Language

Climate

The climate of Costa Rica is unequivocally a tropical country, situated between 8° and 11° North latitude, fairly close to the equator. The coolest months are from November through January, and the warmest from March through May. The nation's climate is classically divided into two major seasons: rainy and dry. The dry season runs from January through May and the rainy season from May to November and December of the coldest temperatures are registered during the early dry season or "summer". On the Caribbean slope the rainy season begins from mid to late April and continues through December and sometimes January. The wettest months are July and November, with a dry spell that occurs around August or September On the Pacific slope the rainy season begins in May and runs its course until November. In the Northern half of the country the Pacific slope experiences an intense dry season, in which no rain may fall for several months.The whole Central Valley, in which the capital is situated, experiences a mild, pleasant dry season that is matched by moderate temperatures for most of the year, and a lower than average amount of rainfall. The Southern half of the Pacific slope is much wetter than its northern counterpart, with a shorter dry season and longer and heavier afternoon rains in the wet season.

Politics

The government is based on the Constitution of November 9th, 1949. The president, who is both the head of government and head of state, wields executive power, assisted by two vice presidents and a cabinet of 12 ministers. (Previous governments had 18 ministers; in 1998, the president downsized the cabinet and added a team of eight advisors.) The country is divided into the seven provinces of San José, Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia, Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limón. Each province has a governor who is appointed by the president. The provinces are divided into 81 cantones (counties) and subdivided into 429 districts. for about every 30,000 people in each province, a diputado/a congressman/woman is elected every four years to the Legislative Assembly, or Congress, which totals 57 diputados in all (a number that will increase following the 2002 elections The Legislative Assembly appoints 22 Supreme Court magistrates for minimum terms of eight years, and these judges select judges for the lower courts. There is also an Electoral Tribunal that is responsible for supervising elections and ensuring that the electoral process is fair and democratic. Known as the 'fourth power', the Electoral Tribunal consists of three magistrates and six substitutes who are independent of the government. There is no army in Costa Rica. Instead there's a Fuerza Pública, a form of armed police force.