COSTA RICA FAST FACTS

1. More than 20,000 Americans have retirement homes in Costa Rica

2. Costa Rica's 93% literacy rate is among the highest in the Western Hemisphere

3. Add reserves and wildlife refuges to Costa Rica's national parks and protected lands account for 28% of the nation's territory

4. 850 bird species thrive in Costa Rica--that's more than on the entire North American continent

5. 23% of Costa Rica's government budget is committed to education

6. Costa Rica has had no army since 1948

7. 10% of the world's butterfly species live in Costa Rica, more than in all Africa