Costa Rica

Exclusive Listing

Costa Rica
Hans Cruz
Costa Rica +506.88.51.68.91
hanzcruz@gmail.com

USA
Nick Halverson - 612.819.8154
nick@solpropertygroup.com

www.solpropertygroupcom
 Costa Rica Basics
People
The people are friendly, courteous, and try to make visitors comfortable. Compared with the rest of Latin
America living standards Costa Rica is near double that of the region. Additionally, Costa
Rica's 95% literacy rate is among the worlds best and their life expectancy is greater than
all of their neighbors and greater than that in the United States.

FACT: Computer chips (not coffee) are now the country’s number one export.

Government
Costa Rica is a democratically elected Republic. The current President is Dr. Oscar Arias.
He is the only current world leader who has already won a Nobel Peace Prize. He was in-
strumental in Costa Rica ratifying a free trade agreement with the United States.

Costa Rica has not had a military for over 60 years.

Population
4,300,000 of which over 75% live in the San Jose metro area, which comprises only 4% of
the entire country.

Language
Spanish is the native language, but 10% of the population and all tourist towns have many
English speaking Costa Ricans. Additionally, all elementary schools are mandated to teach
English to students.

Time Zone
Costa Rica is on Central Standard Time, however, Daylight Savings Time is
not observed.

Climate
Almost ideal year-round, the climate is a moderate 72 degrees in the high-
lands, while the lowlands and coastal areas range from the low 70's to the
high 90's. Rainy season occurs from the end of May to November, with the
heaviest rainfall in October. The Pacific side and central parts of the country
are driest from December through April with average highs between 80-85
degrees Fahrenheit and average lows be-
tween 72-75 degrees.

Because of the climate, and the ease of fly-

ing into Costa Rica, at any given time there
are approximately 50,000 Americans in
Costa Rica, and increasingly a large
amount of Europeans.

Topography
Costa Rica has an incredibly diverse topog-
raphy - from sea-level beaches on both the
Caribbean and Pacific coasts to mountain
peaks over 13,000 feet in altitude. The
Caribbean coast is 132 miles long while the
Pacific coast is 635 miles long.

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 Executive Summary
Size: 346 acres - fully titled. ~300 meters to the beach

Ownership: Land currently is currently owned, debt free, by a Costa Rican Deputado (Senator).

Location: The property is uniquely located in the South Pacific region of

Costa Rica and is the only property adjacent to the “whales tail” of
Ballena National Park in the city of Uvita.
NOTE: Ballena means whale in Spanish and is pronounced “buy-jay-
na”. Marino Ballena National Park is named after the Humpback Whales
that migrate there each year from December to April to mate before re-
turning to the frigid waters to the north. Ballena National Park is 270
acres (110 hectares) of beach and coast, and 13,300 maritime acres (5,400 hec-
tares) .

The largest coral reef on the Pacific Coast of Central America forms a crescent necklace with the three
small islands known as Las Tres Hermanas (three sisters) and Ballena island as the center piece. The
park stretches from the southern end of Playa Hermosa to the northern end of Playa Piñuela and about 9
miles (15 km) seaward. Playas Uvita and Ballena are relatively unvisited stretches of white and golden
sand. Between the beaches are areas of mangrove habitat.

The property is a short 400 meter walk to the beach of Ballena National Park.

This property has already been re-zoned and approved for the following uses:
• Residential
• Tourist
• Commercial
• Golf course

It also has over 5 KM (over 3 miles) of public road frontage.

It is the perfect location for the first 5-star condo/hotel development. The natural topography is flat, has
very little vegetation currently on it and a river running through it.

Current ownership: A local Costa Rican family has owned this property for many years (used as a cattle
farm and rice farm) and there are no liens or debt associated with this land. All necessary paperwork,
title and permits are available upon request. Sale and transfer of land can be done in a matter of days.

* The owners are willing to form a join-venture on this project. For less up front money they will pro-
vide the land for a percentage of ownership on the project being built. The current owner is a Costa Ri-
can Deputado (Senator) and the seller can help with the process of obtaining permits and educate the
buyers as to how to most efficiently get the project completed.

If you or your team have any questions, or to set up a private tour please contact us.

