Both total and per capita water usage is very high in comparison to other Central American countries but when measured against available freshwater sources, Costa Rica uses only 5% of its available supply. [6] There are 117 native trees and more than 1,400 types of orchids; a third of them can be found in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. The park is filled with short trails, lava fields, and forests. The most northern one is called Cordillera de Guanacaste and it consists of several volcanoes, some of which are still active. Administrative divisions of Costa Rica include 7 provinces, 82 cantons, and 478 districts. View the mile-high volcano, a near-perfect conical shape that emerges from the Sierra de Tilarán mountain range; Gaze at the placid Lake Arenal, watching for northern jacana, woodpeckers, and kingfishers by its shores; Please note: Travelers should be able to hike around two miles over uneven terrain and hardened lava. Cocos Island is the southwestern extreme of the country. There are more Costa Rica mountains to to the southeast, called the Cordillera de Tilaran. It contains the country's highest peaks: the Cerro Chirripó and the Cerro Kamuk. [8] Some of the country's most endangered species are the Harpy eagle, the Giant anteater, the Golden toad and the Jaguar. "Issues relating to reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries and recommendations on any further process, "Biodiversity and Protected Areas – Costa Rica", "Physiological correlates of locomotory performance in a lizard: an allometric approach", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Costa_Rica&oldid=994192911, Articles containing Spanish-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. According to the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, 209 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and plants are endangered. Understand []. Costa Rica is located on the Central American Isthmus, surrounding the point 10° north of the equator and 84° west of the prime meridian.It has 212 km of Caribbean Sea coastline and 1,016 on the North Pacific Ocean.. As is the case in much of Central America, the avian species in Costa Rica are a mix of North and South American species. The northwest, with the longest dry season, contains open deciduous forest. Located 15 kilometers from Fortuna in the northwest part of Costa Rica, between the foothills of the Cordillera de Tilaran mountain range and the San Carlos plains, Arenal Volcano National Park is one of the most visited destinations in the Northern Zone. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, "Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica, Volcán Arenal, Map, Eruptions", Costa Rica sustainable resource management: Successfully tackling tropical deforestation, "United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Arenal Observatory Lodge , originally a private observatory established in 1987, is the only lodge within the Arenal Volcano National Park boundaries. It is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of West Virginia Andes – 7,000 km (4,300 mi). There are 16 reserves between the Tilaran and Guanacaste mountain ranges, and the area features geologic and biological delights, such as the active Arenal Volcano. Mountain Lakes (Oregon, United States) Volcanic field, 2502 m / 8209 ft Mousa Alli (Ethiopia/Eritrea/Djibouti) Stratovolcano, 2028 m / 6,653 ft Moutohora Island (New Zealand) Complex, 354 m / 1161 ft Costa Rica is located on the Caribbean Plate. Uptime Institute has issued 1900 awards in 108 countries for our Tier Standard, M&O Stamp of Approval and Efficient IT programs. The park is also known for its wide range of biodiversity, with approximately half of all Costa Rican birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals represented somewhere within its boundaries. [14], Over 840 species of birds have been identified in Costa Rica. The lowest point is sea level, and the highest is Cerro Chirripo: at 3810 m. The climate is tropical and subtropical. It borders the Cocos Plate in the Pacific Ocean which is being subducted beneath it. Freshwater withdrawal is 5.77 km³/year (15%/9%/77%), or per capita: 1,582 m³/year. First, the highest and longest mountain ranges on Earth are listed, followed by more comprehensive alphabetical lists organized by continent. It also includes the Cerros de Escazú which borders the Costa Rican Central Valley to the south. Some of the country's most notable avian species include the resplendent quetzal, scarlet macaw, three-wattled bellbird, bare-necked umbrellabird, and the keel-billed toucan. It is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of West Virginia. Costa Rica's seasons are defined by how much rain falls during a particular period. Agriculture is the largest water user demanding around 53% of total supplies while the sector contributes 6.5% to the Costa Rica GDP. Mountain systems, himalyan ranges and chains by length (over 500 km): The underwater Mid-ocean ridge – 65,000 km (40,000 mi); Ring of Fire – 40,000 km (25,000 mi). See List of peaks by prominence (ranking the mountain ranges as well). [4][5] It is home to about 12,119 species of plants, of which 950 are endemic. However, many species are endangered. It has 212 km of Caribbean Sea coastline and 1,016 on the North Pacific Ocean. Otherwise to the north it's Peñas Blancas, to the south and east the Panama border, and to the west the Santa Elena Peninsula. The Cordillera de Guanacaste is in the north near the border with Nicaragua and forms part of the Continental Divide of the Americas. Land use: Arable land: 4.8%. Dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands. 9.3% of the country is protected under IUCN categories I-V. Around 25% of the country's land area is in protected national parks and protected areas,[10][11] the largest percentage of protected areas in the world (developing world average 13%, developed world average 8%).