The Republic of Costa Rica is located between Panama and Nicaragua. It is considered the most "westernized" nation in Central America. It separates the waters of the Pacific Ocean from the Caribbean Sea. The official language is Spanish, although English is widely spoken, especially in the business area. The official currency is the Colon, which is one of the most stable currencies in Latin America. It has a very strong democratic government, with the President as both the chief of state and the head of government, and it enjoys political stability. In addition, this government has been an outstanding example of democracy, which has been followed for more than forty years.
Since the early 19th Century, tourism has been the leading industry in the country, followed by the coffee and banana industries. Manufacturing is also an important industry.
Many attractive incentives are offered by the Costa Rica government to foreign investors. It has an excellent well-developed banking system. Foreigners can invest with the nationalized banking system, offshore banks, private banks, or finance companies. It has the largest stock exchange in Central America, which is regulated by the National Securities Commission (the counterpart of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission). It is not a requirement to be a resident to own or manage a business in the country. Furthermore, Costa Rica offers many tax advantages to investors. There are no capital gains taxes and high interest-bearing bank accounts are tax-free as well. This is a convenient jurisdiction for international investors.
Portuguese
Spanish
French