Located on the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, Costa Rica is one of the largest rainforest areas in Central America. 

The country’s diverse landscapes include beaches, volcanoes and a wide biodiversity of wildlife including spider monkeys and quetzal birds. With a population of approximately 5,048,000 inhabitants, of which 38.7% of the country’s is under the age of 20. 

Costa Rica has a unitary state system in which power exists in a single center of authority, the official currency of the country is the Costa Rican Colon.

One of the most prosperous and politically stable countries in the region, Costa Rica is the only Central American state without a permanent standing army, after it was abolished in 1948. It also enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the region, although a significant percentage of Costa Ricans continue to live below the poverty line. Known for its beaches, mountain ranges, volcanoes and varied wildlife, Costa Ria’s rich biodiversity makes it a popular destination for tourists. A producer of agricultural goods such as coffee and bananas, its economy has no been diversified and tourism ranks as its highest producer of income.

The Republic of Panama is the southernmost country in Central America. It is a former Spanish colony with a mixed population of Creoles, mestizos, European immigrants, africans and indigenous Indians. Panama is bordered by Costa Rica and Colombia as well as the Caribbean Sea to the north and Pacific Ocean to the south. Panama is known as a transit country because of the Panama Canal. Panama has a population of 4 million people with 1 million living around Panama City. Panama is the most industrialized country in Central America, although it has the third largest economy after Guatemala and Costa Rica.

The Caribbean nation is a major tourist destination. This coupled with free trade zones, has become the country’s major employer and key sources of revenue, replacing dependence on sugar, coffee and other exports. The largely mountainous country include Pico Duarte – the highest point in the West Indies, the fertile Cibao Valle, swathes of desert, and Lake Enriquillo. The dominican Republic is inhabited mostly by people of mixed European and African origins. Western influences is seen in the colonial buildings of the capital, Santo Domingo, as well as in art and literature. African heritage is reflected in music. The two heritages blend in the popular song and dance, the merengue.