Costa Rica - The Rich Coast Trivia Quiz

Answer: Both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea

Occupying an approximate area of 51,100 square kilometers (19,700 square miles), the Republic of Costa Rica is sandwiched between Nicaragua on the north and Panama on the southeast. The nation borders the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east.

Five Central American nations, namely Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama, border both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. El Salvador only borders the Pacific Ocean, whereas Belize only borders the Caribbean Sea.

Answer: Christopher Columbus

Italian explorer Christopher Columbus discovered Costa Rica in 1502. Believing that the land contained precious minerals, he named the country Costa Rica, meaning the "rich coast" in Spanish.

Both James Cook (1728 - 1779) and Walter Raleigh (1552 - 1618) are notable British explorers. Ferdinand Magellan (1480 - 1521) is a celebrated Portuguese explorer, best remembered for his expedition to East Indies in the early 16th century.

Answer: Cocos Island

Cocos Island, or its Spanish name, Isla del Coco, is located in the Pacific Ocean. It is located approximately 550 kilometers (342 miles) away from the Costa Rican mainland. The entire island is a national park, and it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

The novel "Jurassic Park" (1990), penned by American author Michael Crichton, features the fictional island Isla Nublar, which means "clouded island" in Spanish.

Kodiak Island is located in Alaska, USA. Bora Bora belongs to French Polynesia, whereas Ko Samui belongs to Thailand.

Answer: Joseph of Nazareth, Jesus' father

San José means "Saint Joseph" in Spanish. The name refers to the Biblical character Joseph of Nazareth.

The city of San José was founded in 1736 and is noted for its good infrastructure and reputable universities.

Answer: Lake Arenal

Located in the northern region of Costa Rica, Lake Arenal occupies an approximate area of 85 square kilometers (33 square miles). The Arenal dam, constructed in 1979, generates hydroelectricity for millions of homes.

Founded in 1886, Arsenal Football Club, or simply Arsenal, is an English football club based in London, England.

Lake Yojoa is Honduras' largest lake, whereas Lake Gatun is Panama's largest lake. On the other hand, Lake Nicaragua is the largest lake of Nicaragua, and the entirety of Central America.

Answer: Crater lake

Named after the scientist who documented the volcanic activity in Irazú, Diego de la Haya is a green crater lake located on the summit of the Irazú Volcano.

The Irazú Volcano is located near the city of Cartago. Though it is Costa Rica's highest volcano, the title of the nation's highest mountain goes to Mount Chirripó (3,821 meters, or 12,536 feet).

Answer: Cordillera Central, Cordillera de Guanacaste, Cordillera de Tilarán

As the name implies, the volcanic Cordillera Central range is located in the central region of Costa Rica. The Cordillera de Guanacaste is located near the Costa Rican-Nicaraguan border.

The Alaska Range, the Cascade Range, and the Brooks Range are all located in the USA. The Chichester Range, the Great Dividing Range, and the Owen Stanley Range are found in Australia. The Serra das Traíras, the Serra do Mar, and the Serra Geral are the names of Mexican mountain ranges.

Answer: Liberia

Located in the northwestern region of Costa Rica, the Guanacaste province borders the Pacific Ocean. Its capital, Liberia, nicknamed "The White City", is noted for its tourism industry.

The Republic of Liberia is located on the West African coast. The country borders Guinea, Ivory Coast, and Sierra Leone.

Answer: Sloth

Specifically, the two- and three-toed sloths were named Costa Rica's national symbols. The nation's native species include Hoffmann's two-toed sloth and the brown-throated sloth. In a press release in 2021, Costa Rican president Carlos Alvarado remarked, "We will ensure the adequate conservation of the sloth populations living in our territory and will ensure the proper protection of their natural habitat."

The white-tailed deer was named the national symbol of wildlife of Costa Rica in 1995 by President José María Figueres Olsen.

Answer: Óscar Arias

Óscar Arias Sánchez was born in Heredia, Costa Rica, in 1940. He played a pivotal role in convincing the leaders from various Central American nations to sign the Central American Peace Accords (also known as the Esquipulas Peace Agreement) in 1987, which paved the way to end the Central American crisis.

Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900) is an Irish poet, noted for his novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (1891). Oscar de la Renta (1932 - 2014), or his birth name, Óscar Arístides Renta Fiallo, is a Dominican-American fashion designer. Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius (born 1986) is a South African athlete and convicted murderer.