Costa Rica is World's Happiest Country

"The New Economics Foundation" conducts a study every two years of 143 countries around the world, measuring their ecological footprint and the happiness and life expectancy of their citizens. The study this year found Costa Rica to be the happiest and greenest country in the world.

According to its researchers, the life expectancy in Costa Rica is 78.5 years, 85% of people report being happy and satisfied with their lives, and the country has nearly reached an equilibrium between what they consume and what the natural resources offer.

Costa Ricans gave their country a grade of 8.5 and their quality of life a 9.2. Some sociologists attribute this high level of satisfaction to the idea that Costa Ricans live in a peaceful country, are surrounded by wildlife preserves, and live amongst people who are kind, respectful, and supportive, or in other words, PURA VIDA!

Costa Rica is the Fifth Cleanest Country in the World, According to Forbes

According to a study performed by Columbia and Yale University that included 149 countries and was published in the prestigious Forbes Magazine , Costa Rica is the fifth cleanest country in the world, after Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, and Finland .

Scientists analyzed the environmental practices, and water, air, and natural vitality quality, amongst other measures, of all 149 countries in the study. The results showed that Costa Rica has been efficient in avoiding the increase in deforestation and they qualified with 97 or more categories, including those of forest, air pollution, and climatic change.

Costa Rica has 3.5% of the marine species found in the world

A new publication by the University of Costa Rica provides an inventory of the marine species found in the maritime ecosystem of Central America .

Of the total marine species found, 4,754 were identified in the Pacific Ocean and 2,321 in the Caribbean only 96 species are considered endemic. The study also discovered that 288 species are present on both coasts, indicating that what we know today to be the Central American isthmus was originally a single ocean.

Costa Rica -- the most ecologically minded Central American country

In a survey conducted by the Latin American Office of IDA (Índice de Desempeño Ambiental) Costa Rica resulted as being the Central American country that places the most stead in preserving the environment with a definitive commitment to reforestation. The assessment, taking into account the environmental policies of 149 countries, measured the following variables: air pollution, water resources, protection of biodiversity and habitat, productive natural resources and climate change.

If you are a lover of adventure and biodiversity, we invite you to visit Costa Rica and enjoy the ecology found at every turn!

Costa Rica , the designated gem of the world

The Council of the Defense of Natural Resources has named Costa Rica a "Bio-Gem of the World", classified as such based on the country's biological abundance and its efforts to protect the flora and the fauna, neutralize carbon emissions and be a model for biological preservation to the entire world.

However, risks are constant. The Costa Rican government must be diligent in enacting and following policies to ensure that the more than 500,000 species of flora and fauna are protected by fighting against pressures to drill petroleum along the coasts, the cutting of trees resulting from the expansion of the agro-industry and the growth of the tourist infrastructure, primarily along the Pacific Coast .

Although there are 12 other Bio-Gems on the American continent, it is the first time that an entire country has received this type of recognition.

THE POAS VOLCANO

Did you remember the Poás Volcano? If you studied at CPI Heredia this was an excursion you could not have missed!

There are several attractive features about Poás Volcano; for example, there are two crater lakes near its summit and Poás has erupted 39 times since 1828. The volcano is located within the Poas Volcano National Park , in Spanish Parque Nacional Volcán Poás . It is considered the largest active crater in the world, about 1 mile (1.6 km.) wide and 320 meters deep, with frequent geyser-like eruptions; it's almost impossible to believe that you can get all the way to the edge of the crater, not to mention the fact that the park contains a variety of wildlife and beautiful settings!!

Cocos Island National Park

Cocos Island, a national park of Costa Rica located in the Pacific Ocean, was declared a Natural World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997. During the month of September, a group of National Geographic scientists carried out an expedition of the natural wonders of the island, from its lush rainforest to the depths of its ocean. The expedition scientists kept a blog, abundant with stories, photographs, and videos recounting their experiences and discoveries. Some wrote that the island had captured their hearts, while others shared their enthusiasm for the large amount of sharks and schools of fish they saw.

According to Spanish scientist Enric Sala, the island's waters have one of the greatest amounts of predators in the world, but still a great quantity of fish coexists with them. He also mentioned that it is possible to see one-of-a-kind marine life species at the bottom of the sea, close to the underwater mountain Las Gemelas. One of the things the scientists found most remarkable was seeing the "toad fish," which does not swim nor have fins, but rather walks along the ocean floor. Visit the following web address for more information about this incredible National Geographic expedition: ocean.nationalgeographic.com .

New Whale Species Found in Costa Rican Waters

According to Costa Rica's Keto Foundation, starting last May a whale species, formerly not found in this area, has been spotted in the South Pacific waters of Costa Rica : the bride whale. These whales are elongated jumpers with large eyes, measuring approximately 15 meters; they are similar to humpback whales, but with hydrodynamic bodies. There has been very little research done on these whales, and they are being seen in groups of up to eight close to the Costa Rican shores permitting detailed observation.

Due to this new discovery, the Keto Foundation has intensified their monitoring of the Ballena National Marine Park and the waters around Caño Island. The experts are uncertain as to why the whales have migrated to the area, although there is speculation they are fleeing from the cold in the south and are searching for food in warmer waters. The foundation's ongoing investigation presents a unique opportunity to get more information about the bride whale and hopefully to see this species up close in person!

The Ballena National Marine Park and the Caño Island Biological Reserve are two protected areas of surmounting natural beauty located in the province of Puntarenas in the South Pacific of Costa Rica.

For more information about the bride whales, we recommend the following web site:

www.nacion.com

We invite you to visit us, and in addition to studying Spanish at CPI, take advantage of the opportunity to allow our sister company STV to organize a trip to these wonderful locations before or after your Spanish program. We are anxiously awaiting your arrival!