Costa Rica Facts for Kids | Coffee-producing Country

The literal meaning of the word ‘Costa Rica’ is ‘rich coast’. It was probably Christopher Columbus who first named this region. Located in Central America, Costa Rica holds great variety of species. In fact, one of the greatest diversities in species around the world is found in Costa Rica. Almost 5 percent of biodiversity in the world exists in this country. For that reason, 25 percent of the country’s land area is named as ‘protected areas’, which is the world’s highest percentage. It is also popular for coffee production and Tarrazú beans of Costa Rica are one of the world’s finest. It is the most favorite place for tourists in Central America. Now let’s find out more in Costa Rica facts for kids!

Capital City: San José

Currency: Costa Rican colon (CRC)

Primary Language: Spanish

Highest Point: 3,820 metres (12,533 feet)

Fascinating Costa Rica Facts for Kids | Amazing Facts Costa Rica

• The very first evidence of human settlement is found in Costa Rica’s small city called Turrialba. They were hunter-gatherers and lived about 10,000 to 7,000 BCE.
• About 2,000 to 3,000 BCE, they began using pottery and carved out gourds, shards of pots, cylindrical vases and the like.
• About 5,000 years before, the inhabitants of Costa Rica practised agriculture and cultivated crops like tubers.
• It is believed that Christopher Columbus named this country la costa rica, which means ‘rich coast’. He traveled around the eastern shores of this country in 1502 and this was his last voyage. He found out that natives had a great quantity of gold jewelry.
• During Spanish Empire, Costa Rica remained very poor and inhabited by a very small number of people. It is because this region lacked gold, silver and also, it was not allowed by the Spanish to trade with its neighbors in the south.

Costa Rica Geography Facts

• In 2009, it was ranked the world’s most environmental-friendly country.
• According to happy Planet Index of NEF, Costa Rica has been ranked the world’s best performing country for two times.
• As for tourism, Costa Rica ranks second in Latin America.
• As per Environmental Protection Index, it is ranked third in the Americas and also stands at the 42nd position all over the world.
• During the early years of 19th century, the plant of coffee was cultivated for the first time in Costa Rica.
• The highest mountain of Costa Rica is Cerro Chirripó. It ranks fifth among the Central American highest peaks. This peak has not witnessed any snowfall during the last century.
• Located close by Cartago (city in Costa Rica), Irazú Volcano is the highest active volcano of the country. Its height is 3,431 metres (11,257 feet).
• Lake Arenal is the largest lake of the country. It is about 30 to 60 metres deep (100 to 200 feet).
• The largest island of the country is Isla Calero, which means ‘Calero Island’. It is also the largest along San Juan River.
• About 2.4 percent of the residents are Native Americans.
• The traditional cuisine of Costa Rica is Tamale. It consists of fruits and vegetables, cheese, meat and so on. All these ingredients are wrapped up in banana leaf or corn husk. It is a famous Mesoamerican dish.
• San José (the capital city of Costa Rica) is ranked sixth among the most important destination cities of Latin America.

Costa Rica Fact File for Kids

• The three main cash crops of Costa Rica are coffee, bananas and pineapples.
• Costa Rica has more than 840 species of birds.
• In 2012, Costa Rica prohibited hunting for fun and thus it became the first country in Americas to do so.
• The country’s literacy rate of 96.3 percent is one of the highest among the countries of Latin America.
• Around 10.7 percent of Costa Ricans aging more than 18 years of age, speaks English.
• Costa Rica is home to 14 known volcanoes. Out of these, six volcanoes are active as they have erupted during the last 75 years.