[7][12][13]. A diversity of soaring mountains, dormant and active craters, black and white sand beaches, rushing rivers and powerful waterfalls grace Costa Rica’s 19,653 square miles, an area smaller than West Virginia. The northwest-southeast orientation of the mountain range divides Costa Rica into two sides: the Pacific and the Caribbean. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Tortuguero National Park is home to monkeys, sloths, birds; and a variety of reptiles. There are also 24 indigenous territories. Permanent crops: 6.66%. Much of the region is covered by the Talamancan montane forests. [6] Deforestation in Costa Rica has been reduced from some of the worst rates in the world from 1973 to 1989, to almost zero by 2005. Costa Rica is officially known as the Republic of Costa Rica.. The mean annual temperature on the coastal lowlands is around 27 °C (81 °F), 20 °C (68 °F) in the main populated areas of the Cordillera Central, and below 10 °C (50 °F) on the summits of the highest mountains. This forms the volcanoes in Costa Rica, also known as the Central America Volcanic Arc.[1]. However, the country has many microclimates depending on elevation, rainfall, topography, and by the geography of each particular region. These awards represent the 3rd party validation of data center designs, constructed facilities, operational plans and overall efficiency. The area is 51,100 km² of which 40 km² is water. All of the Asian ranges above have been formed in part over the past 35 to 55 million years by the collision between the Indian Plate and Eurasian Plate. The location receiving the most rain is the Caribbean slopes of the Cordillera Central mountains, with an annual rainfall of over 5,000 mm (196.9 in). The "summer" or dry season goes from December to April, and "winter" or rainy season goes from May to November, which almost coincides with the Atlantic hurricane season, and during this time, it rains constantly in some regions. Costa Rica's geography reveals a history of cataclysm, with earthquakes, floods and volcanoes shaping its present-day landscape. The country also specializes in adrenalin-fuelled adventure tourism in all its forms: canopy walks, zip-lines, white-water rafting, mountain biking circuits, hiking trails and horseback rides are not the ‘extras’ in Costa Rica, but the main reason most people come here. Note 2: Part of Hindu Kush-Himalayas region. Incredible mountain property located only minutes away from Atenas city, this estate features one hectare of extension (with over 200 exotic fruit trees), staggering mountain views, recently constructed, large swimming pool, tennis court, basketball court, large rooms and luxurious finishes. The Indian Plate is still particularly mobile and these mountain ranges continue to rise in elevation every year and this page may need to be updated in a few years; of these the Himalayas are rising most quickly; the Kashmir and Pamirs region to the north of the Indian subcontinent is the point of confluence of these mountains which encircle the Tibetan Plateau. Costa Rica shares a 313 km border with Nicaragua to the north, and a 348 km with Panama to the south. Together protected areas comprise over one-fourth of Costa Rican territory. Increasing urbanization will put pressure on water resources management in Costa Rica. Many earthquakes in Costa Rica have occurred. Costa Rica is a center of biological diversity for reptiles and amphibians, including the world's fastest running lizard, the spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura similis).[16]. Costa Rica has many different mountain ranges, surrounding the Valle Central. The Caribbean Plate began its eastward migration during the Late Cretaceous. Category:Mountain ranges of South America, List of lunar features § Mountain ranges, List of tallest mountains in the Solar System, https://www.britannica.com/science/Alpide-Belt, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/234834352_The_Great_Escarpment_of_Southern_Africa_A_New_Frontier_for_Biodiversity_Exploration, https://www.britannica.com/place/Himalayas/Physical-features, https://www.britannica.com/place/Great-Himalayas, https://www.britannica.com/place/Lesser-Himalayas, Early paleozoic magmatism of the Sette Daban, Southern Verkhoyansk region, Southeastern Yakutia, https://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=10350, https://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=13254, https://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=37927, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_mountain_ranges&oldid=1014317683, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Verkhoyansk