19 Interesting facts about Costa Rica

1. Costa Rica is one of the most valued environmental destinations
2. The Spanish conquest began in 1524
3. Coffee production would remain Costa Rica’s principal source of wealth well into the 20th centuryIn the 1970s, rising oil prices, falling international commodity prices, and inflation hurt the economy
4. Costa Rica achieved independence in 1821 but was absorbed for two years by Agustín de Iturbide in his Mexican empire
5. Costa Rica was inhabited by an estimated 400,000 Indians when Columbus explored it in 1502
6. Approximately 25% of the country has protected forests and reserves
7. Though Costa Rica has its own currency (the Colon), many stores list prices in terms of US$
8. The region grew slowly and was administered as a Spanish province
9. Óscar Arias Sánchez worked to simultaneously heal his country’s economic woes and foster peace in Central America
10. There are more than 121 volcanic formations in Costa Rica, and seven of them are active
11. Monkeys are one of the most common mammals in Costa Rica – next to bats
12. It became a republic in 1848
13. There are about 52 species of hummingbirds in Costa Rica, making Costa Rica a true hummingbird capital
14. Efforts have since been made to reduce reliance on coffee, banana, and beef exports
15. Coffee was first planted in Costa Rica in the early 19th century, and was first shipped to Europe in 1843, soon becoming Costa Rica’s first major export
16. Except for the military dictatorship of Tomás Guardia from 1870 to 1882, Costa Rica has enjoyed one of the most democratic governments in Latin America
17. The four common species are the Howler, Spider, White-Faced and Squirrel
18. Poas Volcano has the second widest crater in the world and Arenal is one of the ten most active volcanoes in the world
19. Bug-phobist look out! There are about 750,000 species of insects that live in Costa Rica, including about 20,000 different types of spiders! Also, more than 10% of the worlds butterflies live here