Resolutely pacific, Costa Rica offers a marvelous miscellany of rainforests, beaches, volcanoes, wildlife, and much bountiful else, all neatly accessible from a superb collection of intimate and secluded lodges and inns.

• TOTAL AREA: 51,100 sq km

• LAND AREA: 50,660 sq km

• WATER AREA: 440 sq km

• POPULATION: 4,075,261

• RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%

• LANGUAGES: Spanish (official), English

• GOVERNMENT TYPE: Democratic Republic

• CAPITAL CITY: San Jose

• OFFICIAL CURRENCY: Costa Rican colon (CRC)

• TIME ZONE: GMT/UTC -6