LOCATION - Costa Rica, is bordered on the north by by Nicaragua, on the south by Panama, the east by the Caribbean and the west by the Pacific Ocean. Costa Rica is one of the smallest countries in Central America.

POPULATION

Costa Rica has a population of over 4 million inhabitants. The majority of that is immigrants, with a large number of Columbians, Nicaraguans, and North Americans.

LANGUAGE

Officially Spanish, with a wide number of people speaking English as well. In the Gringo communities you can usually find someone that speaks almost any of the worlds popular languages.

GOVERNMENT

Costa Rica is a republic but a democratic one. Elections are held every four years. The army was abolished about 50 years ago through constitutional ammendment. This change has resulted in Costa Rica become the most stable democracy in Central America.Government is divided up into three branches - The Executive, Judicial, and Legislative. The country is run via an elected president.

CURRENCY

The colon is the official currency of Costa Rica and although the US Dollar is popular, the colon is more widely accepted. generally speaking most businesses will accept either currency and currency can be exchanged at banks and hotels throughout the country. Watch the exchange rate carefully when exchanging at hotels or businesses as they may not always pay a fair exchange rate. Credit cards are accepted as well be cash tends to be the preferred method of doing business here due to the high fees charged by the banks for credit card transactions.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

To enter Costa Rica you will need a valid passport. Check to see if your country can enter visa free or you may be in for a suprise when you arrive at the port of entry. North Americans can enter visa free. Nicaraguan's need a visa unless they are resident in the US and Canada. If they have been nationalized in the US or Canada they are treated like a North American though. The same tends to apply to many residents of the major countries.

THE TIME ZONE

Costa Rica operates at -6 hours from Meridian time or Greenwich Mean Time. From what I recall they do not follow Daylight Savings Time.

THE CLIMATE

Costa Rica has two main seasons. The dry or summer season and the rainy (wet) or winter season. Summer runs from December through April and Winter from May through November. Temperature can vary widely between the mountain areas and the lowlands. Temperatures generally range between 60F and 79F in the Central Valley while along the coastal regions (the tropics) temperatures tend to be consideraly higher and fall between 70F and 90F. Coastal areas on tyhe Caribbean side are quite humid while areas in Guanacaste are quite arid.

BANKING

Most banks in the 'Rich Coast' (Costa Rica) are open from 9am until 3pm. A lot are also open on Saturdays as well. Opening an account is limited to residents are foriegners living in Costa Rica. You need to provide a utility bill or rental contract with your name on it as well as your passport to open an account. Some banks have more restrictions for account opening and you should check to see what the specific banks requirements are. Tourists are not allowed accounts unless they can show they are intending to live in Costa Rica. The larger banks are more heavily regulated by the Costa Rican government and are the best bet for new accounts. The banks are Banco Nacional and Banco de Costa Rica. Prepare to speak Spanish when opening an account as most branches do not have English speakers on staff.

MUSEUMS, ATTRACTIONS AND SHOPPING

Public museums and government attractions are closed on Mondays. Most larger stores are open from 10am until 7pm. The smaller 'Tico' stores tend to close about 4:30 or 5:00pm. Big stores include Multiplaza, Multiplaza East, Plaza del Sol, Price Smart, Office Depot, Plaza Real Cariari, Mall San Pedro, and Mall International.

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