caribbean
location
Situated in the country’s east and northeast, it extends over the entire Caribbean coast from Barra del Colorado to the Río Sixaola. It is bordered to the south by the Cordillera de Talamanca and to the west by the Río Chirripó. It is made up of the province of Limón and the eastern part of Cartago - the eastern part of the Turrialba Canton. The northern part of the region encompasses Barra del Colorado, the Tortuguero plains and the Talamanca foothills. The Mirador and Asunción ridges south of Siquirres form one border, while its southern extent is limited by the city of Limón. The southern region consists of Turrialba, part of the Cordillera de Talamanca, the Valle de la Estrella and Sixaola, extending to the Caribbean coast.
ecology
This region is characterized by wet tropical forest that with rich, lush vegetation. Its plains are used to cultivate banana, root crops and staple grains.
climate
The coastal plains of the north (Tortuguero, Santa Clara and Matina) have heavier rainfall than the southern plains of Estrella and Sixaola. The monthly and annual precipitation records suggest a difference between the northern and southern regions. The annual precipitation gradient decreases from north to south, with the north receiving 3,500-4,500 mm annually and the south receiving 2,500-3,000. Both the maximum and minimum temperatures tend to be somewhat higher in the northern sub-region. There are two rainy seasons in both regions: the first, between September and October and the second from February to March. It is important to mention that the following climatic categories can be distinguished in the country:
- The páramo: altitudes of 3,000-3,100 m or higher, with temperatures that fall to 0°C (32°F).
- Warm temperate: altitudes above 1,500 m, with average temperatures from 14-18°C (57-64°F).
- Wet temperate: altitudes under 1,100 m, with average temperatures from 25-26°C (77-79°F).
- Tropical: regions with a pronounced dry season and temperatures between 26-27°C (79-80°F).
- Intermontane valleys with altitudes of between 1,000 and 1,100 m, characteristic of the Central Valley, with temperatures that range between 14-18°C (57-64°F).