Costa Rica is a country that is situated between Panama and Nicaragua. It is bordered not only by the Pacific Ocean but the Caribbean Sea as well. This country is divided by mountains and volcanoes. About 19,000 square miles make up this country and over 800 miles of this country is coastline. It has some of the most breathtaking landscapes and beaches that you will ever see.

One of the places you should be sure to visit on your trip to Costa Rica is Jaco Beach. Breaking of the surf occurs year-round and there is a lively party scene here. This beach is only about 2 hours southwest of San Jose. Because Jaco Beach is so accessible, this is one really easy reason to see why it is so popular with travelers and Ticos.

Not only does Jaco Beach offer great surfing, but it offers other sports such as horseback riding, sport fishing and canopy tours. Jaco has experienced major growth in the last ten years. Hotels, bars, galleries and restaurants now line the streets throughout Jaco. Those who thrive on the night life will not be disappointed as the casinos and bars are full every evening. After you have put in a long day of sport fishing or sunbathing, you can now enjoy some excellent cuisine at Jaco's variety of restaurants.

Ticos are what the Costa Ricans are familiarly called. This was usually added to the end of words to denote smallness.

Many of the Costa Rican people are of European as well as mestizo decent. Most of the people of this area were powerless against such diseases as measles and the common cold which were carried by the Spaniards to this small country. The Costa Rican people have a great sense of pride because they have formed a unique nation to the entire world. Their history has been built upon tolerance and prosperity because they took to heart the positive lessons that they brought over from the old world.

For the years that followed World War II, Costa Rica remain tranquil in the midst of a sea of civil warfare that raged about them. In 1948, the people of Costa Rica decided to abolish their army. They decided to recruit platoons of forest rangers instead of infantrymen. The Costa Rican people have a deep sense of personal liberty, and it is very rare to find violence in this country. Although Costa Rica is small in size, it features a greater biodiversity than either North America or Europe. This is due to a number of reasons.

Since Costa Rica is located between North and South America, this enables animals and plants from both continents and the Caribbean islands to become established there. The geographical makeup and tropical climate of Costa Rica includes a whole range of habitats all the way from the cloud forests to the lowland rainforest's to the tropical rivers and lakes. Costa Rica has an ecological policy in place which has protected a great percentage of its natural territory.

Many naturalists from all over the world flock to Costa Rica as one of their favorite destinations. One of the main attractions for these people is the bird population. There have been more than 850 species of birds that have been identified. That is far greater than the number seen in Europe, North America or even Australia.