Best regards,
Nick Halverson

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346 acres next to Ballena National Park.
 Exhibit I
Property location and regional improvements

Property is located:
• 1/2 mile west of Costanera Highway in the city of Uvita.
• 9 miles north of Ojochal
• 12 miles south of Dominical
• 15 miles north from announced golf course
• 18 miles north of new 80,000 sq ft medical complex
• 25 miles from regional airport Palmar Sur (daily flights)
• 30 miles from announced new international airport
• 2 hours from Panamanian border

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 South Pacific Region of Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s South Pacific region has remained untouched by large multi-national developers and hotel
chains. The North Pacific region of Costa Rica has numerous hotel chains (Hyatt, Hilton, The Four Sea-
sons, etc.) countless fast food restaurants and severe water issues. This is due to the 2001 opening of
Daniel Oduber International airport in Liberia (Northern Costa Rica). By contrast, the Southern third
(colored in yellow below) of Costa Rica does not have any international hotel chains, one fast food res-
taurant and plenty of water for development. It is also considered to be the most beautiful part of the
country and National Geographic declared a park in the South as the “most biologically intense place on
Earth.”

President Arias has been instrumental in increasing government improvements to the Southern region.
For example:
• A new $10 million hospital opened in April 2008
• A new international airport has been announced and publicized by the administration. In August of
2008, the administration committed several million dollars to begin this project.
• $50 million road improvement project connecting the Southern region with the Central region has
been started. The road will be completed by the end of 2009 (22 miles)
• The road from Dominical to Palmar Norte (36 miles) was completed only six years ago.

Property located here.

City of Uvita and
Ballena National Park

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 Exhibit II
Google Earth Image of Property

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 Exhibit IIIa
There is a house on the property that is used when the owners visit the property.
The property is flat and has all necessary zoning permits including commercial, residential,
tourism and a golf course.

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 Exhibit IIIb
Photos of Property - Land use was previously for cattle grazing.

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 Exhibit IIIc
These photos were taken from the mountains above the property.

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 Exhibit IIId
These photos are from the property. There is a river that runs through the property.

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 Exhibit IV
Photos of Ballena National Park Beach - 200 meters from property

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 Exhibit V
The property is fully titled (survey below) and has over three miles (5 KM) of public road front-
age. Transfer of title can be made in a very short time.

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 Exhibit VI
New 80,000 sq ft, $10 million, medical complex dedicated on April 25, 2008, by Costa Rican
President Oscar Arias. This hospital is located 15 miles north of the property.

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 City Profile #1 – Uvita
Uvita is the fastest growing beach town in the South Pacific region of Costa Rica. The property is lo-
cated right in the heart of this growth.

Of the many spectacular beaches found here, Playa Uvita is among the most stunning beaches on Costa
Rica’s southern Pacific coast. Located in the southern Puntarenas province roughly 16 km south of Do-
minical, a surfing hotspot, Playa Uvita is situated within the Marino Ballena National Park. This marine
park is very popular because between the months of December and April Humpback, whales migrate
here to the warm waters off the coast to mate before returning up north.

Accessible throughout the year as the weather is gorgeous most of the time, Playa Uvita is a 2-mile
white sand beach with moderate waves and crystal clear blue waters. Since this beach is part of the Mar-
ino Ballena National Park, fishing and hunting any marine life is strictly prohibited. However, swim-
ming conditions are ideal here and tourists can enjoy a variety of water sports. The best feature of Playa
Uvita is its beautiful landscape with estuaries and mangrove swamps as well as its lovely local village
atmosphere.

Horseback riding, snorkeling, kayaking and scuba diving are very popular activities here, while for those
of you who prefer a more relaxed pace, you can go for long walks along the coast, sunbathe on the beach
and enjoy the fabulous scenic beauty and marine life that Playa Uvita has to offer. A relatively quiet
beach with not many tourists, you can also take a tour of the nearby Caño Island, Violines Island or
Ballena Island, or you can hike to the forests and mountains a few miles away.

There are also plenty of local and cozy bars and restaurants to eat at as well, as street side sodas (small
cafes) that offer delicious local delights.

In the last 18 months two new banks (BCR, Banco Nacional), two new commercial centers, a hardware
store and several new restaurants have been built.

