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Ecotourism,
Ecology, and the Environment in Costa Rica
The environmental situation
here in Costa Rica is complex and interesting.
On the one hand, the population of Costa Rica is
growing rapidly, and we have one of the highest
rates of deforestation in the world. On the other
hand, Costa Rica has recently become one of the
prime destinations for a new industry, ecotourism.
Ecotourism, loosely defined, is traveling for the
sake of seeing natural environment, particularly
pristine wilderness and primary forest. With the
growth of the ecotourism industry, Costa Ricans
have begun to reassess the value of their ecological
resources.
In recent years, the government
of Costa Rica has taken a strong pro-environmental
stance, moving to stop deforestation and the exploitation
of offshore oil resources by foreign companies.
Costa Rica is now leading the way for Latin America
in wilderness conservation, with vast regions of
the country under protection as national parks and
indigenous reserves.
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