Range-Suntar-Khayata Range – 1,650 km (1,030 mi) (section of the East, Northern Yolla-Bolly Mountains, California, This page was last edited on 26 March 2021, at 12:15. One of our top picks in Fortuna. On the Talamanca range grow numerous evergreen oaks and, above the timberline, mountain scrub and grasses. The country's abundant fruit trees, many of which bear fruit year round, are hugely important to the birds, some of whom survive on diets that consist only of one or two types of fruit. Costa Rica claims an exclusive economic zone of 574,725 km2 (221,903 sq mi) with 200 nautical miles (370.4 km; 230.2 mi) and a territorial sea of 12 nautical miles (22.2 km; 13.8 mi). This property has 95 hectares (235 acres). Several trails—Heliconias, Coladas, Tucanes and Los Miradores—allow observation of much of the park’s flora and fauna, as well as … Rivers of Costa Rica all drain into the Caribbean or the Pacific. Costa Rica is located on the Central American Isthmus, surrounding the point 10° north of the equator and 84° west of the prime meridian. Featuring hot spring baths, sauna, massages services, luxury spa treatments and 5 swimming pools, Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa is 15 minutes’ drive from the Arenal Volcano National Park. Hydropower from Lake Arenal, the largest lake in Costa Rica. Much of the Cordillera de Talamanca is included in the La Amistad International Park, which is shared between Costa Rica and Panama. Almost a half of the country's land is covered by forests, though only 3.5% is covered by primary forests. The year can be split into two periods, the dry season known to the residents as summer (verano), and the rainy season, known locally as winter (invierno). [7], The diversity of wildlife in Costa Rica is very high; there are 441 species of amphibians and reptiles, 838 species of birds, 232 species of mammals and 181 species of fresh water fish. Palm trees are common on the Caribbean coastline, and mangroves grow on the shallow protected shores of the Nicoya and Dulce gulfs along the Pacific. There 29 national parks of Costa Rica many conservation areas of Costa Rica. Humidity is also higher on the Caribbean side than on the Pacific side. [2], Costa Rica is a biodiversity hotspot. Total renewable water resources is 112.4 km³. Since the late 1980s Costa Rica … There are many islands of Costa Rica, the most remote being Cocos Island and the largest being Isla Calero. By IAU convention, lunar mountain ranges are given Latin names. Note 1: A peak included in the "Eastern Pamirs"[1] more often than in the Kunlun Mountains, as Kongur Tagh and the Kunlun range are separated by the large Yarkand River valley; no valley of such significance separates the Pamirs and Kongur Tagh, just political boundaries. Costa Rica (Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica, pronounced [reˈpuβlika ðe ˈkosta ˈrika]) is a small country in Central America bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Caribbean Sea to the east.. The area is 51,100 km² of which 40 km² is water. Costa Rica has high levels of endemism; 81 species of amphibians and reptiles, 17 species of birds and 7 species of mammals are endemic to the country. While the country has only about 0.03% of the world's landmass, it contains 5% of the world's biodiversity. [15] The Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad is allowed to collect royalties on any biological discoveries of medical importance. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is home to about 2,000 plant species,[14] including numerous orchids. Costa Rica is party to the following treaties: This page was last edited on 14 December 2020, at 15:11. Other: 88.54%. IUCN reports the Golden toad as extinct. Consist of 1/3 of primary forest and 2/3 of pasture. During the Late Paleocene, a local sea-level low-stand assisted by the continental uplift of the western margin of South America, resulted in a land bridge over which several groups of mammals apparently took part in an interchange. Over 400 types of birds and more than 100 species of mammals can be found there. Northern and Southern Andes main subdivisions, along both run three vast, almost parallel chain systems of mountain ranges - … Ranges in the oceans and on other celestial bodies are listed afterwards. Mountain systems, himalyan ranges and chains by length (over 500 km): The longest mountain range in the world (above sea level) is the Andes, consisting of several subranges. Its located just minutes outside Tilaran town very close to Lake Arenal and Arenal Volcanoe area. This is a list of mountain ranges on Earth and a few other astronomical bodies. Because Costa Rica is located between 8 and 12 degrees north of the Equator, the climate is tropical year round. American Cordillera – 13,400 km (8,300 mi) . The nation's coastal plain separated by the Cordillera Central and the Cordillera de Talamanca, which form the spine of the country and separate the Pacific and Caribbean drainage divides. [9], Over 25% of Costa Rica's national territory is protected by SINAC (the National System of Conservation Areas), which oversees all of the country's protected areas. Owner financing available and its possible a partial sale.