The municipality of Uvita is in discussions with the neighboring municipality of San Isidro to pave a
road connecting Uvita to San Isidro. San Isidro is a town of approximately 150,000 people that is located
75 minutes away. When this road is paved it will only take approximately twenty minutes. The beaches
of Uvita and Ballena National Park are some of the most popular in the entire Southern zone.

Playa Uvita is among the most

stunning beaches on Costa
Rica’s southern Pacific coast.”
- govisitcostarica.com
Source: www.govisitcostarica.com

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 City Profile #2 - Playa Dominical (12 miles north of property)
Located on Costa Rica’s amazingly beautiful Central Pacific coastline, the small village of Dominical is
a surfer’s paradise where waves can reach over 10 feet high. An experienced surfer’s beach, Dominical
attracts surfers not only from across the country, but from all over the world, this village is a great place
to lie back and enjoy the various activities and water sports found
around here.

A tiny coastal town 28 miles south of Quepos, Dominical is a 4 km

long beach strip, with a few hotels, lodges, resorts and restaurants
in the area. With its stunning backdrop of lush green forests and
palm tress, this beach is also a great place to bird watch or take a
canopy tour of the surrounding locale.

With near perfect weather all year long, Dominical has warm tem-
peratures during the day and a cool ocean breeze by night. Many
surfers who often come here usually sleep on the beach under the
stars. However, there are accommodations here to suit every
pocket. Dining is a fabulous experience in Dominical, especially if
you love seafood. There are a number of local restaurants or
‘sodas’ in the area, which serve everything from fresh lobsters and
shrimps to delicious crabs and fish.

While swimming here is near impossible with the strong swells

and rip tides, one can kayak off the coast or enjoy some diving or
snorkeling opportunities in the area. Horseback tours can also be
arranged to the nearby Nauyaca Waterfalls, or one can visit the Marino Ballena National Park, which is
home to a number of marine mammals like turtles and whales that come here seasonally to mate and
nest. If you like, you can take a short day trip to the lovely Caño Island just off the coast. This island is
considered one of the best adventure diving spots in the world and is home to an impressive array of un-
derwater marine life.

In the last two years several new restaurants, a BCR bank and a new hotel have all been built.

Source: www.govisitcostarica.com

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 City Profile #3 - Palmar Norte - 24 miles south of property (pop. 5,000)
Palmar Norte is where the Pan-American Highway and
the Coastal highway intersect and is approximately 24
miles from the property.

Palmar Sur has a regional airport and Sansa Airlines

and Nature Air both offer daily flights from San Jose
and Quepos to Palmar Sur.

Palmar Norte is approximately eight miles from Sierpe

- the location of the new international airport that is
planned for the Southern zone. President Arias signed
the declaration for the Southern international airport in
a ceremony in Palmar Norte (July 2007). See photo above.

Palmar Norte offers several pharmacies, grocery stores, clothing/shoe stores, restaurants, 24-
hour gas stations, convenience stores, furniture stores, etc.

Pali store opened in 2006 (Pali was bought by Wal-Mart in 2006)

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City Profile #4 - San Isidro del General - currently 75 minutes from property
San Isidro del General is a municipal center for the neighboring province of San Jose. The total
population of San Isidro is approximately 200,000 people, with 125,000 living within 40 min-
utes of the downtown city center.

San Isidro is one of the fastest growing cities in all of Central America. It is located 45 minutes
from the beach and is in the mountainous region of the South Pacific. San Isidro is home to the
only international fast-food chain in the Southern Pacific zone of Costa Rica (McDonald’s).

San Isidro has every type of shop North American’s are used to seeing back home. From elec-
tronics, to clothes and cars (Toyota, Kia, etc.).

It also boasts a large agricultural history and several multinational growers have operations here
(Del Monte and Dole). It also has a coffee coop and several other large agricultural coops in a
variety of crops.

San Isidro has a modern enclosed shopping center that has numerous shops, banks and one of
the newest movie theaters in the country.

A new road from San Isidro to Uvita is in the planning stages which will decrease the drive
time from 75 minutes to twenty minutes to the property.

