Republic of Costa Rica

Republic of Costa Rica República de Costa Rica  (Spanish)
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: "Noble patria, tu hermosa bandera" (Spanish) "Noble motherland, your beautiful flag"
Capital and largest city	San José 9°56′N 84°5′W / 9.933°N 84.083°W / 9.933; -84.083
Official languages	Spanish
Recognized regional languages	Mekatelyu Bribri Patois
Ethnic groups (2011)	83.6% White/Castizo or Mestizo 6.7% Mulatto 2.4% Amerindian 1.1% Black (of African descent) 2.4% Indigenous 6.2% Others
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Demonym	Costa Rican Tico
Government	Unitary presidential constitutional republic
• President	Luis Guillermo Solís
• 1st Vice-President	Helio Fallas Venegas
• 2nd Vice-President	Ana Helena Chacón Echeverría
Legislature	Legislative Assembly
Independence declared
• from Spain	September 15, 1821
• from First Mexican Empire	July 1, 1823
• from the Federal Republic of Central America	1838
• Recognized by Spain	May 10, 1850
• Constitution	November 7, 1949
Area
• Total	51,100 km2 (19,700 sq mi) (126th)
• Water (%)	0.7
Population
• 2016 estimate	4,857,274 (123rd)
• Density	220/sq mi (84.9/km2) (107th)
GDP (PPP)	2017 estimate
• Total	$85.781 billion
• Per capita	$17,260
GDP (nominal)	2017 estimate
• Total	$59.976 billion
• Per capita	$12,032
Gini (2009)	40.7 medium
HDI (2016)	0.776 high · 66th
Currency	Costa Rican colón (CRC)
Time zone	CST (UTC−6)
Drives on the	right
Calling code	+506
ISO 3166 code	CR
Internet TLD	.cr .co.cr

Coordinates: 10°N 84°W / 10°N 84°W / 10; -84

Costa Rica (/ˌkɒstə ˈriːkə/; Spanish: [ˈkosta ˈrika]; literally meaning "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica (Spanish: República de Costa Rica), is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Ecuador to the south of Cocos Island. It has a population of around 4.9 million, in a land area of 51,060 square kilometers (19,714 square miles); over 300,000 live in the capital and largest city, San José with a population of an estimated 333,980 in 2015.

Costa Rica has been known for its stable democracy in a region that has had some instability and for its highly educated workforce, most of whom speak English. The country spends roughly 6.9% of its budget (2016) on education, compared to a global average of 4.4%. Its economy, once heavily dependent on agriculture, has diversified to include sectors such as finance, corporate services for foreign companies, pharmaceuticals, and ecotourism. Many foreign companies (manufacturing and services) operate in Costa Rica's Free Trade Zones (FTZ) where they benefit from investment and tax incentives.