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

Grynspan, the former vice-president of Costa Rica and head of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, was followed by former Guyanese foreign minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, according to two diplomatic sources briefed on the results.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

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

That came on the back of a dismal World Cup in Brazil where England finished bottom of their group, signing off with a 0-0 draw against Costa Rica for their only point in the tournament.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 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

Bactris gasipaes was in Costa Rica 1,700 to 2,300 years ago and probably earlier.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann