History:
Explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established. The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence.

Geography:
Total Land Area: 50,660 sq km
Borders: Nicaragua to the North and Panama to the South.
Coastline: 1,290 km
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.
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.

People:
Population: 4,133,884 (July 2007 est.)
Ethnic Groups: White (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%
Religions: Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other 5.5%, none 3.2%
Languages: Spanish (official), English