Fast Facts in Costa Rica
Population: 4,133,884
Capital: San Jose
Time Zone: UTC-6
Currency Name: Costa Rican colon (CRC)
Government Type: Democratic Republic
Languages: Spanish (official), English
Ethnic Breakdown: white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%
Religion: Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%
Major Cities: San Jose
Phone Country Code: 506
Health Concerns:
Official Tourism Website:
High Travel Season: May - July
Voltage: 120 V - 60 Hz
Electrical Plug Type: a, b
Major Holidays: January 1 (New Year's Day), April 11 (Battle of Rivas' Day), May 1 (Labor Day), July 25 (Annexation of Guanacaste's Day), August 2 (Virgen de los Angeles' Day), August 15 (Mothers Day), September 15 (Independence Day), October 12 (Columbus Day), December 25 (Christmas Day)
Misc Fact / Good to Know: In Costa Rica gringo has no negative connotation unlike elsewhere in the world.