In 2000, in Tilaran a fire gutted a nursing home. 17 residents who were trapped in the building have been killed. The fire, which officials believe was sparked by a short circuit in a television in one of the rooms, ignited the building's wooden roof and quickly spread to other rooms.

One person died and two were severely injured on August 24th eruption of Arenal volcanoe. The pyroclastic avalanche of hot gases, rocks and ashes emerged from high on the slope and proceeded to raid them at approximately 80 km per hour. This eruption was said to be the worst since 1968. 600 tourists and residents were evacuated.

On January 1st of 2001, 40 years after the two countries broke ties, Costa Rica decided to open Cuban consulate in San Jose. Juan Carlos Hernandez was appointed for the new Cunam consul.

April 2001. The Foreign Trade ministers of Canada and Costa Rica, Pierre Pettigrew and Tomas Duenas, signed in Ottawa a free trade agreement, the first one between an underdeveloped nation and a member of the G-7. 86 percent of Costa Rican goods have free access to the Canadian market, (sugar, tropical fruit, coffee, flowers, beef, fish, and seafood).

May 9th, 2001. Historical monument, the large ranch house at Santa Rosa National Park, in Guanacaste, burned. It was apparently the victim of arson, since there were no power lines, nor any other source of fire in the house and its surroundings. The Government launched an immediate investigation of the case. It announced efforts to restore the structure. On November, two men were sentenced to serve 20 years in prison each, after they were found guilty of setting afire.

Geography
National Parks
History
Calendary
Curiosities
Fauna and flora
Towns
Provinces
Famous people
Events