Tidbits about Costa Rica

Population: 4,576,562 (2011)

Currency: Costa Rica Colon (CRC), the colon is subdivided into 100 centimos, but coins are rarely used anymore due to inflation. People of Costa Rica call the 100 colon bill a “teja,” while the 500-colon bill is called a “cinco teja.” “Rojo” and “tucan” are the slang terms for 1,000 and 5,000 colon bills.
500 - 550 colones/ $1. US

Capital: San José

*The city I will be living in is Guácimo, which is in the northeastern province of Limon.  

Airports: The largest, Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO) in Alajuela, is located within the Central Valley region north of San Jose.

The other airport, Daniel Oduber Airport (LIR) in Liberia, facilitates access to destinations in the northwestern Guanacaste region. Additionally, many destinations in Costa Rica can be reached by short domestic flights.

Weather: Mild in the central highlands, tropical and subtropical in coastal areas. December through April is considered the dry season.
Much of Costa Rica’s diversity can be attributed to its location between two continents as well as its numerous microclimates, which vary by elevation amid the country’s mountainous and volcanic landscape. The Great Continental Divide runs through the country’s interior, and weather patterns from the Pacific and Caribbean sweep across the divide’s slopes. Costa Rica’s northernmost regions tend to be more flat and arid, with dry tropical forest, while increased humidity and precipitation creates thick jungles in the south. The country’s rainiest months, termed the “green season,” start in May and run until early December.

Language: Spanish with a southwestern Caribbean Creole dialect of English spoken around the Limon area.

School: Costa Rica  is  proud to offer one of the greatest education systems in Latin  America; even the smallest towns  having  their  own  high  school.  Usually students in Costa Rica are very dedicated and take their education very seriously so there are few discipline issues.

Elementary and High Schools are found in every town however small. The students do not have to pay for their education, except for a nominal charge of $20 at the beginning of each academic year.

In Costa Rica Elementary Schools  have  6  year  levels and high schools have 5 year  levels. Each level is divided in two cycles, and upon completion of these cycle, the students are  required to pass tests on all subjects studied during those years. The  most  important of  these  tests are  the  Bachillerato Tests,  which  are  required  to  get  the  high  school  diploma  needed  for  admission to Universities. 

Most community groups also offer opportunities to do sport and to study music, art,  ecology, and many other interests. At the end of High School, each student receives a title in the Arts or in Science. The Ministry of Education is responsible for the regulation of the education in the country.

Political Conditions: Democratic republic.

Principal Government Officials:
President--Laura CHINCHILLA Miranda
Vice Presidents--Alfio PIVA and Luis LIBERMAN
Foreign Minister--Jose Enrique CASTILLO Barrantes
Ambassador to the United States--Muni FIGUERES Boggs
Ambassador to the United Nations--Eduardo Ulibarri

Religion: Roman Catholic 70%, Evangelical Protestant 16%, other 6%, none 8%

Biodiversity: Costa Rica contains 5% of the Earth's biodiversity including mammals like the sloth :) or the spider monkey, macaws and toucans, boa constrictors and crocodiles, and sea mammals such as dolphins and humpback whales! 

There are 5 active volcanoes in Costa Rica; Poás, Irazú, Turrialba, Arenal and Rincón de La Vieja. Other notable volcanoes include the Tenorio, Miravalles, Cerro Chato, and Barva volcanoes.