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Costa Rica seems to have it all - one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, abundant animal life, and the most hospitable people you will ever encounter. So much inside a small package -- centered between Nicaragua and Panama, and the Caribbean and the Pacific Oceans, Costa Rica is only 200 miles long.
A series of volcanic mountain chains runs from the Nicaraguan border in the northwest to the Panamanian border in the southeast, splitting the country in two. In the center of these ranges is a high-altitude plain, with coastal lowlands on either side. Over half the population lives on this plain, which has fertile volcanic soils. Costa Rica's nine active volcanoes provide fertile farmland in addition to spectacular tourist attractions.
Monteverde, a small community partly founded by North American Quakers, is the starting point for two privately owned rainforest reserves which, combined, support eight ecological zones. Monteverde is one of the largest privately owned nature preserves in the world, and most of the tourist dollars go directly into preservation of the immediate area. Other significant efforts are on-going, for instance, the Santa Elena Forest Reserve is owned and managed by the Santa Elena High School, with all tourist dollars reverting to enlargement and maintenance of the reserve.
