5 Things You Might Not Know About Costa Rica

Costa Rica is growing more popular as a travel destination for its beaches, biodiversity, and ecotourism opportunities. Before you go, it's always good to do a little research. Here are five things we bet you didn't know about Costa Rica.

1) Costa Rica has a 97% literacy rate. Children are constitutionally guaranteed a free education through the 12th grade.

2) It's the greenest country in the world, with the number one spot on the Happy Planet Index.

3) Twenty-five percent of Costa Rica's land is in protected areas, like national parks and conservation areas. Tiny Costa Rica has 5% of Earth's biodiversity, but only 0.1% of the world's land.

4) Ticos (Costa Rican people) often refer to their spouses or "other half" as their "media naranja"— the other half of their orange.

5) There are about 800 different species of birds in Costa Rica—every birdwatcher's paradise!

Now that you know more about the country, why not find out more about traveling there? Smithsonian Journeys offers several adventures in Costa Rica.

Why do you want to go to Costa Rica?