Costa Rica at its true size
Costa Rica covers 51,180 km², number 129 of 235 by area. Home to 5,152,950 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 51,180 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 5,152,950 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 101 per km² |
| Capital | San Jose |
| Region | Central America, North America |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Has a coastline |
| Codes | CR · CRI · 188 |
Countries of a similar size
- Bosnia and Herzegovina1.0×Costa Rica and Bosnia and Herzegovina are almost exactly the same size.
- Slovakia1.04×Costa Rica is 4% larger than Slovakia.
- Dominican Republic1.05×Costa Rica is 5% larger than Dominican Republic.
- Croatia0.9×Costa Rica is 10% smaller than Croatia.
- Togo0.9×Costa Rica is 10% smaller than Togo.
- Estonia1.13×Costa Rica is 13% larger than Estonia.
How many times does Costa Rica fit into…
- Russia: about 334 times
- Canada: about 195 times
- United States: about 192 times
Neighbours
Questions about Costa Rica
- How big is Costa Rica?
- Costa Rica covers 51,180 km², which makes it number 129 of 235 countries and territories by area. About 5,152,950 people live there (2025), 101 per km².
- Is Costa Rica bigger than Bosnia and Herzegovina?
- Costa Rica and Bosnia and Herzegovina are almost exactly the same size. Costa Rica: 51,180 km²; Bosnia and Herzegovina: 51,209 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Costa Rica?
- Costa Rica lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
- Which countries border Costa Rica?
- Costa Rica shares a land border with Nicaragua, Panama.