Cos ‧ ta Ri ‧ ca /ˌkɒstə ˈriːkə $ ˌkəʊs-/ BrE AmE
a country in Central America between Nicaragua and Panama. Population: 4,133,884 (2007). Capital: San José. Although there has often been fighting in other countries in Central America, Costa Rica has been a peaceful ↑ democracy for a long time, and has not had an army since 1950. Costa Rica is very popular with tourists, especially ↑ ecotourist s , because of its forests and beaches.
—Costa Rican noun , adjective