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Costa Rica
Costa Rica sits on the narrow isthmus of Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south, with coastlines on both the Pacific and the Caribbean -- under 200 kilometers apart at the country's narrowest point.
A volcanic mountain spine runs the length of the country, home to several active volcanoes (Arenal, Poás, Irazú) and Costa Rica's highest peak, Cerro Chirripó, tall enough to see both oceans from its summit on a clear day.
The Pacific side is defined by the Nicoya and Osa Peninsulas, both major biodiversity hotspots with markedly drier climates than the Caribbean coast, which is flatter and covered in dense lowland rainforest reaching the sea at places like Tortuguero.