Who are the people?
The majority of Costa Ricans (94 percent of the population) are of Spanish and other European heritages. Three percent are of African descent. Small minorities of indigenous people and those of Chinese ancestry also inhabit the country. Spanish is the official language but many people speak English, especially in the Caribbean area.

Costa Rica is a predominantly agricultural country with expanding industries in manufacturing and tourism. Coffee, bananas, sugar, and other tropical fruits are the principal exports, along with manufactured products such as textiles. Health care here is among the most inexpensive in the world, with 10 percent of the Gross National Product being spent on a health system that covers everyone from birth.

Poverty is severe in rural areas. For many impoverished families, education beyond the basic level is a luxury. Children most often begin working at a young age to help feed their families. To enable these families to improve their quality of life and increase incomes, World Vision offers training to help parents start small businesses and learn how to market their products.

Through child sponsorship, families are becoming self-sufficient. In addition, they are trusting God as they build brighter futures for their children.
The majority of Costa Ricans (94 percent of the population) are of Spanish and other European herit

Country Comparison	Costa Rica	United States
Population	4.2 million	295.4 million
Land Mass	19,560 sq. miles	3,537,439 sq. miles
Life Expectancy	78 years	78 years
Infant Mortality Rate (per 1,000)	11	7
Literacy Rate	96%	97%
Primary School Enrollment	90%	92%
Access to Safe Water	97%	100%
Average Annual Income (GNI per capita)	$4,670	$41,400

Religion

What is it like to live there?
The Central American nation of Costa Rica is situated between Nicaragua and Panama, with the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea forming its western and eastern borders. Costa Rica is diverse in geography as well as climate. Broad plains along the eastern and western coastlines are separated by volcanic mountain ranges that run the entire length of the country.

Dry tropical forests and rolling plains in the north transition to wet tropical jungles in the south. Temperatures range from 59°F in the highlands to 80°F in the plains. From May to November, heavy rains fall along the Caribbean coast and in the southern Pacific regions. More than half of the population lives in the farming area of the Central Valley.

Named by Christopher Columbus in 1502, Costa Rica (“Rich Coast”) was a Spanish colony until gaining independence in 1821. Notable among Latin American countries for its longstanding form of government, Costa Rica has been a democratic republic since 1889.
Poverty has long been a problem in rural Costa Rica and is now on the rise in urban areas as well. With the support of child sponsors, boys and girls in Costa Rica have new hope for better educational opportunities, improved nutrition, and experiencing the love of God.
The Central American nation of Costa Rica is situated between Nicaragua and Panama, with the Pacifi
Costa Rica Projects
With the support of generous donors like you, World Vision is partnering with families throughout Costa Rica to build brighter futures filled with hope for their children.

Many activities are under way to help meet immediate needs and promote lasting changes that will strengthen communities and move families toward self-reliance.

Overall program goals include:

• Providing learning materials and improving educational facilities so that all children have access to a good education.
• Training community health volunteers to teach families improved nutrition and hygiene.
• Immunizing young children against potentially deadly childhood diseases.
• Supplying farmers with seeds and teaching them new techniques to help increase crops and grow more nutritious food.
• Offering vocational workshops to provide parents with skills to increase incomes and better provide for their families.
• Helping families start small businesses to provide financial stability and better care for their children.
• Partnering with local churches to teach children about God’s love.

• Pray that your sponsored child might respond to God’s love and grace.
• Ask God to guide your sponsored child as he or she learns, grows, and moves toward a future full of hope and possibilities.
• Pray for God to protect the health of your sponsored child and his or her family.

Please click here to peruse online picture folders of children from this country.