Costa Rica: Introduction

Costa Rica is a country in Central America bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Neighboring countries include Nicaragua and Panama. Costa Rica has coastal plains separated by rugged mountains, including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes. The government is a democratic republic; the president of Costa Rica is the chief of state and head of government. Costa Rica has a mixed economic system, which includes a variety of private freedoms combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation.