Costa Rica
Americas Β· Capital: San JosΓ©
How it is run: Costa Rica is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Costa Rica is home to 5.2 million people in Central America, where people speak Spanish.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
5.2 million people
That is about 636 people out of every million on Earth (counted in 2025).
πΊοΈ Land
51,100 kmΒ²
Roughly the size of Italy or the state of Arizona.
ποΈ How crowded
About 101 people per square kilometre β busy towns with countryside in between.
π Size in its region
20th most people in Americas
23rd largest by land in Americas.
π£οΈ Official languages
Spanish
π° Money
Costa Rican colΓ³n (β‘)
Life here today π©Ί
These come from World Bank open data β the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
β€οΈ How long people live
81 years on average
One of the healthier countries β good hospitals and clean water make a big difference.
πΌ Money made per person each year
about US$19,970
An upper-middle-income country: growing cities, and more families joining the middle class.
π’ Living in cities
79.7% of people
Mostly a city country β think buses, trains and apartment blocks.
π Kids under 15
18.3% of the population
A fairly balanced mix of young and old.
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+506
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.cr
π§ People here are called
Costa Rican
π·οΈ Name at home
Costa Rica
Also written: Republic of Costa Rica, RepΓΊblica de Costa Rica.
π Coast or inland
Has a coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
Latin American and Caribbean Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders π€
Costa Rica touches 2 neighbours by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Costa Rica
French
Costa Rica
Arabic
ΩΩΨ³ΨͺΨ§Ψ±ΩΩΨ§
Chinese
ε₯ζ―θΎΎι»ε
Japanese
γ³γΉγΏγͺγ«
Russian
ΠΠΎΡΡΠ°-Π ΠΈΠΊΠ°
Portuguese
Costa Rica
German
Costa Rica
Put it in perspective π
- United States β the most populated country in Americas β has about 66.3Γ as many people as Costa Rica.
- Costa Rica covers roughly 487 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Costa Rica lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 2,576 km.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: Costa Rica sits in Central America, in the northern and western half of the globe.
π·οΈ Official name
Republic of Costa Rica
ποΈ Capital
San JosΓ©
π Region
Americas Β· Central America
π€ Country code
CR
ποΈ UN status
UN member state
π© Independence
Independent country
More about Costa Rica π
Arenal Volcano
A near-perfect cone volcano surrounded by rainforest, hot springs and hanging bridges full of toucans.
See it in Street Viewπ§ Where on the map
10.0Β° N, 84.0Β° W
π Half of the world
Northern & Western hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC-6 β when it is noon in London it is about 06:00 in San JosΓ©.
- Costa Rica shares its part of the world with Panama. Countries close together often trade the most with each other.
- Costa Rica lies in the tropics, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, so the sun gets very high overhead.
- Costa Rica sits in Central America, in the northern and western half of the globe.
- Costa Rica is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly β the same as every other member, big or small.
- Costa Rica is close to the line of 0Β° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- Costa Rica has 1 official language. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Costa Rica can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Costa Rica spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Costa Rica?
San JosΓ©
Which money do people spend in Costa Rica?
Costa Rican colΓ³n (β‘)
How many countries share a land border with Costa Rica?
2 β Nicaragua, Panama.
Roughly how many people live in Costa Rica?
5.2 million people
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.