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 Appendix I
Costa Rica Overview
 Costa Rica: A Country of Stability
The economic, political and social stability of Costa Rica is one characteristic that has distin-
guished it through its entire contemporary history and one of the most important strength that
has enabled it to reach great success in attracting foreign investors.

Costa Rica has been a democracy since 1889 and the current President, Dr. Oscar Arias, is
the only world leader currently in power who has already earned a Nobel Peace Prize (1987).

Costa Rica’s Constitution is one of the most progressive in the world. For example, it is consti-
tutional law that:
A) The country shall have no military (for 60 years Costa Rica has not had a military);
B) 6% of GDP must be spent on education
C) Foreigners have the same rights/protections as citizens - including owning fully-titled prop-
erty
The Costa Rican government is ruled by a series of constitutional controls and balances. The
executive responsibilities rest on the President, who is at the center of power, and is supported
by two Vice-presidents and his cabinet. The President and Vice-presidents, plus 57 members
of Congress, which conform the Legislative Assembly, are directly elected every 4 years. In
addition, the country has a strong legal system that manages the 'judicial power', which en-
sures law compliance and covers nationals, as well as foreigners, within the country's territory.

The last World Bank survey for “Global Governance Indicators” puts Costa Rica in first place
within Latin America for political stability and absence of violence. This measure includes sev-
eral indicators, among which it includes a measure for the perception of the likelihood that the
government in power will be de-stabilized or overthrown by unconstitutional and/or violent
means, including domestic violence and terrorism.

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 Costa Rica has an excellent location at the center of the Americas

• A direct flight from San Jose takes 2:30 hours to arrive in Miami.
• There are 7 customs of interest for trading purposes. These are located at the borders with
Panama and Nicaragua, at the main Atlantic & Pacific ports, at the Juan Santamaria Interna-
tional Airport and other strategic points in the country.
• Costa Rica has major ports in both coasts (Pacific and Atlantic) makes it attractive to 236
major carriers to operate in the country, 60% of them from Moin (in the Atlantic at Limon)
and the rest from Caldera Port (Pacific shore). It takes 3 hours of effective transit time
through customs to go to San Jose from Moin, and 90 minutes from the Caldera Port. Tar-
iff rates are competitive with respect to the USA, Europe and Asia.
• The main airport is located 15 KM from San Jose, the National Capital (SJO).
• The second major airport is the Daniel Oduber, located at Liberia, Guanacaste, in the north-
ern part of the country. Both airports have been approved Class 1 by the Federal Aviation
Administration of the USA

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 Tourism Overview
Costa Rica started developing its tourist activity in 1930, a fact that has significantly marked its
direction for several decades. Furthermore, it has an incredible 6% of world's total biodiversity,
has great areas of tropical forests and has volcanoes. Additionally, it is one of the few countries
in the world that tourists have the ability to quickly travel from the Pacific coast to the Carib-
bean coast.

• The local tourism market is growing at a 11.3% annual growth rate. (2006-07)
• Rooms have been expanding at an annual rate of 4.5%.
• More than 2 million tourists will visit Costa Rica in 2008. (Costa Rica Pop: 4.2 million)
• Tourist market generated 3 billion (USD) in 2007.

Tourist operation infrastructure

• 97% national electricity coverage
• 99% urban potable water coverage (92% rural)
• Ports and airports
• Well educated and hard working labor market

Real estate developments have been rising from $500,000 to $900 million in value, including
golf courses and marinas, while hotel infrastructure investment for 2006 was over $130 million.

Many of the world’s largest and most successful hotel chains have established operations in
Costa Rica including Four Seasons, Hilton, J.W. Marriott, InterContinental, Holiday Inn, Best
Western, Barceló and Sol Meliá. Employment levels for the industry as a whole are currently
estimated at 86,000 people. Real Estate Investment funds have also contributed $500 million to
the tourism and real estate market in recent years.

68% of Costa Rican tourists come from North America or Europe

Other North America

36% 48%

Europe
16%

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 Costa Rica Overview

Costa Rica is located in Central America between Panama and Nicaragua. It is one of the most
stable and robust democracies in Latin America, with a long-standing commitment to economic
growth and social development. Christopher Columbus was the first non-indigenous explorer to
discover Costa Rica when he arrived in 1502 on his fourth voyage to the new world. From that
point on it was a Spanish Colony. Due to the immense amount of gold the Spaniards found,
they named it Costa Rica – Spanish for “rich coast”.

