Costa Rica is bordered on two sides by land, Nicaragua and Panama namely, and on the other two by water: Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean. Although its land mass is small, about the size of West Virginia, it is extremely bio-diverse and home to more than 5% of the world’s biodiversity. For this reason, more than 25% of Costa Rica consists of dedicated National Parks. In addition to the main land mass, Costa Rica also has several large islands.

There are more than 800 species of birds, 100 mammals, and numerous reptiles that call Costa Rica home. More parrot species can be found here than anywhere else in the world and rare and endangered species thrive here. Just a few of the unique animals that can be found in Costa Rica include the howler monkey, white-throat capuchin, and the three-toed sloth. Costa Rica is also known for being home to the most important nesting spot of the endangered green turtle in the world.

Flora and fauna are not the only things that attract people to Costa Rica. The economy is booming and Costa Rica has become a hot place to invest. The country is currently involved in a seven-year plan to increase high-tech industries in the country. To meet this end, Costa Rica has implemented several tax breaks to attract big corporations to the country. Trade with Asia and Russia has been growing exponentially leading to the probability of Costa Rica gaining full membership into the Asia-Pacific Economic Corporation Forum (APEC) in 2007.

In Costa Rica, everything is experiencing growth. The latest fiscal figures from 2005 indicate that Costa Rican internal revenue is up 18%, exports are up 12.8%, tourism is up 19%, and the economy expanded by 5%. Figures for 2006 indicate that the economy is expected to gain another 6.8% when all is said and done.

With numbers on the rise, many people are looking to Costa Rica as a place to invest and a place to live. Immigration is at an all-time high and only promises to grow along with the current Costa Rican economy.

By David Lovendahl, Costa Vista Marketing