also: <a href="http://www.photius.com/rankings/geography/irrigated_land_2012_0.html" target="_blank"><u>Irrigated land country ranks</u></a> ] <p><b><a href = "http://www.theodora.com/wfb/wfb2000/definitions.html#total_renewable_water_resources">Total renewable water resources:</a></b><br> 112.4 cu km (2000) <br>[see also: <a href="http://www.photius.com/rankings/geography/total_renewable_water_resources_2012_0.html" target="_blank"><u>Total renewable water resources country ranks</u></a> ] <p><b><a href = "http://www.theodora.com/wfb/wfb2000/definitions.html#freshwater_withdrawal">Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):</a></b><br> <i>total:</i> 2.68 cu km/yr (29%/17%/53%) <br>[see also: <a href="http://www.photius.com/rankings/geography/freshwater_withdrawal_domestic_industrial_agricultural_total_2012_0.html" target="_blank"><u>Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks</u></a> ] <br><i>per capita:</i> 619 cu m/yr (2000) <br>[see also: <a href="http://www.photius.com/rankings/geography/freshwater_withdrawal_domestic_industrial_agricultural_per_capita_2012_0.html" target="_blank"><u>Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - per capita country ranks</u></a> ] <p><b><a href = "http://www.theodora.com/wfb/wfb2000/definitions.html#natural_hazards">Natural hazards:</a></b><br> occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes <br><i>volcanism:</i> 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 <p><b><a href = "http://www.theodora.com/wfb/wfb2000/definitions.html#environment_current_issues">Environment - current issues:</a></b><br> 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 <p><b><a href = "http://www.theodora.com/wfb/wfb2000/definitions.html#environment_international_agreements">Environment - international agreements:</a></b><br> <i>party to:</i> 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 <br><i>signed, but not ratified:</i> Marine Life Conservation <p><b><a href = "http://www.theodora.com/wfb/wfb2000/definitions.html#geography_note">Geography - note:</a></b><br> 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 </font> <p> <p> <BR> <P> <font size = "-2"><B> NOTE: The information regarding Costa Rica on this page is re-published from the 2012 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Costa Rica Geography 2012 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Costa Rica Geography 2012 should be addressed to the CIA. </B></font> </P> <br> <hr> <a href="#" onClick="AddToFaves_hp()"><img src="http://www.theodora.com/images/bookmark_banner.gif" align="left" width="176" height="52" border="0"></a><font color=brown> - Please bookmark this page (add it to your favorites). <br> - If you wish to <b>link</b> to this page, you can do so by referring to the URL address below this line.</font> <hr> http://www.theodora.com/wfbcurrent/costa_rica/costa_rica_geography.html <br><br> This page was last modified 06-Mar-12 <br> Copyright &copy 1995-2012 <a href="http://www.theodora.com/ita.html">ITA</a> all rights reserved. <br> </td> <td width=200 valign="top" align="left" background="http://www.theodora.com/wfb2008/images/light_blue.gif"> <!-- SiteSearch Google --> <br> <form action="http://www.google.com/cse" id="cse-search-box"> <div> <input type="hidden" name="cx" value="partner-pub-7437757543052749:i8v5yg-obf2" /> <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="ISO-8859-1" /> <input type="text" name="q" size="26" /> <input type="submit" name="sa" value="Search" /> </div> </form> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.google.com/cse/brand?form=cse-search-box&lang=en"></script> <!-- End SiteSearch Google --> <font size="2" face="arial"> <b> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.theodora.com/wfb">|Main INDEX|</a> <li><a href="../index.html">2012 INDEX</a> <li><a href="http://www.photius.com/rankings/index.html">Country Ranks</a> <li><a href="http://www.theodora.com/wfb/wfb2000/definitions.html">DEFINITIONS</a> <br><br> <a href="index.html">Costa Rica Index 2012</a> <br><br> <a href="http://www.theodora.com/wfbcurrent/costa_rica/index.html">Costa Rica Main Index</a> <li><a href="costa_rica_introduction.html">Introduction</a> <li><a href="http://workmall.com/wfb2001/costa_rica/costa_rica_history.html">History</a> <li><a href="costa_rica_geography.html">Geography</a> <li>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.theodora.com/maps">Maps</a><br> <li><a href="costa_rica_people.html">People</a><br> </b> &nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.photius.com/religion">Religion</a> <b><li><a href="costa_rica_government.html">Government</a><br></B> &nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="costa_rica_chiefs.html"> Gov. 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