Costa Rica is increasingly becoming popular for foreigners over other countries for number of
reasons, including:
• Foreigners allowed to own fully titled property
• Stable democratic government
• Water is safe to drink
• Easy access from the United States
• Pacific Ocean views and property not as susceptible to hurricanes as land on the Atlantic
and Gulf of Mexico
• Cost of living.
• Extremely safe country (it has no military)
• Natural beauty. 5% of the world’s known plants and animals call Costa Rica home.
• Access to Costa Rica from the United States is available from numerous cities offering di-
rect flights, including: Los Angeles, Phoenix, Houston, Atlanta, Miami, Newark and New
York City.

Costa Rica is recognized as one of the safest and most stable countries in the world. The
current peace in Costa Rica can be traced back to 1899 with what is considered the country’s
first truly free elections. That began a trend that continues through today with the exception of
two lapses: 1917 – 1919 and in 1948 (over a disputed election) Costa Rica was one of the origi-
nal 51 charter countries to join the United Nations in 1945 and in 1949 signed a new constitu-
tion. The Constitution of 1949 is one of the most important documents to the country and to for-
eigners buying property in Costa Rica.
The Constitution of 1949 abolished the country’s military, established a nationwide healthcare
system and guaranteed foreigners all of the same rights as its citizens – including the ability to
own title to property. The ability to own fully titled property is a great advantage to foreigners
compared to other country’s, such as Mexico, where leases and trusts are used for foreigners
and no ownership of title is allowed.

1. People
The current 4.3million population of Costa Rica is unlike many of their Central American
neighbors. Present-day Costa Ricans are largely of European rather than mestizo descent; Spain
was the primary country of origin. Their population is highly educated with literacy rates reach-
ing 96% and enjoys one of the healthiest lifestyles in the world, with a life expectancy of 79
years (which is greater than that in the United States). Few of the native Indians survived Euro-
pean contact; the indigenous population today numbers about 29,000 or less than 1% of the
population.

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The majority of the population lives in the country’s capital city of San Jose. San Jose and the
surrounding area accounts for over 3 million of the country’s 4.3 million people.

2. Transportation
Costa Rica’s infrastructure allows travelers the ability to travel from one end of the country to
the other end. However, the Costanera Highway, which follows the entire Pacific coast, is now
just being completed. The last remaining area to be paved is a 25 mile stretch from Quepos to
Dominical. Once this highway is completed access along the country’s entire Pacific coast will
be a seamless paved highway.

Flying to Costa Rica is very convenient from most cities in the United States, with either direct
flights or only one layover, to either San Jose or Liberia. Costa Rica has two international air-
ports; San Jose (the country’s capital), and Liberia, in the north of Costa Rica. San Jose Interna-
tional Airport (airport code SJO) had long been the only international airport that was served by
most United States airlines and many worldwide carriers including: American Airlines, North-
west Airlines, Continental Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Airlines, TACA Airlines, America
West, Mexicana, KLM, and Virgin Atlantic.

Due to increasing demand by tourists, investors and retirees, in 2007, two new airlines began
offering non-stop service to San Jose: Iberia Airlines (from Spain) and Spirit Airlines (Ft.
Lauderdale, FL, USA). In fact, from 1997 to 2006, the number of tourists doubled from 800,000
to 1.6 million. The majority of tourists come from the United States and Canada. However, due
to the current strength of the Euro, an increasing number of Europeans are now visiting and in-
vesting in Costa Rica. Tourism growth continues to grow yearly at an average rate of 4.9%.
Tourism generates 56% of the country’s employment capital.

Within the last decade, Liberia International Airport has opened and now accepts direct flights
from around the United States and the world. It is located in the capitol of Guanacaste, the
Northern Pacific region of Costa Rica. Liberia International Airport is fast becoming the airport
of choice for those travelers only interested in the sunny beaches of Guanacaste and also the
new all inclusive area of Papagayo Gulf. Because of this airport, property values have increased
dramatically in recent years in the Northern Pacific coast region.

