Costa Rica as your meeting & incentive destination
¡Costa Rica Pura vida!

General Information

Geography
You can find Costa Rica in Central America, just 10 degrees north of the equator, giving it one of the most ideal climates in the world and making it a perfect location for any type of travel employee programs. Bordering Nicaragua on the North and Panama on the South, the country comprises a population of 4 million ‘Ticos’ (local name for Costa Ricans) and a landmass of 32,000 sq. miles (51,000 sq. km). Its diverse scenery encompasses all types of landscapes, from volcanic mountains, to valleys, to tropical lowlands and beaches. The Central Valley is the heart of Costa Rica and therein lays the capital city, San José and the larger towns of Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago.

Language
Spanish is the official language, but visitors will find English is widely spoken throughout the country.

Time zone
Costa Rica is 6 hours behind GMT (Greenwich Main Time), which makes Costa Rican time equivalent to Central Standard Time in North America. The country does not observe daylight saving time.

Weather
Costa Rica has the advantage of a perfect tropical climate. The average temperature is 70ºF (21ºC) in the highlands and from the high 70’s to the low 90’sºF (21ºC to 32ºC) in the lowlands. Conditions are moderate all year round. The rainy season lasts from May to November and the dry season lasts from December to April. However, even during the rainy season, the mornings are likely to be bright and sunny. Temperatures vary little between seasons; the main influence on temperature is altitude.

Nature
Even though Costa Rica’s territory is incredibly small, it is the home of an astonishing 5% of all existing species on the planet. Estimates suggest that the country is inhabited by between 500.000 and one million different types of animal and plant life. Costa Rican’s exceptional National Park System reflects the strong national commitment to nature preservation. This makes it perfect for wildlife and nature walk tours therefore, if your incentive travel group is looking for this type of employee motivation, Costa Rica is the right place to visit.

History & Society
Costa Rica is one of the oldest democracies in the Americas. Since the civil war of 1948, the country has no standing army; in fact, the Constitution specifically forbids it. During the last 55 years Costa Rica has established a well-developed conservation system, not only nature wise, but also regarding its social and cultural wealth. As early as 1948, a free compulsory educational system was consolidated, resulting in a literacy rate of over 93%. Almost 90% of all high school students attend public institutions, and the four most prestigious universities are still public. Generous government budgets provide medical coverage for every working citizen, resulting in an extremely low infant mortality rate and average life expectancy of over 70 years.

Some sites you will like to visit to learn more about our history:
Costa Rica National Museum www.museocostarica.com
Museums of the Central Bank www.museosdelbancocentral.org
Costa Rican Arts Museum www.ilustracionydiseno.com/home2
Costa Rican Art and Contemporary Design Museum www.madc.ac.cr

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