- Costa Rican law affords the same legal protections to foreign property owners as it does to citizens.
- Favorable tax system: there are no capital gains taxes on the sale of property, and property tax rates are substantially lower than in North America.
- Costa Rica, a democracy for over 100 years, is a model of political stability and is often referred to as the ‘Switzerland of the Americas.’ Cost Rica was the first country in the world to constitutionally abolish its army.
- Living standards, medical care, and education levels are the highest in the region; Costa Rica has a 96% literacy rate.
- Costa Rica is committed to preserving it’s natural resources. it is widely commended for its sustainable eco-tourism practices; over 25% of it’s land is protected by the national park system.
- High education levels, political and economic stability, and a strong tourism industry has attracted sizable foreign investment, including GlaxoSmithKline, Intel, Proctor & Gamble and Microsoft to name a few.
Costa Rica boasts an abundance of beaches on both coastlines, though the Pacific coast is less developed. Between the coasts, the interior of the country is shaped by four mountain ranges, forming a fertile highland valley. San Jose, the nations capital and the majority of the countries 3.2 million citizens are concentrated in this valley.
Costa Rica’s climate is near flawless. Mild subtropical conditions prevail year-round, and temperature extremes are rare. Temperatures vary according to elevation, and are cooler in the mountainous regions. The rainy season lasts from May to November; February, March and April are the driest months of year. Rain falls mainly on the Caribbean coast, giving the Pacific coast a more arid climate.
The first European explorer to encounter Costa Rica was Christopher Columbus, during his fourth and final voyage to the New World, in 1502. Under the assumption that the land was filled with precious metals, Spaniard Gil Gonzalez Davila named the country Costa Rica, or Rich Coast. The earth never yielded gold and silver, but the name was perfect for the wealth of natural beauty. An area comparable in size to Denmark or West Virginia, Costa Rica hosts an astonishing five percent of the world’s biodiversity, including more than 800 species of ferns, 1,000 of orchids, 2,000 kinds of trees, and 200 species of mammals. Demonstrating an environmental sensitivity unparalleled elsewhere, Costa Ricans have set aside one quarter of their land as protected areas and national parks. Visitors are rewarded with botanical and animal marvels found nowhere else on Earth.
Although Costa Rica is best known as an invaluable refuge for nature, this small nation is also a haven of peace. Costa Rica won its independence in 1821 without a shot fired. This peaceful transition to sovereignty established a precedent still followed in Costa Rican politics. Cost Rica officially abolished it’s army in 1949. In 1987, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in ending the Nicaraguan civil war.