The Country

Geography:
Costa Rica lies between Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. It is located between 82° to 86° western geographic longitude and 8° to 11° northern geographic latitude. Cocos Island (26 square kilometers ;  10 square miles), about 483 kilometers (300 miles) off the Pacific Coast, is under Costa Rica sovereignty. The latitude and longitude of the capital, San Jose, are about 84°05' W and 9°58' N.

The country has an area of 51,100 square kilometres (19,730 square miles).

National History:
Summary Narrative History

Key Dates:
12000 B.C.		First proof of people in Costa Rica.
8000 to 4000 B.C.		Nomadic groups start settling down.
18 September 1502		Christoph Columbus lands near Lim¢n.
1563		Cartago was established as capitel of Costa Rica.
15 September 1821		Costa Rica gains independence from Spain.
1856		Invasion by William Walker, a North American adventurer, but he was subsequently defeated.
1889		The official onset for Costa Rican democracy dates to 1889, after the first true elections.
1948		When Calder¢n's United Social Christian Party refused to step down after losing the 1948 election against to Otilio Ulate, civil war erupted, which lasted 40 days and cost 2,000 lives.
1982		Luis Alberto Monge Alvarez was elected president. He tried to keep Costa Rica neutral in the conflict in Nicaragua.
1986		Oscar Arias was elected president.
1987		Oscar Arias tireless efforts to promote peace in the region were rewarded when the five Central American presidents signed his peace plan in Guatamala City in 1987, an achievement that earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.
1990		Rafael Angel Calderon, candidate of the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC) became president.
1998		Miguel Angel Rodriguez was elected president.
2002		Abel Pacheco de la Espriella became president.

 

Further National Information:
Yahoo Costa Rica page

Columbus World Travel Guide - Central America - Costa Rica

Info Costa Rica

HispanoLink: Costa Rica
 

Civil Aircraft Registrations:
The registration prefix 'TI-' has been used since 1955, eg:TI-001[-L] to TI-999[-L]

Military Air Arms:
Air Service (Servicio de Vigilancia Aérea)

Central Government Agencies:
None at present

Public Service Aviation:
None at present

Commercial Aviation:
Lacsa Costa Rica

Nature Air
Grupo Taca (Airlines included are Central American airlines Aviateca of Guatemala, Costa Rica's Lacsa, Nicaragua's Nica, Taca International from El Salvador and Taca from Honduras.)

Private Aviation:
To be added

Aircraft Manufacturers:
None at present

Airports, Airfields and Air Bases:
Civil Airports and Airfields-
Buenos Aires (IATA code: BAI)
Barra Colorado (IATA code: BCL)
Canas (IATA code: CSC)

Carrillo (IATA code: RIK)
Coto 47 (IATA code: OTR)

Golfito (IATA code: GLF)
Guapiles (IATA code: GPL)
Las Canas (IATA code: LCS)
Limon (IATA code: LIO)
Liberia: Daniel Oduber IAP (IATA code: LIR)

Los Chiles (IATA code: LSL)
Nicoya (IATA code: NCT)
Nosara Beach (IATA code: NOM)

Palmar (IATA code: PMZ)

Playa Samara (IATA code: PLD)
Puerto Jimenez (IATA code: PJM)

Quepos (IATA code: XQP)

Rio Frio (IATA code: RFR)

San Jose: El Coco (IATA code: OCO)
San Jose: Juan Santamaria IAP (IATA code: SJO)
Santa Cruz (IATA code: SZC)
Tamarindo (IATA code: TNO)

Tambor (IATA code: TMU)
Tortuquero (IATA code: TTQ)

Upala (IATA code: UPL)
 

Military Air Bases and Airfields-
Military Air Bases Listing

Aviation Museums:
None at present.

Aviation-Related Magazines:
None at present

Aviation Bibliography:

Central American and Caribbean Air Forces (Daniel Hagedorn)