Costa Rica

American  

[kos-tuh ree-kuh, kaw-stuh, koh-, kaws-tah ree-kah] / ˈkɒs tə ˈri kə, ˈkɔ stə, ˈkoʊ-, ˈkɔs tɑ ˈri kɑ /

noun

1. a republic in Central America, between Panama and Nicaragua. 19,238 sq. mi. (49,825 sq. km). San José.

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Costa Rica British  

/ ˈkɒstə ˈriːkə /

noun

1. a republic in Central America: gained independence from Spain in 1821; mostly mountainous and volcanic, with extensive forests. Official language: Spanish. Official religion: Roman Catholic. Currency: colón. Capital: San José. Pop: 4 695 942 (2013 est). Area: 50 900 sq km (19 652 sq miles)

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Costa Rica Cultural  

1. Republic in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the south and west. Its capital and largest city is San José.

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One of the most politically stable countries of Latin America; Costa Rica is traditionally very democratic. It has a literacy rate of over ninety percent.

Other Word Forms

• Costa Rican
  noun

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Costa Rica

Since then, most of the opposition has been exiled, and nearly a million Nicaraguans have fled the country as repression deepened, most of them to neighboring Costa Rica and the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

The Netherlands' Tim Krul came on in the 121st minute against Costa Rica in the 2014 quarter-finals - and saved two penalties in their win.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

It was on June 28 when rescuers from Costa Rica first detected signs of life in the ruins of the shopping center, according to various reports.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026

Rescuers from seven countries -- Venezuela, Chile, the United States, Portugal, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Mexico -- were involved in the painstaking operation.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

I know Sam is back from Costa Rica.

From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson