San José, a modern city with a population
of over one million people, is the capital of Costa Rica. It is the cultural,
economic and political center for the country as well as the hub of the national
transportation
and communication
systems. Costa Rica’s tropical location produces an astonishing number
of ecological life zones and an overwhelming variety of plants and animals.
From San José, students can easily reach several national parks
and rain forests, beaches on both the Atlantic and pacific coasts, and magnificent
volcanoes. Costa Rica is considered the most politically and economically
stable country in Central America.