Cultural Landscape

Costa Rica consists of about 98% tropical forests. Looking at the pictures above gives a brief background as to the modernization, deforestation and pollution that people have brought to Costa Rica. Though this country is considered to be one of the "greenest" in the world, humans have played an impact on the deterioration of its natural landscapes. The majority of its population is located in the city of San Jose in central Costa Rica with few other major cities scattered around the coast. Deforestation is the biggest issue that Costa Rica faces given that most of its landscape consists of trees and forests. But, unlike many countries, Costa Rica has taken steps to secure their country's natural beauty by adopting the "green" way of living and if they continue to head down this path, Costa Rica will continue to be one of the world's precious jewels of natural beauty.

Economy of Costa Rica

Costa Rica is considered to be a rural country, with most of its population living in small towns spread throughout. Though most people live under the poverty line, in the past 15 years, poverty has decreased substantially due to the increase in foreign investors. The Costa Rican government just recently concluded negotiations to become a part od the US-Central American Free Trade Agreement. For years agricultural products such as bananas and coffee has been the dominant source for production and exports. Recently tourism and major industries such as the production of elctronics, textiles, fertilizer and plastic products have surpassed the agricultural trade.