Costa Rica is well respected and admired around the world as a non-violent, non combative country and was the first country in the world to constitutionally abolish its army and instead focus those resources toward education and health care.

High education levels, political and economic stability and a strong tourism industry have attracted sizable foreign investment, including over 100,000 Americans whom have already purchased property in Costa Rica.

At 96% Costa Rica has one of the highest literacy rates in the entire Western Hemisphere.

Costa Rica, "The Silicon Valley of Latin America," is home to such worldwide companies as Acer, Microsoft, GE, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cisco Systems, Eli Lilly, Motorola and Intel's $300 million dollar Pentium Chip complex located just outside of San Jose, the nation's capitol.

With a steadfast commitment to preserving its natural resources and an estimated 35% of the country designated as "protected" both federally and privately, eco-tourism has surpassed even surfing and fishing as the top reason to visit.

While Costa Rica only makes up .01% of the world's landmass, it has 5% of the world's biodiversity. According to National Geographic, Corcovado National Park is the most biologically diverse place on earth.