The southern region has many regional airports which allow travelers to fly in to the region
without having to drive over the mountainous terrain of the central part of the country. In March
2006, the Costa Rican government publicly announced the building of a new southern region
international airport. The government’s goal is have the airport up and running by the end of
2015. It is expected that property in the Southern Pacific zone will increase in value, similar to
what happened in the North, once the airport is open. Since the announcement, property values
have already increased.

3. Financial Landscape of Costa Rica

Costa Rica's major economic resources are its fertile land and frequent rainfall, its well-
educated population, and its location in the Central American isthmus, which provides easy ac-
cess to North and South American markets and direct ocean access to the European and Asian
Continents.

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Costa Rica’s most valuable resources are its pristine beauty, endless beaches and great climate.
To ensure that future generations are able to enjoy the splendor of Costa Rica, conservationists
and federal agencies have protected over 25% of the country’s land in the form of national for-
ests, private reserves and animal sanctuaries. Due to this dedication to protection, Costa Rica
has become a popular destination for retirees and eco-tourists.

Costa Rica’s commitment to economic growth has resulted in a per capita GDP of US$9,600
and unemployment at a healthy 6%. In recent years, Costa Rica has successfully attracted im-
portant investments by such companies as:

Wal-Mart, Stores Inc.

In September 2005, Wal-Mart acquired a 33 1/3 percent interest in CARHCO from the Dutch
retailer Royal Ahold NV. In March 2006, Wal-Mart increased its interest to 51% and the name
CARHCO was changed to Wal-Mart Central America. Wal-Mart Central America is the re-
gion’s largest retailer, with 380 supermarkets and 23,000 associates in Guatemala, El Salvador,
Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
In February 2007, Wal-Mart Costa Rica announced that it will spend $49 million to open up 14
new stores in Costa Rica in 2007 which will create 1,500 jobs.

Intel Corporation
Intel operates a $300 million facility employing over 2,000 people with manufacturing and
distribution operations involving the assembly, testing, and distribution of Intel Pentium,
Celeron, and Xeon processors. They have hired several hundred accounting professionals
for a new financial services center. In addition, the facility also includes component design
and software development operations.

Hewlett Packard
According to Forbes.com Hewlett-Packard will be adding 2,000 jobs in Costa Rica by the
end of 2007. The company already employs 3,200 people in its operations center with its
goal to have some 6,000 employees in Costa Rica by 2007.

Proctor & Gamble

Employs nearly 1,000 people in its administrative center for the Western Hemisphere

Additionally, Dole and Chiquita have large banana operations in Costa Rica.

Though agriculture remains the basis of the national economy, tourism has earned more than
the export crop during the last few years and the tourism industry continues to grow, providing
employment opportunities and stimulating new construction and home sales.

About a quarter of Costa Rica's workers are engaged in farming or ranching with coffee histori-
cally being the country's most important crop, and Costa Rica continues to produce some of the
finest coffee in the world. Bananas are the second most important export crop, with vast planta-
tions covering parts of the Caribbean lowlands. There is also significant land dedicated to the
cultivation of pineapples, sugar, oranges, hardwoods and ornamental plants, as well as raising

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cattle for beef and dairy products.

Manufacturing, which employs about a fifth of the labor force, and is growing rapidly, and in-
dustry's contribution to GDP overtook agriculture over the course of the 1990s, led by foreign
investment in Costa Rica's free trade zone. The leading manufactured products include cement,
clothing, computer chips, cosmetics, fertilizer, furniture, machinery, medicines, processed
foods, and textiles.

Its leading exports include bananas, beef, coffee, computer chips, and sugar. Its chief imports
include petroleum, chemicals, and manufactured goods. Costa Rica also belongs to the Central
American Common Market, an economic union that was formed to stimulate trade among its
members.

4. Banks and Money

There is an ample selection of state owned and privately held banks in San Jose, and throughout
the country. The official currency of Costa Rica is the colon; however U.S. dollars are widely
accepted. As of July 2009, the exchange rate was ~ US$1 = 580 Costa Rican Colones.

