| Costa Rica, the Rich Coast, was named by its | | | | earned for a variety of reasons. |
| earliest Spanish settlers in anticipation of | | | | |
| the gold and treasure they would discover | | | | Costa Rica is one of the most beautiful |
| there. Instead, they found a greater | | | | countries in the World. Its tiny land mass is |
| treasure. | | | | sandwiched between the Caribbean Sea on the |
| | | | east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. The |
| Costa Rica is a tiny gem of the country that | | | | result is over 800 miles of unspoiled |
| is located in Central America between the | | | | beaches. The country is divided by a central |
| countries of Nicaragua and Panama. Its total | | | | highland that bisects the country like a |
| size is about the same as the States of New | | | | stone backbone. The mountains are covered in |
| Hampshire and Vermont combined and its | | | | many areas by lush tropical rain forests that |
| population is just over 4 million people. It | | | | contain one of the most diverse ecosystems |
| has slowly been gaining a reputation as one | | | | anywhere. Costa Rica proudly claims the |
| of the most attractive tourist destinations | | | | largest species density in the World and |
| in the entire World. This reputation has been | | | | ecotourism has become a leading industry. |