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Costa Rica is a tropical country, situated between 8� and 11� North latitude, fairly close to the equator. Although in the mountains above 2000 meters you get much cooler temperatures, the average annual temperature lies between 21.7�C (71�F) and 27�C (81�F).
The coolest months are from November through January, and the warmest from March through May.
San Jos�, the capital, where over a third of the population lives, stands at approximately 1170 meters altitude and has a mean annual temperature of 20.6�C (69�F).
The nation's climate is classically divided into two major seasons: rainy and dry.
The dry season runs from January through May and the rainy season from May to November and December.
Caribbean
The rainy season: from mid to late April and continues through December and sometimes January. Major storms, "temporales del Atlantico" between September and February, (rain continuously for several days); but rainy season day will begin clear with a few hours of sunshine that will give way to clouds and rain by the afternoon.
Driest months of February and March, might be almost entirely without rainfall.
The wetter months are: July and November, with a dry spell around August or September.
Pacific
The rainy season: begins in May and runs its course until November. Days often begin sunny and pleasant, with rains coming later in the day. Winds coming from the north-east are much reduced in intensity, and storms often come in from the Pacific Ocean in September and October.
In the northern half of the country the Pacific slope experiences an intense dry season, in which no rain may fall for several months. The forests of the North-West are to a large extent deciduous, letting their leaves fall in order to conserve water. Winds can be very strong, occasionally reaching speeds of 90 km/hr in the lowlands, although they average more around 20 km/hr.
Central Valley
Pleasant dry season is matched by moderate temperatures for most of the year, and a lower than average amount of rainfall.
The southern half of the Pacific slope is much wetter than its northern counterpart, with a shorter dry season and longer and heavier afternoon rains in the wet season.
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General Information 
