Renowned for its democratic traditions, Costa Rica differs politically and socially from most of its Latin American neighbors. Wealth is more evenly divided, far more is spent on education than on support for the military, and there is an unmatched respect for freedom of expression and the orderly transfer of government.
Costa Rica is one of seven countries, all republics, in Central America. The average distance from its border with Nicaragua on the northwest to its opposite border with Panama is 200 miles (320 kilometers). Between the Caribbean and Pacific shorelines it ranges between 100 and 150 miles (160 and 240 kilometers) in width. With an area of 19,575 square miles (50,699 square kilometers), it ranks as one of the smaller Central American republics.

In central Costa Rica is a basin area known as the Meseta Central. This intermountain plateau, between 3,000 and 5,000 feet (900 and 1,500 meters) above sea level, is a central feature in the life of the nation. Two volcanic ranges, the Cordillera Central and the Cordillera de Guanacaste, extend northwestward from the Meseta to the Nicaraguan border. Within 15 miles (24 kilometers) of the capital city of San Jose is the active volcano Irazu, 11,253 feet (3,430 meters) high. Extending southeastward from the Meseta toward Panama are the high and rugged mountains of the Cordillera de Talamanca.
Along the Pacific, tropical plains are sandwiched between the interior mountains and two peninsulas that jut into the ocean. Along the Caribbean, the Nicaraguan lake plains extend into northeastern Costa Rica. A narrow plain follows the Caribbean shoreline southward to the Panamanian border.

Given the name of Costa Rica meaning "rich coast" by Christopher Columbus in 1502, the province turned out to be far less valuable than he had imagined. Little gold and silver were found, and the colony remained poor throughout the colonial era.
After independence in 1821 a progressive government promoted production of coffee and bananas and railroad construction, and Costa Rica developed peacefully and with democratic traditions. Although there have been periods of dictatorships and civil war, these have been relatively short. After 1870, under the leadership of President Tomas Guardia, a constitution assured presidential succession. It remained in force until 1949.