Did you know that Costa Rica is one of the Happiest Countries on Earth?

Costa Rica is a country with less than 5 million people between Panama and Nicaragua, in recent study performed by the New Economics Foundation (NEF), this tropical country obtained the top overall ranking of the combination of long and happy life with limited environmental degradation.

The country has a beautiful mixture inside a large diversity of species, and there are countrywide efforts to reverse the process of deforestation in order to help the country to produce a higher percentage of its energy from renewable sources.  

Costa Rica is the greenest and happiest country in the world, according to a new list that ranks nations by combining measures of their ecological footprint with the happiness of their citizens.

Britain for example is only halfway up the Happy Plane Index (HPI) calculated by the New Economics Foundation (NEF), in 74th place of 143 nations surveyed.  http://www.happyplanetindex.org/

The top 10 happiest countries are located in Latin America, while African countries bulk out the bottom of the table.

The HPI measures how much of the Earth's resources a nation is using and how long and happy kind of life their citizens are able to enjoy.  This index was introduced for the first time in 2006; the second edition adds data on almost all the world's countries and now covers 99% of the world's population.

The NEF says the Happy Plane Index is a better way of evaluating the success of countries instead of doing it through standard measures of economic growth.  The HPI shows, for example, that fast-growing economies such as the US, China and India were all greener and happier 20 years ago than they are today.

"The HPI suggests that the path human beings have been following is, without exception, unable to deliver all three goals: high life satisfaction, high life expectancy, and equitable resource consumption."

 Costa Ricans top the list because they report the highest life satisfaction in the world; they live slightly longer than Americans live, yet have an ecological footprint that is less than a quarter the size.

Maybe Costa Ricans contentment has something to do with having lesser expectations, or maybe the realization that they do not need to need more if they can fully enjoy what they already have.  

Perhaps what makes them happy is the chance to explore dazzling beaches on both sides of the country, while they are not admiring the sloths in the jungle.  

The truth is that Latin countries generally do well in happiness surveys and one of the main reasons is the cultural emphasis on family and friends, on social capital over financial capital.

One of the aspects that set Costa Rica apart from other countries is its remarkable decision in 1949 to dissolve its armed forces and invest instead in education and other social programs.  Less belligerent approach and more education that is basic have created a more stable society, less prone to the conflicts that enveloped other countries in Central America.  I am not antimilitary; however, it seems like in Costa Rica education, social programs and health care have been a better investment than artillery. 

It is fair to say that Costa Rica has done an unusually good job preserving nature, and it’s surely easier to be happy while living under sunshine and greenery than while shivering up north and suffering “nature deficit disorder.”  Most recently it has been putting great emphasis on the environment and the Ecotourism and somehow this focus has helped to maintain its economy while other countries are  already suffering a deep recession.  It seems like in the near future we will see larger numbers of English, French and German-speaking retirement communities along the Costa Rican coast, it appears to be a happy choice for Retirement.  

I encourage you to conduct your own research in Costa Rica, exploring those magnificent beaches or admiring those slothful sloths eating the tropical super fruits and admiring the majestic birds.  It will surely make you happy.

Why COSTA RICA has amazing sunsets every day at the same time?

Well, the reason why is because Costa Rica is a tropical country situated between 8 and 12 degrees above the equator.

Being close to the equator, Costa Rica does not experience the variation in day length that more northern or southern countries do.  It experiences about 12 daylight hours each day, every day.  The sun rises and sets at the same time all year round, so there are no short winter days or long summer ones. 

Enjoy the gorgeous sunsets every day at the same time, and whether you choose to do it by the beach or by the mountains, the experience will be equally captivating.

The best thing about tropical climates is predictability.

For any given month of the year, the weather in a particular Costa Rican town will be quite stable.  When you book your vacation, you will be sure what weather you are going to get. As a point of comparison, if you choose to visit the  European Alps for example, your vacation could be ruined by a rainy spell or it could be sunny and clear- there is no way to know in advance, so the only thing to do is book your flights and hope for the best.

Come to Costa Rica and you will be certain of what the weather will do.

The average yearly rainfall over Costa Rica is about 100 inches, but some areas get much more than that. It does have a positive side though.  High rainfall feeds lush rainforest and supports an incredible diversity of plant and animal life.  Do not be put off by a little rain- without it, the forests would not exist, and there would be nothing to see between the volcanoes and the beaches.  Without the generous rainfall, you would miss the spectacular parrots and toucans, green tree frogs and enormous butterflies.

Because Costa Rica is located between eight and 12 degrees north of the Equator, the climate is tropical all year round.  However, the country has many microclimates depending on elevation, rainfall, topography, and by the geography of each particular region.

Costa Rica's seasons are defined by how much rain falls during a particular period and not by the four seasons in the Northern Hemisphere.  The year can be split into two periods, the dry season known to the residents as summer, and the rainy season, known locally as winter.  The "summer" or dry season goes from December to April, and "winter" or rainy season goes from May to November, which almost coincides with the Atlantic hurricane season and during this time, it rains constantly in some regions.

The location receiving the most rain is the Caribbean slopes of the Central Cordillera Mountains, with an annual rainfall of over 5,000 mm (196.9 in).  Humidity is also higher on the Caribbean side than on the Pacific side.  The annual temperature on the coastal lowlands is around 27 °C (81 °F), 20 °C (68 °F) in the main populated areas of the Central Cordillera, and below 10 °C (50 °F) on the summits of the highest mountains.

Near the Equator, there is little distinction between summer, winter, autumn, or spring.  The temperatures there are usually high year-round—with the distinct exception of parts of the Equator that cross high mountains in South America and in Africa.  (For example the Andes Mountains and Mt.  Kilimanjaro.)  The temperature at the Equator can also plummet during the extensive rainstorms in many locations, but not in Costa Rica.  However, many places close to the Equator receive rain throughout the year.  The seasons can vary depending on a variety of factors including elevation and proximity to an ocean.  

Why is twilight short near the equator?

I have now read in several different books that relate the adventures of world travelers the same observation about the sunset at the equator.  They state that at the equator "darkness falls almost instantly after sunset, there is no twilight".  I ignored it the first few times I saw it, but after reading it again, and again, I began to wonder if it is true, and if so why?  I cannot figure out why twilight should shorter or longer anywhere in particular.  Is it true?  Why?

This is a very good question.  The reason is a little complicated to understand, though.  The simple answer is that at low latitudes, the sun sets perpendicular to the horizon, while at higher latitudes, the sun can set at a more oblique angle, allowing it to remain close to the horizon after sunset for a longer period.

Weather in the tropics is essentially a phenomenon of solar radiation and air circulation.  Intense heat at the equator puts air in motion, and a worldwide pattern of winds is established.  The most famous of these, for Costa Rica, are the northeasterly trade winds, known locally as "alisios".  These winds blow with considerable force from December to March and April.  These winds, for example, are responsible for carrying moisture in the form of mists to the slopes of the Tilarán mountain range.  These mists are what sustain the magnificent cloud forest ecosystem.

On the Pacific slope, the rainy season begins in May and runs its course until November.  

Here again, days often begin sunny and pleasant, with rains coming later in the day.  This is a period of time in which the trade winds coming from the northeast are much reduced in intensity, and as a result, storms often come in from the Pacific Ocean in September and October; however, the time you spend in Costa Rica will be quit enjoyable.