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Costa Rica
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== Geography == {{Main|Geography of Costa Rica|}} [[File:Koppen-Geiger Map CRI present.svg|thumb|Costa Rica map of Köppen climate classification|upright=1.3]] Costa Rica borders the [[Caribbean Sea]] to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Costa Rica also borders [[Nicaragua]] to the north and [[Panama]] to the south. The highest point in the country is [[Cerro Chirripó]], at {{convert|3819|m|ft}}. The highest volcano in the country is the [[Irazú Volcano]] ({{convert|3431|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=or}}) and the largest lake is [[Lake Arenal]]. There are 14 known volcanoes in Costa Rica, and six of them have been active in the last 75 years.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}} === Climate === Costa Rica experiences a [[tropical climate]] year-round. There are two seasons. The dry season is December to April, and the rainy season is May to November. March and April are the hottest months in the country, while December and January are the coldest. However, there are rainy days in the dry season, as well as weeks without rain in the wet season. Costa Rica is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, which can be exacerbated by [[climate change]]. The majority of Costa Rica's population (78%) and economic activity (80% of [[Gross domestic product|GDP]]) are concentrated in regions highly vulnerable to various natural hazards, such as floods, landslides, cyclones, storm surges, and rising sea levels.<ref>{{Cite web |last=World Bank |title=Costa Rica |url=https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/costa-rica/vulnerability |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal |language=en}}</ref> The country is facing increasing temperatures (especially at higher elevations), rising sea levels on both coasts, and changing rainfall patterns resulting in increased risk of drought along the Pacific slope and flooding in all regions of the country.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=World Bank Group |url=https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/country-profiles/15989-WB_Costa%20Rica%20Country%20Profile-WEB.pdf |title=Climate Risk Profile: Costa Rica |date=2021 |publisher=World Bank Group |location=Washington}}</ref> Increasing temperatures and extreme heat will have major consequences for human health, agriculture (particularly coffee and banana cultivation), water security, tourism, and the country's distinctive biodiversity and ecosystems.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Stan |first1=Kayla |last2=Sanchez-Azofeifa |first2=Arturo |last3=Calvo-Rodriguez |first3=Sofia |last4=Castro-Magnani |first4=Marissa |last5=Chen |first5=Jing |last6=Ludwig |first6=Ralf |last7=Zou |first7=Lidong |date=7 February 2020 |title=Climate change scenarios and projected impacts for forest productivity in Guanacaste Province (Costa Rica): lessons for tropical forest regions |url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10113-020-01602-z |journal=Regional Environmental Change |language=en |volume=20 |issue=1 |page=14 |doi=10.1007/s10113-020-01602-z |bibcode=2020REnvC..20...14S |issn=1436-3798|url-access=subscription }}</ref> === Flora and fauna === {{Further|Wildlife of Costa Rica|Conservation in Costa Rica}} [[File:Red eyed tree frog edit2.jpg|thumb|Red-eyed tree frog (''[[Agalychnis callidryas]]'')]] Despite its size, Costa Rica is one of the countries with [[Wildlife of Costa Rica|the greatest biodiversity]] in all of [[Latin America]]. One national park, the [[Corcovado National Park]], is internationally renowned among ecologists for its biodiversity (including [[big cats]] and [[tapirs]]) and is where visitors can expect to see an abundance of wildlife.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://costa-rica-guide.com/Natural/Corcovado.html|title=Corcovado National Park Costa Rica|website=costa-rica-guide.com|access-date=19 May 2012|archive-date=24 February 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040224123641/http://costa-rica-guide.com/Natural/Corcovado.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.govisitcostarica.com/region/city.asp?cID=350 |title=Diversity of Corcovado National Park |publisher=Govisitcostarica.com |access-date=26 June 2010 |archive-date=14 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100614215405/http://www.govisitcostarica.com/region/city.asp?cid=350 |url-status=live }}</ref> Corcovado is the one park in Costa Rica where [[List of Costa Rican monkey species|all four Costa Rican monkey species]] can be found.<ref name=watching>{{cite book|title=Watching Wildlife Central America|author1=Hunter, L. |author2=Andrew, D.|publisher=Lonely Planet|year=2002|page=97|isbn=978-1-86450-034-9}}</ref> These include the [[white-headed capuchin]], the [[mantled howler]], the endangered [[Geoffroy's spider monkey]],<ref name=watching/><ref>{{cite iucn |author=Cortes-Ortíz, L. |author2=Solano-Rojas, D. |author3=Rosales-Meda, M. |author4=Williams-Guillén, K. |author5=Méndez-Carvajal, P.G. |author6=Marsh, L.K. |author7=Canales-Espinosa, D. |author8=Mittermeier, R.A. |date=2021 |title=''Ateles geoffroyi'' |volume=2021 |page=e.T2279A191688782 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T2279A191688782.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref> and the [[Central American squirrel monkey]], found only on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and a small part of [[Panama]] and considered endangered until 2008 when its status was upgraded to vulnerable. [[Deforestation]], illegal pet trading, and hunting are the main reasons for its threatened status.<ref>{{cite iucn |author=Solano-Rojas, D. |date=2021 |title=''Saimiri oerstedii'' |volume=2021 |page=e.T19836A17940807 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T19836A17940807.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref> [[La Amistad International Park|La Amistad]] and [[Chirripó National Park|Chirripó]] present the climate of the [[Costa Rican páramo|páramo]], at a height of more than 3000 meters above sea level, providing other types of flora and fauna, such as the [[white-nosed coati]], the [[sooty thrush]] and ''[[Rogiera amoena]]''. Costa Rica is the first tropical country to have stopped and reversed deforestation; it has successfully restored its forestry and developed an ecosystem service to teach biologists and ecologists about its environmental protection measures.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Nell Lewis|title=This country regrew its lost forest. Can the world learn from it?|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/27/americas/reforestation-costa-rica-c2e-spc/index.html|access-date=2 August 2020|website=CNN|date=27 July 2020|archive-date=1 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801220254/https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/27/americas/reforestation-costa-rica-c2e-spc/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The country had a 2018 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 4.65/10, ranking it 118th globally out of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978|issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507|pmc=7723057|bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G }}</ref>
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