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Costa Rica is a country with many volcanoes, such as Arenal (opposite). There are more than 200 volcanic formations in Costa Rica, some of which date as far back as 65 million years. Seven of Central America’s 42 active volcanoes are in Costa Rica, as well as 60 dormant or extinct volcanoes. (Right) The Llanos de Cortez Waterfall near Bagaces. 1

A Tropical Land of Mountains, Beaches, and Forests

¡HOLA! ARE YOU DISCOVERING Costa Rica? It is beautiful there! Costa Rica has tall mountains, white beaches, plunging waterfalls, tropical islands, and cool, green jungles where monkeys will lope right up to within camera range. Costa Ricans are very friendly, too. Men call themselves ticos , and women are ticas . If someone asks you, “ ¿Cómo está usted? ” (“How are you?”), just reply “ ¡Tota bien! ”, which means “Absolutely great!” Costa Rica: Small but Diverse At 19,730 square miles (51,100 square kilometers), Costa Rica is the second-smallest Central American nation after El Salvador. It is barely bigger than the state of New Hampshire. At its narrowest point, in the

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