• OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

The official language is Spanish. The second language for a large portion of the population is English.

• OFFICIAL RELIGION

The official religion is Catholic. Freedom of religious choice is respected.

• OFFICIAL CURRENCY

Colon

• NATIONAL SYMBOLS
  
   

  	The Purple Orchid Guarianthe skinneri (Bateman, 1838). It was decreed as the national flower by Agreement number 24 on June 15, 1939.		National Flag Flag used for civil acts
  	Guanacaste Tree Enterolobium cyclocarpum. It was declared as the national tree of Costa Rica, on August 31, 1959.		National Emblem of Costa Rica Enacted since May 5, 1998.
  	Yigüirro (Clay-Colored Robin National Bird) urdus grayi. It was decreed as the national bird on January 3, 1977.		Typical Cart National Symbol of Labor. It was decreed as the National Symbol, on March 22, 1988.

Costa Rica's 7 Provinces Costa Rica is divided into seven provinces, these are: San José, Alajuela, Heredia, Cartago, Puntarenas, Guanacaste, and Limon. Each province is subdivided into regions and these are subdivided into districts.

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Alajuela Cartago Guanacaste Heredia Limón Puntarenas San José

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The country has as a marine territory known as Coco’s Island. It is a world-renowned natural reserve, located 548 kilometers from Cabo Blanco in the Pacific Ocean comprised of 2,400 hectares of land and 73,100 hectares of sea.

A) WATER PASSAGES

The most important water passages in the country which serve the purpose for everyday transportation as well as a route for tourists are:

• The Tortuguero Canals and Barra del Colorado, on the Northern Caribbean
• The Sarapiqui River, on the Northern zone
• The Matina River, on the central Caribbean
• Part of the San Juan River, on the border with Nicaragua
• The Cold River, the Caño Negro Lagoons, and Los Chiles on the Northern zone
• The Sierpe River, on the Southern zone
• The Tempisque River, on the Gulf of Nicoya
   

Other rivers of great importance are:

• On the Caribbean: Pacuare, Reventazon, Caribbean Chrripo, Estrella, and Sixaola
• On the Pacific: Bebedero, Grande de Tarcoles, Coto, Chirripo, and Parrita

 

B) AIRPORTS

The main airport is the Juan Santamaria International Airport, located in Alajuela. This airport is only twenty minutes away from San José.

Other important airports are:

• The Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport, located in Liberia, Guanacaste.
• The Tobias Bolaños Airport located in Pavas, San José, for local as well as international flights.

There are also landing fields for local flights situated in different parts of the country such as: Limon, Tortuguero, La Fortuna, Tamarindo, Samara, Tambor, Quepos, Palmar North, Golfito, and San Vito.

 

C) HIGHWAYS AND ROADS

The whole country is adequately connected by internal infrastructure. The main artery is the Interamerican Highway, which connects the two borders from Peñas Blancas all the way to Paso Canoas. The Cerro de la Muerte (Death Mountain) region has the road with the highest elevation in the country with an altitude higher than 3,200 meters above sea level.

From Puntarenas to Limon: 246 kilometers by land

 

From Peñas Blancas (on the Nicaragua Border) to Paso Canoas (on the Panama Border): 534 kilometers by land

 

HIGHEST PEAK: Chirripo summit of 3,819 meters above sea level.

 

HIGHEST VOLCANO: Irazú Volcano

 

LARGEST VOLCANIC CRATER: Poas Volcano crater. It has a diameter of 1,320 meters with a depth of 300 meters.

 

ELECTRICAL SERVICE: Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE).

Ninety seven percent of the national territory has electrical service. The voltage in residential areas is 110v.

 

OFFICE HOURS

Government sector: From 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. National Banks: From 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Some banks offer their services after regular hours until 7:00 p.m. and others that are located in some shopping centers are open on Saturdays.

 

PRIVATE SECTOR

From 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Commerce in general, opens Saturdays and Sundays up to mid-day.

 

NATIONAL HOLIDAYS

• January 1st: New Years Day
• April 11th: Juan Santamaria Day, National Hero.
• Holy Thursday and Good Friday: Religious activities.
• May 1st: International Labor Day.
• August 15th: Mothers Day.
• September 15th: Independence Day.
• December 25th: Christmas Day.

 

OTHER HOLIDAYS

• July 25th: Annexation of Guanacaste Day.
• August 2nd: Virgin of the Angels Day.
• October 12th: Christopher Columbus Day.