Costa Rica produces almost all of its electricity from which kind of sources?

Imported coal and oil burned in power plants

Costa Rica Quiz: Pura Vida, Rainforests and Volcanoes

This Costa Rica quiz explores the Central American country of pura vida, from the capital San José and the Arenal Volcano to the Monteverde cloud forest, Tortuguero's nesting turtles, sloths, toucans and quetzals, coffee farms, its famous green energy and the 1948 decision to abolish its army. Ten questions.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 90 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

Capital
What is the capital of Costa Rica?
Phrase
Which Costa Rican phrase means pure life and is used as a greeting and a way of life?
History
What did Costa Rica abolish in 1948, a rare decision for any country?
Volcanoes
Which cone-shaped volcano, active until 2010, is one of Costa Rica's top attractions?
Forests
Monteverde, in Costa Rica's mountains, is famous for which type of forest?
Animals
Which slow-moving animal, which spends most of its life hanging in trees, is a symbol of Costa Rica?
Turtles
Tortuguero National Park, on the Caribbean coast, is famous for what?
Energy
Costa Rica produces almost all of its electricity from which kind of sources?
Nature
About how much of the world's biodiversity is found in Costa Rica, despite its small size?
Food
What is gallo pinto, a traditional Costa Rican breakfast?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: What is the capital of Costa Rica?
Answer: San José
San José sits in the Central Valley, surrounded by volcanoes and coffee farms. Managua is the capital of Nicaragua.
Q2: Which Costa Rican phrase means pure life and is used as a greeting and a way of life?
Answer: Pura vida
Ticos, as Costa Ricans call themselves, use pura vida to say hello, goodbye, thank you and everything is fine.
Q3: What did Costa Rica abolish in 1948, a rare decision for any country?
Answer: Its army
President José Figueres Ferrer abolished the army. The money was redirected to education, health and the environment.
Q4: Which cone-shaped volcano, active until 2010, is one of Costa Rica's top attractions?
Answer: Arenal
Hot springs at the foot of Arenal are fed by volcanic heat. The nearby Lake Arenal is popular for windsurfing.
Q5: Monteverde, in Costa Rica's mountains, is famous for which type of forest?
Answer: Cloud forest
Clouds drift through the treetops, keeping the forest wet. Hanging bridges let visitors walk through the canopy.
Q6: Which slow-moving animal, which spends most of its life hanging in trees, is a symbol of Costa Rica?
Answer: The sloth
Sloths move so slowly that algae grows on their fur, helping camouflage them. Costa Rica has both two-toed and three-toed sloths.
Q7: Tortuguero National Park, on the Caribbean coast, is famous for what?
Answer: Nesting sea turtles
Green sea turtles nest there in large numbers. Tortuguero means place of turtles in Spanish.
Q8: Costa Rica produces almost all of its electricity from which kind of sources?
Answer: Renewable sources
Hydropower, geothermal, wind and solar energy supply the vast majority of the country's electricity, often more than 98 percent in a year.
Q9: About how much of the world's biodiversity is found in Costa Rica, despite its small size?
Answer: About 5 percent
Costa Rica covers only about 0.03 percent of Earth's surface. Around a quarter of its land is protected in parks and reserves.
Q10: What is gallo pinto, a traditional Costa Rican breakfast?
Answer: Rice and beans cooked together
Gallo pinto, meaning spotted rooster, is often served with eggs, tortillas and sour cream. Nicaragua also claims the dish.

Costa Rica Quiz – The Land of Pura Vida

Costa Rica is a small country in Central America between Nicaragua and Panama, with coastlines on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Despite covering only a tiny fraction of the Earth's surface, it holds about five percent of the world's biodiversity. Rainforests, cloud forests, volcanoes and beaches make it one of the world's leading destinations for nature and ecotourism.

Costa Rica is known for its peaceful, stable history. In 1948, after a short civil war, it abolished its army and invested in schools, healthcare and conservation instead. Today it has high literacy, long life expectancy and a strong commitment to protecting nature. The country generates almost all its electricity from renewable sources such as hydropower, geothermal and wind.

Visitors come to explore national parks full of wildlife. Monteverde's misty cloud forest is home to the resplendent quetzal, Manuel Antonio combines rainforest with beaches, and Tortuguero is famous for nesting sea turtles. The Arenal Volcano rises above hot springs and lakes. Sloths, monkeys, toucans, poison dart frogs and colorful butterflies can be spotted throughout the country.

Costa Ricans, who call themselves Ticos, are known for their friendly attitude summed up in the phrase pura vida. Coffee has long been a major crop, and traditional dishes include gallo pinto and casado, a plate of rice, beans, meat and salad. Surfing, rafting, zip-lining and wildlife watching are popular activities for visitors and locals alike.

This quiz covers the nature, history, culture and food of Costa Rica.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is perfect for nature lovers, travelers and anyone curious about Central America.

Costa Rica's capital and national motto
Why the country abolished its army
Famous volcanoes and cloud forests
Wildlife such as sloths and sea turtles
Costa Rica's green energy
Traditional Costa Rican dishes

Quick Facts About Costa Rica

Costa Rica's currency is the colón, named after Christopher Columbus.
Costa Rica means rich coast in Spanish.
The country has more than 200 volcanic formations.
The Nicoya Peninsula is one of the world's Blue Zones, where people live unusually long lives.
Mysterious stone spheres were carved in southern Costa Rica centuries ago.
Costa Rica has hundreds of species of orchids.