Description
Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a sovereign state in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, and Ecuador to the south of Cocos Island. It has a population of around 5 million in a land area of 51,060 square kilometres (19,714 square miles). An estimated 333,980 people live in the capital and largest city, San José with around 2 million people in the surrounding metropolitan area. Costa Rica also has progressive environmental policies. It is the only country to meet all five UNDP criteria established to measure environmental sustainability. It was ranked 42nd in the world, and third in the Americas, in the 2016 Environmental Performance Index, and was twice ranked the best performing country in the New Economics Foundation’s (NEF) Happy Planet Index, which measures environmental sustainability, and was identified by the NEF as the greenest country in the world in 2009. Costa Rica plans to become a carbon-neutral country by 2021. By 2016, 98.1% of its electricity was generated from green sources, particularly hydro, solar, geothermal and biomass.
The national flag of Costa Rica is based on a design created in 1848. Each colour in the Costa Rican flag represents important Costa Rican ideals. Blue represents the sky, opportunities within reach, intellectual thinking, perseverance, infinity, eternity, religious ideals and spiritual desires. White symbolises clear thinking, happiness, wisdom, power and natural beauty, as well as peace and Costa Rican initiative. Red expresses the warmth of the Costa Rican people, their love of life, and the blood spilt during the fight for freedom. The National Shield displays three volcanoes and a valley between two oceans, each one with a merchant ship; these represent the nation’s three mountain ranges, the Central Valley, the country’s two coasts, and the cultural and commercial exchange between Costa Rica and the rest of the world. A sun rises over the horizon, representing Costa Rica’s prosperity, and seven stars dot the blue sky – one for each of the country’s provinces. At the top, a blue ribbon states “America Central,” while a white banner below reads “Republica de Costa Rica.” Two myrtle branches sit atop the banner; these symbolise Costa Rica’s peaceful nature. The shield is enclosed on both sides by small, golden circles that represent coffee, also known as “golden beans.”