Consulate of the Republic of Costa Rica to the Republic of South Africa

Having been hailed one of the happiest countries in the world in the Happy Planet Index, the Costa Rican national motto “Pura Vida” – to live a pure and wonderful life – has been transformed from word to living truth. The vivacity of the Costa Rican spirit can be felt in the preservation of the natural habitats that thrive in Costa Rican forests - home to over 500,000 different species and protecting over 5% of the world’s biodiversity while occupying a mere 0.3% of the Earth’s surface.

“The peace, democracy and prosperity of the continent depend on our ability to collectively address the common challenges to the well-being of our peoples. If we join together to promote the necessary structural changes, we will generate jobs, opportunities and, above all, the capacity of our people to build a future that our children will be grateful for” – President of Costa Rica Rodrigo Chavez Robles.

A nation proud to be without an army, led rather by the values of service, peace, innovation and nation-building – the Costa Rican people bustle with the same vibrancy as their natural environment, happy in the knowledge that life really is good – “Pura Vida”.