COSTA RICA

GEOGRAPHY LOCATION

• Panama is very close to Costa Rica. It is 219.1 miles away.
• Nicaragua is nearby to Costa Rica also. It is 236.6 miles away.
• Honduras is quite close to Costa Rica. It is 412 miles away.
• El Salvador is also close to Costa Rica. It is 445.9 miles away.
• Guatemala is nearby to Costa Rica also. It is 603 miles away.

CLIMATE

• Costa Rica is situated 11 degrees to 8 degrees North latitude.
• Costa Rica is fairly close to the equator.
• The average temperature for most of the country is 81 degrees farenheight.
• The coolest months are November through January.
• The warmest months are March through May.

TYPICAL FOOD DISHES

• Arroz con Moriscos is made up of rice, vegetables, and a mixture of seafood.
• Tamales are boiled leaves stuffed with corn meal mix, saffron rice, pork, beans, and vegetables.
• Chicharones are chunks of juicy fried pork.
• Carnitas are beef pieces on a stick.

CELEBRATIONS

• Festival de la Luz is in December. It is a week long festival consisting with the festival of lights, fireworks, and music.
• October happens in September. In October it consists of dancing, music, food, and bulls fighting without bloodshed.
• Diá de los Muertos consists with catholic masses in November. It consists of coffee picking contests and El Desfile de Carretas.

FUN FACTS

• ¿Sabiàs que Costa Ricans refer to themselves as Ticos (males) Ticas (females)?
• ¿Sabiàs que Costa Rica has a population of 4.5 million?
• ¿Sabiàs que Irazu is the tallest volcano in Costa Rica at 11,259 ft?
• ¿Sabiàs que more than 25% of Costa Rica's land is dedicated to national parks?
• ¿Sabiàs que a soda is a small, informal restaurant that serves traditional meals like chicken?

ARTIFACTS

• Giant Stone Balls- the balls range in size with the largest one weighing 16 tons and measuring eight feet in diameter.
• Reuters- Were likely made between 300B.C. and 1500A.D. to be used in indiginous rituals before Spanish colonization.

DRAKE BAY

• Drake Bay is and island and also has a great beach.
• Drake Bay provides a wonderful base to explore caño island.
• It is one of the most popular snorkling locations.
• Just offshore, whales and dolphins are swimming in the waters.
• This reserve makes up 740 acres.

CORCOVADO

• It is a national park
• It is164.1sq.miles
• You can reserve overnight visits in the park.
• Corcovado is home to a big size of the endangered Baird's Tapr.
• It's also home to a small population of the very rare Harpy Eagle.

MARINO BALLENA

• It is a national park.
• It is named after the humpback whales that migrate each year.
• Especially at low tide, snorkeling is good from the shore
• Olive Ridley and Hawksbill turtles can be seen laying there eggs between May and November.
• It is home to the largest coral reef in the pacific coast.