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The name Costa Rica
in Spanish means "Rich Coast".
The
first European explorer to encounter Costa Rica was the Great
Navigator himself, Christopher Columbus. The day was September
18,
1502, and Columbus was making his fourth and final voyage
to the New
World. As he was setting anchor off shore, a crowd of local
Carib
Indians paddled out in canoes and greeted his crew warmly.
Later, the
golden bands that the region's inhabitants wore in their noses
and
ears would inspire the Spaniard Gil Gonzalez Davila to name
the
country Costa Rica, or Rich Coast.
The
Spaniards assumed that the area would be rich in precious
minerals and treasures and so Costa Rica got it's name. While
Costa Rica failed to meet the Spaniards expectations, today's
visitors discover that its richness lies in its natural beauty,
abundance of flora and fauna, and welcoming citizens.
Costa Rica
is formally known as the Republic of Costa Rica.
Costa Rica is located in the northern hemisphere,
in Central America.
It is bordered by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the
south, with
the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean
Sea),
to the east. It is just 51,100 square kilometers, (19,652
square
miles) in area, approximately the size of West Virginia. The
distance
from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans is only 320 km, (200
miles),
three to four hours driving distance.
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