5. Political Conditions
Costa Rica has long emphasized the development of democracy and respect for human rights
and is extremely stable. The United States and Costa Rica have strong political ties, in part, due
to over 50% of Costa Rica’s trade ending up in the United States. In fact, during President
Arias’ recent inauguration First Lady Laura Bush was in attendance and since that time Presi-
dent Arias has met with Bill Clinton for the Clinton Global Initiative. Several factors have con-
tributed to this tendency, including enlightened government leaders, comparative prosperity,
flexible class lines, educational opportunities that have created a stable middle class, and high
social indicators. Also, because Costa Rica has no armed forces, it has avoided the possibility of
political intrusiveness by the military that other countries in the region have experienced.

Costa Rica's system of government has three branches of government; Executive, which con-
sists of the president, two vice presidents and cabinet; the Legislative Assembly, with 57 indi-
vidually elected deputies; and, the Judicial Branch, which consists of civil, criminal, appellate
and constitutional courts. The President and members of the Legislative Assembly are elected
for four-year terms. The current President is Mr. Oscar Arias who won the election in February
2006. Three months later a peaceful transfer of power took place from the previous president to
President Arias.

Below is a brief bio of President Oscar Arias:

Dr. Arias is Founder of the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress and a spokesper-
son for the causes of worldwide peace and disarmament. He was educated at the University of
Costa Rica and the University of Essex, England. In 1978 he earned a seat in the Costa Rican
Congress. His first term as President of Costa Rica was from 1986 – 1990. Assuming office at a
time of regional discord, Arias worked throughout his Presidency to promote peace throughout
Central America. In 1987, Dr. Arias developed the Arias Peace Plan to halt regional conflict.
This culminated in the signing of the Esquipulas II Accords which helped establish a firm and
lasting peace in Central America.

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In 1987 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Using the award money from the Nobel Prize,
he established the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress. This foundation promotes
gender equality, the strengthening of civil society in Central America and demilitarization and
conflict resolution throughout the world.
• Founder of the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress
• President of Costa Rica, 1986 - 1990, 2006 - present
• Nobel Peace Laureate, 1987

6. Foreign Relations
Costa Rica is an active member of the international community and, in 1993, proclaimed its
permanent neutrality. Its record on the environment, human rights, and advocacy of peaceful
settlement of disputes give it a weight in world affairs far beyond its size.

In 2007 Costa Rica was elected to have a seat on the United Nations’ Security Council.

7. Communications
Costa Rica has one of the most advanced telecommunications systems in Latin America, with
telephones and fax machines all over the country. Newspapers and magazines from North
America and several European nations are sold in many shops and hotels in and around the
capital. Satellite TV (Direct TV) is used by many of its residents and foreigners to follow the
news or to watch Monday Night Football. DSL high speed connections are available and preva-
lent throughout the country and internet cafés are found in almost every town – small or large.

8. Natural Resources
Costa Rica is considered an ecological sanctuary because of its great variety of natural treas-
ures. Although the country is only slightly smaller than the state of West Virginia, Costa Rica is
home to approximately 5% of the world’s known plant and animal species and contains five
major climatic zones. In fact, National Geographic declared Corcovado National Park, in the
Southern Pacific zone as the “most biologically intense place on the planet.”

There are over 900 species of trees, 850 species of birds and 10% of the world’s butterfly spe-
cies currently in Costa Rica. At the present time, Costa Rica counts 80 protected areas
(approximately 25% of the whole territory): 20 National Parks, 9 Wildlife Refugees, 13 Bio-
logical Reservations, 12 Forest Reservations and 25 Protected Zones. Additionally, Costa Rica
has numerous protected areas offshore that have world class diving destinations (coral reefs,
caves, etc). Four species of monkeys, macaws, whales, dolphins and other animals are routinely
seen on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

Tourism and ecotourism have become the most important elements of Costa Rica’s economy.
Many businesses and local economies are related to tourism and offer visitors the opportunity to
participate in many activities including:
• Bird Watching
• Canopy tours above the rainforests
• Horseback riding (beach, jungles, mountains)
• Snorkeling & Diving

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• Surfing
• Rafting/Kayaking (ocean and river)
• Whale and Dolphin watching
• Sport fishing (saltwater and freshwater)
• Mountain climbing and hiking

9. Energy
Costa Rica has oil deposits off its Atlantic coast, but current President Arias’ administration has
decided not to develop the deposits for environmental reasons. The country’s mountainous ter-
rain and abundant rainfall have permitted the construction of a dozen hydroelectric power
plants, making it largely self-sufficient in electricity, but it is completely reliant on imports for
liquid fuels. Mild climate and trade winds make neither heating nor cooling necessary, particu-
larly in the highland cities and towns where some 90% of the population lives.

