Name
"Costa Rica" means "rich coast" in Spanish. Christopher Columbus named it in 1502, referring to the region's abundant vegetation and water.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Country
Costa Rica
10.07° N, 84.08° W
- Population
- 5,047,561
- Natural Earth population estimate.
- Area
- 51,100 km²
- Official total area (land + water) from the CIA World Factbook. Computed from the Natural Earth boundary: ≈ 51,303 km².
- Population density
- ≈ 98 / km²
- Population divided by the computed boundary area.
- ISO codes
- CR · CRI
- GDP (nominal)
- $95.35 billion
- Field “Economy → GDP (official exchange rate)” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- GDP per capita (PPP)
- $27,000
- Field “Economy → Real GDP per capita → Real GDP per capita 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Costa Rica 51,100 km²Netherlands 41,543 km²
geometry: Natural Earth 1:50m · EPSG:6933 equal-area
Where Costa Rica sits in the world
Each line is every country in this atlas that carries the value, ordered smallest to largest. The line down the middle is the world median; the mark on each line is this country.
- Median age36 years91st of 224 · median 32.6 years
- Life expectancy80.3 years52nd of 224 · median 76.2 years
- Fertility rate1.45 children per woman190th of 225 · median 1.92 children per woman
- Population5,047,561122nd of 235 · median 5,454,073
- Total area51,100 km²128th of 228 · median 83,736 km²
- Coastline1,290 km73rd of 229 · median 402 km
Overview
Background
Spanish explorers reached the area early in the 16th century, but disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, Indigenous resistance, and pirate raids thwarted initial colonization attempts. Cartago became a permanent settlement in 1563, in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony until independence. In 1821, Costa Rica joined several Central American provinces in declaring independence from Spain. It then joined the United Provinces of Central America, whose federation disintegrated in 1838; Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence.
Since the late 19th century, violence has marred Costa Rica's democratic development during brief periods. General Federico Tinoco Granados led a coup in 1917 and resigned in 1919 after the threat of US intervention. In 1948, landowner Jose Figueres Ferrer raised his own army and rebelled against the government. The brief civil war ended with an agreement allowing Figueres to step down in favor of the previously elected Otilio Ulate. Figueres was later elected in 1953 and 1970. Refugee waves from Central American civil wars destabilized Costa Rica in the 1970s and 1980s, but regional peace later helped its economy rebound. While it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Key figures
CIA World Factbook
Economy
- GDP (nominal)
- $95.35 billion
- Field “Economy → GDP (official exchange rate)” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- GDP (PPP)
- $138.37 billion
- Field “Economy → Real GDP (purchasing power parity) → Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- GDP per capita (PPP)
- $27,000
- Field “Economy → Real GDP per capita → Real GDP per capita 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- GDP growth
- +4.3%
- Field “Economy → Real GDP growth rate → Real GDP growth rate 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Inflation (consumer prices)
- -0.4%
- Field “Economy → Inflation rate (consumer prices) → Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Unemployment
- 7.9%
- Field “Economy → Unemployment rate → Unemployment rate 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Exports
- $36.77 billion
- Field “Economy → Exports → Exports 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Imports
- $30.46 billion
- Field “Economy → Imports → Imports 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
People
- Life expectancy
- 80.3 years
- Field “People and Society → Life expectancy at birth → total population” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Median age
- 36 years
- Field “People and Society → Median age → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Birth rate
- 10.86 per 1,000
- Field “People and Society → Birth rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Death rate
- 5.24 per 1,000
- Field “People and Society → Death rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Fertility rate
- 1.45 children per woman
- Field “People and Society → Total fertility rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Population growth
- +0.75% a year
- Field “People and Society → Population growth rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Urban population
- 82.6%
- Field “People and Society → Urbanization → urban population” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Languages
- Spanishofficial
- English
- Field “People and Society → Languages → Languages” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Religions
- Roman Catholic47.5%
- Evangelical and Pentecostal19.8%
- Jehovah's Witness1.4%
- other27%
- Field “People and Society → Religions” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Land
- Total area
- 51,100 km²Land 51,060 km² · Water 40 km²
- Field “Geography → Area → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Coastline
- 1,290 km
- Field “Geography → Coastline” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Land borders
- 661 km
- Field “Geography → Land boundaries → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Mean elevation
- 746 m
- Field “Geography → Elevation → mean elevation” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Highest point
- 3,819 m Cerro Chirripo
- Field “Geography → Elevation → highest point” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Values from the CIA World Factbook archive. Each carries the year it describes; open a year for the exact source field.
Connections
Within
Natural geography 4
Natural Earth outlines · features with a Wikidata ID
Oceans 1
Seas 1
Peninsulas 2
Largest cities 5
Population · Natural Earth
- San Josécapital1.3M
- Alajuela387.7K
- Cartago196.9K
- Puerto Limon85K
- Puntarenas57.1K