Lowlands of Costa Rica

GENERAL INFORMATIONS: Lowlands

Lowlands

Lowlands make up one-fifth of the nation land area. Most of them are in the northern part of the country. There, the wide lowlands stretch from Guanacaste to the Atlantic coast. It consists of Guatusos, San Carlos and Tortuguero lowlands. They are covered by one of the biggest tracts of jungles in Central America and by banana and palm plantations. Because of the diversity and aboundance of crops they all are called "the national basket of bread".

There is also the coastal lowlands. The Pacific lowland is smaller but much narrower. It`s limited by pacific Coastal Hills (Fila Costena). The Atlantic lowland in its northern part consists of wider Santa Clara lowland. In its southern part it`s limited by very narrow string of the slopes of Cordillera Talamanca.

Lowland of Los Guatusos - It`s located in the northern part of the country, close to the Nicaragua border. It`s drained by the rivers of Frio, Pocosol and plenty of shorter ones that are the tributaries of foreign Nicaragua lake. Within that there is a Cano Negro National Reserve. To the South-West part it`s limited by the slopes of Cordillera Guanacaste, to the South by Cordillera Tilaran, and to the West by Lowland of San Carlos. It was a place of Guatusos (Malekus) Indians settlings.

Lowland of San Carlos - It spreads in the northern part of Costa Rica, in the borders of Heredia and Alajuela provinces (near Nicaragua). It`s drained by the rivers of San Carlos, Sarapigui and Toro. There is also an Astillero lake. It`s covered by banana, pineapples and oil palms plantation and the rainforests. It`s one of the most important pasture region in the country. The government started inhabiting that since 1850.

Lowland of Santa Clara - It`s the widest, north part of so called Atlantic Lowland. It encompasses partly of Tortuguero National Park. It`s drained by the rivers of Suerre, Tortuguero and Parismina. To the North it`s limited by the Tortuguero Lowland and to the South-West by the Cordillera Central slopes. There are placed the banana plantations.

Lowland of Tortuguero - It`s placed in the northern-east "corner" of Costa Rica. Within that there is a Barra del Colorado National Reserve. It`s one of the least populated areas of the country, almost completely in lack of roads. It`s cut by many river canals. It`s covered by the rain forests and marshes. There are some hills of volcanic origin.