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by: AazdakAlisimo
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If you travel abroad much, you quickly learn that the reality of various destinations is much less attractive than that offered in the marketing material you see. When it comes to the hype, Costa Rica is one place that stands up to it and produces even more than suggested.

Costa Rica truly has a little something for everyone. You probably think of golden beaches first and you are correct. Both coasts offer amazing beaches that can range in style from isolated beaches miles long to beaches full of party revelers.

The beauty of Costa Rica is there is so much more than just beaches. Eco-tourism is hot with some of the most accessible rain forests in the world. Like rafting? The rivers around Lake Arenal in the center of the country are thrill rides.

Throw in health retreats, windsurfing, San Jose and you can see there is a lot to offer in the country. Ah, but what about a bit of hard factual background? Glad you asked.

In 1502, Christopher Columbus made the first European landfall in the area. It was his fourth trip the Americas. That being said, it took the Spanish another twenty years to actually settle the country.

Given the name of the country, you probably will not be surprised to learn the people are known as "Costa Ricans." That is a mouthful, so most of the citizens just call themselves "Ticos"

Costa Rica is not particularly large, covering 19,730 square miles. Of this, over a quarter are protected lands.

The capital city of Costa Rica is San Jose, located in the center of the country.

Costa Rica has no standing military, but does have a police force.

Costa Rica has big earthquake issues. The last major quake hit on April 22, 1991. Centered on the Caribbean side southeast of San Jose. It measured 7.4 on the Richter scale.

Education is tremendous in Costa Rica with the country having a 96 percent literacy rate. Average life expectancy for a woman is 79 years while men come in at 74. Spanish is the dominant language.

When it comes to protecting its natural resources, the government Costa Rica doesn't go for empty rhetoric. It has moved to protect over a quarter of the land from development and exploitation.

Hot and humid describes the summer months with rain daily in the afternoon, but temperatures remaining in the 70 to 90 degree range.

Many countries could learn a thing or two about education systems from Costa Rica. Elementary and high schools are everywhere. Since there is no funding needed for a military, education gets a lot of focus and the literacy rate in Costa Rica is of 96%.

Should you visit Costa Rica on your next vacation? Vacation time is precious, and Costa Rica is the place to use it. The "wow" factor is huge and you will not regret it.

About the Author

Aazdak Alisimo writes Costa Rica vacation articles at CostaRicaVacationTravelInformation.com.

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