Costa Rica,is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Costa Rica, which translates literally as "Rich Coast", was the first country in the world to constitutionally abolish its army. Costa Rica has consistently been among the top Latin American countries in the Human Development Index, ranking 50th in 2006. The country is ranked 5th in the world, and 1st among the Americas, in terms of the 2008 Environmental Performance Index. In 2007 the Costa Rican government announced plans for Costa Rica to become the first carbon neutral country by 2021. According to the New Economics Foundation, Costa Rica ranks first in the Happy Planet Index and is the greenest country in the world. The HPI measures how much of the Earth's resources nations use and how long and happy a life their citizens enjoy as a result.

The only official language is Spanish. Spanish is spoken as mother tongue by a 97% of the population the other 3% is composed by Amerindian languages and English-creole. There are two main accents native to Costa Rica, the standard Costa Rican and the Nicoyan. The Nicoyan accent is very similar to the standard Nicaraguan accent. A peculiarity of the Spanish in Costa Rica is the relative lack of the use of the pronoun tú, which is considered rather informal by native Costa Ricans. Instead, Costa Ricans use vos or usted. The conjugation of vos in Costa Rica is practically the same as in Argentina, with the exception of the subjunctive forms.

Jamaican immigrants in the 19th century brought with them a dialect of English that has evolved into the Mekatelyu creole dialect.English is a language commonly taught in educational institutions, as are French and Portuguese.

Costa Rica boasts a varied history. Costa Rica was the point where the Mesoamerican and South American native cultures met. The northwest of the country, the Nicoya peninsula, was the southernmost point of Nahuatl cultural influence when the Spanish conquerors (conquistadores) came in the sixteenth century. The central and southern portions of the country had Chibcha influences. The Atlantic coast, meanwhile, was populated with African workers during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Today Costa Rican culture is a peculiar variety of Latin American culture in that Pre-Columbian influences are almost non-existent today, since most of the indigenous population was virtually erased by epidemics in the first century of Spanish colonization. As a result the immigration of Spaniards and their 16th-Spanish culture and its evolution marked everyday life and culture until today, with Spanish language and the Catholic religion as main cultural pillars.The Department of Culture, Youth, and Sports is in charge of the promotion and coordination of the cultural life. The work of the department is divided into Direction of Culture, Visual Arts, Scenic Arts, Music, Patrimony and the System of Libraries. Although the department creates many initiatives, they are constrained by the lack of resources.[citation needed] Permanent programs, nevertheless, are constantly high quality, such as the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica and the Youth Symphony Orchestra, brilliant conjunctions of two areas of work: Culture and Youth.

Reggae and reggaeton are popular as well, possibly because its main representatives are regionally grown. Dance-oriented genres like soca, salsa, bachata, merengue, cumbia and Costa Rican swing have been increasingly shifting toward an older demographic. The guitar is a popular instrument especially as an accompaniment to folk dances, however, the marimba was given the status of the national instrument.

The travel industry has quickly become one of Costa Rica's main economic endeavours. It has gained special favor among "green-minded" or eco-travelers. Congruent with the country's express commitment to sustainability and conservation, Costa Rica has successfully developed a unique travel product that promises enriching experiences while promoting human and environmental health. In recent years, several of its top travel service providers have been internationally recognized for their commitment to planet-positive tourism. Examples include Nature Air and Hotel Punta Islita as winners of the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, sponsored by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). Boasting a wide diversity of eco-climates and settings, Costa Rica is attractive to travelers seeking beaches, tropical forests, active volcanoes, mountain settings, and a wide array of activities. Surfing, canopy zip-lining, hiking, birdwatching, and fishing are some of the most popular draws.