Costa Rica:
Make it the best semester of your college career!

Costa Rica is located in Central America, south of Nicaragua and north of Panama. A chain of volcanoes and mountains - part of the Andean-Sierra Madre chain - runs the length of the nation and separates the Caribbean Sea to the east from the Pacific Ocean on the west.

While Costa Rica lies completely in the tropics, the extreme variations in elevation set it apart from other tropical climates. From the Pacific lowlands - where the temperature averages about 89° F - to the top of the 12,861 foot Cerro Chirripó - where temperatures seldom exceed 48° F - Costa Rica’s climate provides one of the most unique biological learning environments. In fact, the seasons in Costa Rica are a little different than those in the Northern Hemisphere. The months from December to April are generally considered the "dry season", or summer, while winter, the "wet season", falls between May and November.

Costa Rica has 12 different climatic zones, ranging from tidal mangroves to sub-alpine paramó, with its stunted dwarf plants high above the timberline. Each of the zones is distinctive with diverse natural vegetation and ecosystems. The variety of climate and topography combine to make Costa Rica home to a vast array of flora and fauna. In fact, about five percent of all known species on earth can be found in this tiny nation! More than twice the number of bird species exist in Costa Rica than in all of the United States!

With an environment so diverse and abundant, and with one of the most accredited universities in the teaching of bioenvironmental science, Costa Rica is the ideal place to spend the most exciting and rewarding semester of your college career.

see also:
Detailed Map of Costa Rica