Costa Rica Geographical

Costa Rica has a tumultuous geographical past, which is reflected, in a lesser scale in its present. The variety of landscapes includes ample coastlines, mountain ridges, rivers and volcanoes, all of them compressed in an area, which is approximately the size of West Virginia. Numerous ecosystems and microclimates are the result of this incredible diversity.

The total area of Costa Rica is 19,653 square miles. From all the cardinal points, north to South and East to West, the longest distance is only 200 miles. The area is double the size of El Salvador, but the population is half, at 3.5 million people. Therefore, the only region where overpopulation is felt is in the Central Valley, where the capital city of San José is located.
There are five main geographical areas in the country: Tropical Lowlands (Pacific and Caribbean Coasts), the North Central Plains, the Central Valley and the Northwest Peninsula. The governmental divisions, however, include seven provinces: Guanacaste, Alajuela, Heredia, Limón, Cartago, San José and Puntarenas. Both the geographical divisions and the political ones display different climates and different formations. However, most of them include at least the following geological phenomena: rivers, mountains, valleys and volcanoes.

Costa Rica is a country where one of the main seasons is the rainy one, which means that rivers are abundant. The following are some of the biggest rivers: San Juan (border between C.R. and Nicaragua), Tempisque, Sarapiquí, Reventazón, Pacuare, Sixaola and the Chirripó. After heavy rains, these rivers can turn into avalanches of tree trunks and stones, called "cabezas de agua" (heads of water) which are extremely dangerous for unaware bathers; they can also cause large-scale floods.
The mountain ridges that stretch across the country from North to South are a small part of the larger Andean Sierra Madre chain, which is present in the Western region of the Americas. The Costa Rican ridge is divided into the Cordillera of Guanacaste (North), Cordillera Central, Cordillera of Tilarán (Southeast), and the Cordillera of Talamanca (Southwest). The highest mountain in Costa Rica is located in the last mountain ridge called the Chirripó, at an approximate elevation of 12,450 feet. The ridges are interrupted by valleys, as in the case of the Central Valley and the Cartago Valley, which are extremely fertile areas.
The large quantity of mountains and volcanoes is due to the intense geological activity caused by two tectonic plates: the Cocos Plate (Pacific) and the Caribbean Plate (Atlantic). Their shifting, friction or collision causes numerous tremors and earthquakes, as well as the formation of ridges and volcanoes. The last large earthquake, which occurred in 1991 and measured 7.4 on the Richter scale, shook the whole country and caused much destruction in the Caribbean area. However, most seismic activity is very moderate and earthquakes such as this one aren’t usual.
The same observation applies to volcanic activity in the country. Even though there are at least 60 dormant or extinct volcanoes, only seven are active. Of course, the total area of the country being what it is, seven is plenty! Some of the most interesting national parks are created around volcanoes like the Poás or the Irazú.
Costa Rica is definitely a "Rich Coast" in the sense that it offers a tremendous variety of geological phenomena and formations. Even natural catastrophes such as floods and volcanic eruptions have contributed to the richness and fertility of the area. These forces of nature can't be seen purely as threats or disasters, since they are also the main cause of the nation's natural wealth.

Costa Rica Climate
The geographical position of Costa Rica with coasts at the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean as well are the main reason of this different nature. In addition, the big altitude differs in the country make that Costa Rica has an unprecedented bio-diversity! With bio-diversity, we mean the quantity of plant types and animals. That makes Costa Rica a paradise for nature lovers. The bio-diversity is also originated by the geographical bridge that forms Costa Rica between North and South America.

Most regions in Costa Rica have two different seasons, the rainy season from May to November and the dry season from December to April. And the rainfall almost everywhere follows a predictable schedule. In general, high ridges are wet and windward sides always the wettest.
Temperatures are more dictated by location and elevation than by season, range from tropical on the coastal to temperate in the interior highlands. Mean temperatures hover near 22°C (72°F) on the central plateau, average 27°C (82°F) at sea level on the Caribbean coast and 32°C (89°F) and the pacific lowlands, and fall steadily with elevation. Balmy San Jose and the Meseta Central have an average year-round temperature of 23°C (74°F). Everywhere in Costa Rica from March to May are the hottest months, with October and September not so far behind.
Generally, rains occur in the early afternoons in the highlands, midafternoons' in the pacific lowlands, and late afternoons and night in the Atlantic lowlands. Dry season "summer" on the Meseta Central and throughout the western regions is December through April. In Guanacaste, the dry season usually lingers slightly longer. The northwest coast, which is the driest part of the country, often has few rainy days even during wet season. On the Atlantic coast, the so-called dry season occurs from January to April.
Even in the rainy season, days often start out warm and sunny, although temporales are not uncommon. In the highlands, rainy season usually means an hour or two of rain in the midafternoon. Still be prepared because 23 hours of a given day may be dry and pleasant; during the 24th, the rain can come down with the force of a waterfall. The sudden onset of a relatively dry period called veranillo, sometimes occurs during July-August or August-September particularly along the pacific coast.

The different climates you will cross when you travel from the Caribbean coast to the Pacific coast is an example of de diversities of climates in Costa Rica.
These diversities can exist because of the height difference and the influence of both oceans.

There are several ecosystems in Costa Rica. As you will see, flora in Costa Rica is diverse, even for such a small country. This country is responsible for the preservation of many of the world’s endangered species of flora. Furthermore, it contains species that still haven’t been discovered, and that could lead to great scientific discoveries and to medical breakthroughs.
Costa Rica offers an extraordinary abundance of flora, including some 9,000-plus species of "higher plants". It has more species than the whole North America and Mexico. Heliconias known as "birds of the paradise" there are about 30 different species. Here the forests and grasslands flare with color, some flamboyantly so, for plants like to advertise the delights and rewards they have to offer including the ultimate bribe-nectar. The vermilion poro tree, pink-and-white meadow oak tree, purple jacaranda, and the cortesa amarilla are trees that all add their seasonal bouquets to the landscape. Costa Rica has more than 2,000 different species of bromeliads, the richest deposit of such in Central America.
All plants depend on light to power the chemical process by which they synthesize their body substances from simple elements. When an old tree falls, the strong, unaccustomed light triggers seeds that have lain dormant, and banana palms and ginger plants, heliconias and cecropias, burst into life, put out big broad leaves, and soak up the sun, to their flowers and their fruits.