The economy of Costa Rica emerged from recession in 1997 and, in 1998 it had a relatively healthy growth. The Costa Rican economy offers a more adjusted and balanced situation, compared with the rest of Central America, but still it's the economy of a country in the process of development. The position of Costa Rica in the isthmus gives people the accessibility to North and South American markets. Being surrounded by the two oceans, the Pacific and the Atlantic, allows Costa Rica to have direct commerce with other continents like Europe and Asia. Historically, Costa Rica has an agricultural based economy.
People maintain close ties with the land, and owning even a small parcel is traditional.
Costa Rica's major economic resources are its fertile land and frequent rainfall. Although rural in spirit, Costa Ricans embrace high tech and constantly look to the future. One clear example of this is the new investment of Intel corporation that began the construction of a plant in 1997 to produce Pentium II microchips. A number of other high technology companies were already present in Costa Rica, and more are expected to go and settle there. Tourism has become one of the most important incomes in the country.