Panama vs. Costa Rica
Geography
| Panama | Costa Rica | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica | Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama |
| Geographic coordinates | 9 00 N, 80 00 W | 10 00 N, 84 00 W |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Area | total: 75,420 sq km land: 74,340 sq km water: 1,080 sq km | total: 51,100 sq km land: 51,060 sq km water: 40 sq km note: includes Isla del Coco |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than South Carolina | slightly smaller than West Virginia |
| Land boundaries | total: 687 km border countries (2): Colombia 339 km, Costa Rica 348 km | total: 661 km border countries (2): Nicaragua 313 km, Panama 348 km |
| Coastline | 2,490 km | 1,290 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or edge of continental margin | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm |
| Climate | tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May) | tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands |
| Terrain | interior mostly steep, rugged mountains with dissected, upland plains; coastal plains with rolling hills | coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major active volcanoes |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Volcan Baru 3,475 m lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 360 m | highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,819 m lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 746 m |
| Natural resources | copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower | hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 30.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 7.3% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 2.5% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 20.7% (2018 est.) forest: 43.6% (2018 est.) other: 25.9% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 37.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 4.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 6.7% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 25.5% (2018 est.) forest: 51.5% (2018 est.) other: 11.4% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 321 sq km (2012) | 1,015 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area | occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes volcanism: Arenal (1,670 m), which erupted in 2010, is the most active volcano in Costa Rica; a 1968 eruption destroyed the town of Tabacon; Irazu (3,432 m), situated just east of San Jose, has the potential to spew ash over the capital city as it did between 1963 and 1965; other historically active volcanoes include Miravalles, Poas, Rincon de la Vieja, and Turrialba |
| Environment - current issues | water pollution from agricultural runoff threatens fishery resources; deforestation of tropical rain forest; land degradation and soil erosion threatens siltation of Panama Canal; air pollution in urban areas; mining threatens natural resources | deforestation and land use change, largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching and agriculture; soil erosion; coastal marine pollution; fisheries protection; solid waste management; air pollution |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation |
| Geography - note | strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean | four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capital of San Jose in the center of the country; one of the volcanoes, Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963-65 |
| Total renewable water resources | 139.304 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 113 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | population is concentrated towards the center of the country, particularly around the Canal, but a sizeable segment of the populace also lives in the far west around David; the eastern third of the country is sparsely inhabited | roughly half of the nation's population resides in urban areas; the capital of San Jose is the largest city and home to approximately one-fifth of the population |
Source: CIA Factbook
