Fact File

Official name: Republic of Costa Rica

Size: 19,730 square miles; slightly smaller than West Virginia

Population: 4,075,261 as of July 2006

Capital: San José

Official Language: Spanish

Currency: Costa Rican Colón

Climate: Tropical and subtropical with a short dry season and a long rainy season

Literacy Rate: 96%

Agricultural Products: Coffee, pineapples, bananas, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes

Did you know?:

• Costa Rica was one of the first countries in the world to make education free and required for all children.
• Costa Rica has more than 1,250 types of butterflies. That's about 10% of all known butterfly species. Farms in Costa Rica breed the insects and sell them to zoos.
• Many butterflies have markings on their wings to protect them from hungry animals.

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