10. Healthcare
Costa Ricans have an up-to-date, affordable state-run “cradle to grave” health care system and
one of the best, low-cost medical care systems in the world when preventative and curative
medicines are considered. Hospitals, clinics and complete medical services are available in all
major cities and throughout the country. The United Nations consistently ranks Costa Rica’s
public health system as the best in Latin America and one of the top 20 in the world. The infant
mortality rate is less than that in the United States. This puts Costa Rica in first place in the
world for life expectancy from this age forward. Also, approximately 14% of all visitors to
Costa Rica have some medical procedures done while visiting (dental, surgical, etc).

Hospitals
Costa Rica has one of the most comprehensive and affordable medical systems in the world.
There are numerous hospitals and clinics throughout the country that provide affordable health-
care to all residents. Hospital CIMA is one of three large private hospitals that cater primarily to
foreigners and Costa Rica’s elite in San Jose. CIMA is managed by Baylor University (Waco,
TX). Most medical facilities throughout the country accept Blue Cross-Blue Shield, as well as
other large insurance providers.

Many Costa Rican doctors have been trained in Europe, Canada or the United States and most
speak English. The cost for medical services is much less in Costa Rica than the United States.
As an example of costs: One night in hospital (adjustable bed, cable TV, phone, and nursing)
ranges from approximately $120 - $200/day.

Pharmacies
Pharmacies are numerous in Costa Rica and they stock most standard medicines available in
Europe, Canada and the U.S. Most drugs requiring a prescription in North America are freely
available “over the counter” in Costa Rica

Dental
The quality of dental work is equal to that found in Europe, Canada or the U.S. On the average,
dental work costs about 25 to 30% less than in the U.S., however, there are plenty of testimoni-
als from American’s who have saved over 80% on their dental work by going to Costa Rica.

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Cosmetic Surgery
Costa Rica has long been the destination for those in search of the “Fountain of Youth.” People
from all over the world flock to Costa Rica for cosmetic surgery due to the skillful surgeons and
affordable prices (25% - 60% lower than prices in the U.S.). Each year thousands of men and
women take advantage of the low-cost, high-quality care provided by Costa Rica's cosmetic
surgeons and dentists.

11. Real Estate Financial Structure of Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s real estate market has experienced tremendous growth over the past decade. As the
federal government has increased infrastructural spending, property values have increased as
well. Since the 1949 Constitution, foreigners have enjoyed all of the same rights as residents,
including ownership of land. Additionally, title insurance is available from Stewart Title and
First American Corporation – both American based title insurance company.

Development along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica is continuing to push South, due to increas-
ing land prices in the North- and Central-Pacific regions.

South Pacific Region of Costa Rica: The South Pacific coast of Costa Rica is largely undevel-
oped due to the, historically, lack of infrastructure and access. In recent years hundreds of kilo-
meters of roads have been built and the Costanera Highway is being completed that will con-
nect the southern parts of Costa Rica to the Northern Region. The only remaining section to be
paved is the 30km stretch from Quepos to Dominical, which was started in November 2006. It
is scheduled to be completed by December 2009.

Within the last five years, the federal government has instituted several large scale projects in
the South Pacific region in anticipation of the future growth that lies ahead. For example, they
have funded:
The completion of the Costanera Highway connecting Dominical to Avellana (and the Costa-
nera to the Pan-American Highway)
• The $45 million expansion of the Costanera Highway connecting Quepos and Dominical.
• A new international airport is planned only 5 miles from the current regional airport in Pal-
mar Sur
• A new $10 million hospital was completed in April 2008 in Cortez

12. Property Taxes

Yearly property taxes are 0.25%. Put another way, for every $100,000 worth of value your
property is worth, you will pay $250 every year in taxes.

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