Page:History of the discovery and conquest of Costa Rica (1913) (IA historyofdiscove00fern).djvu/33

 CHAPTER I

HE territory of Costa Rica, which hes between the 8th and 11th parallels of north latitude, constitutes a small section of Central America, a vast geographical entity, peculiarly distinguished for its geological character, having its beginning in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and ending in the Isthmus of Panama. Its area is estimated at fifty thousand square kilometers, bounded on the north by Nicaragua, on the south by Panama, on the northeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the southeast by the Pacific Ocean. On the Pacific coast are the Gulfs of Dulce and Nicoya, the latter of which enjoys the reputation of being one of the most beautiful spots in the world.

The country is so mountainous that in only two regions are level plains of any considerable ex-