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114
iNTERNATIONAL AMERICAN CONFERENCE.
COSTA RICA.
The Atlantic coast is low and covered by dense forest , while the Pacific slope
ia
characterized by wide savanas or llanuras. Between these borders are high vol–
cn.noes and an elevated table-land 8,000 to 4,000 feet above the sea,the latter alruost
the ouly cnltivated lancl in the State. The fore&ts are largely composed of valuab]e
trees-mahogany, ebony, lmtzil-wood, and oak.
Therange of moun tains called theCorrlilleraof theAndes passes through the country
from southeast to northwe
t,
and is divided iuto several systems, sevarated by the
valleys of the Reveutazon a.nd the Río Grande. The first system forros two groups,
one from the northwest boundary southeast to l\fouut Aguacate; the other consista
of Mouuts Poas, Barba, and Irazu. A large plain co,·ers the northeasteru part of the
Republic, through which the San Carlos aud Sarapiqui wind their way to the San
Juan, and the Rio Frio and ruany sma1ler streams to Lake Nicaragua. Mr. Paul
Biolley says: "This region is even to-day almost unexploreu."
The San Carlos River is n:wigable 20 leagues iuland from
i
ts mouth at the San Juan.
The latter river forros a portion of the northern boun<lary of the State.
Duriug the rainy season the rivera become torreuts, e pecially on tbe Atlantic side.
Several rivera of the northeru slope present this peculiarity, that while their left
banks are formed of dry lands free from marshes, tbeir right banks present a sncces–
sion of ]agoons and localities frequently innndated, rendering tbem often unhealth–
ful.
The hot lands e:s:teud to 3,000 feet above the sea, the Pacific side being the hotter.
Above this height the cliroate is temperate. On the coal3t tbe mean temperature is
from 20° to 26° centigraue, and on the higbJauds from 14° to 20°, corresponding to
mo,
(il:i
0
aud 79° Fahr.
Be~ides
gold, the principal metals whose ex.istence has beeu established beyond
doubt in Costa Rica, bnt which have not been exploited, are, iron in abundance, cop–
per, argentiferon
leau, anu quicksilver. Among otber mineral products are snl–
phnr, kaolin, lignite, limestoue, rnarble, gypsum, alum, aud mineral waters.
The exporta of this conntry ara-cotrea, dye aud cahinet woods, bananas, and other
fruits, hitles, mot.her-of-pearl, sarsaparilla, cocoa-nnts, Iudiarubber, etc. Theprinci–
pal importa are cotton goods, haruwa.re, and provisionl:l.
The principal ports are Limon on the Atlantic, aud Punta Arenas on tha Pacific, the
direct distance between them bcing 102 or 103 geogra.phical miles.
The popnlation of the provinces of Costa Rica are, SanJose, 64,000; Alajne1a, 51,000¡
Cartago, 34,000; Heredia, 29,000; Guanacaste, 16,000; Punta Arenas, 8,500; Limon,
2,000; containing the important ci
ti
es of San Jo ·é, 15,000; Cartago, 10,000 ; Hereuia,
9,000; Alajnela, 6,000; Punta Arenas,
l,S'OO.
HIGHWAYS.
From
Carta.goto Punta Arenas there
is
a fine highway, which is very 1me>en at tbe
summit of:Mouut Aguacate, where
it
has an alt.itnde of abont ·1,132 feet above sea
Jovel.
It
passes throngh Alajuela, Atenas, San
~fateo,
and Esparta, the totalleugth
heing about 50
mi
le , owing to tbe circuiton. ronte nccf' Rary
t o
climb the elevation .
Auother important bighway runsfrom San José, in thedinction of La Palma; itcrosses
thn.t 11eight at 5,000 feet aud then decends
to
C:uil1o 1,400 feet.
In
tbe
17t
miles sep–
arating these two places, the road overcomes 3,600 ftet of elevation. The rnad to
Nicaragua begin atLaBarranca, nP-ar Esparta, ancl ero es the province of Gnanacaste
90
or
lOO
miles · it js bad in tho rainy seasou becan.
e
the e
ven snrface Tetains tbe
water. Starting from Candelaria, south of
~"i:n
Jnsé
ancl
partly following the Pa.cifio
coa.
t.,
tbere
is a
bridle
path
through Terraba and Boruca, euding on the Colombian
frontier. A path starts from Angostura east of Cartago anclleads to Talamanca.
The
gener~l
tr:lffic
~t
the
ports
of
the
republic, importe
a,nd
exporta, can
be
ta.k~