Costa Rica – “The Happiest Place on Earth”

In July 2009, an independent research group in Britain, the New Economics Foundation, ranked the nations of the world accordingly to their “Happy Planet Index” and named Costa Rica the “Happiest Place on Earth.”

According to the Foundation: Costa Ricans report the highest life satisfaction in the world and have the second-highest average life expectancy of the new world (second to Canada). They also have an ecological footprint that means that the country only narrowly fails to achieve the goal of consuming its fair share of the Earth's natural resources.

About Costa Rica

Location: Costa Rica is part of Central America. Its eastern coastline borders the Caribbean Sea, while the western coast borders the North Pacific Ocean. Costa Rica shares land borders with Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. Costa Rica is on Mountain Time, sharing its time zone with Colorado.

Geography: Costa Rica is made up of two coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes. The country boasts 801 miles of coastline.

Climate: Costa Rica is both tropical and subtropical. The dry season is between December and April, while the rainy season is from May to November. The mean annual temperature is about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures are warmer along the coasts and cooler in highlands.

Population: Costa Rica’s population is 4.2 million. The majority of the population are descendants of Spanish immigrants. Mestizos (a mixture of European and Indigenous genes) populate the country’s lowlands, while residents of the Caribbean coast are descendants of Africans.

Languages: Spanish is the official language of Costa Rica.

Economy: Costa Rica's economy depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. Exports have become more diversified in the past 10 years due to the growth of the high-tech manufacturing sector, which is dominated by the microprocessor industry and the production of medical devices. Tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange, as Costa Rica's impressive biodiversity makes it a key destination for ecotourism. Foreign investors remain attracted by the country's political stability and relatively high education levels, as well as the fiscal incentives offered in the free-trade zones.

Biodiversity: Costa Rica has a greater biodiversity than Europe and North America. The country is home to over 850 species of bird, 200 different mammals – including four types of monkeys and two types of sloth – and 35,000 insect species. Costa Rica also boasts 9,000 identified species of vascular plants, including over 900 different species of trees.