Costa Rica is not alone in linking economic development and biodiversity preservation . . . Yes, this country of good living actually exists and can be found in Central America. The country is Costa Rica, a relatively small country with a population of just over 3 million people and an area of around 51,000 square kilometers. Scenic natural beauty is everywhere from the extensive coastlines to the strength of the central mountain ranges. There is beauty here, no doubt about that, but the wealth the country possesses goes even deeper.
Untold wealth lies in the biological diversity that can be found there.
The difficult question is whether a place so captivating can last after human intrusions. The country, in fact, holds one of the world's best conservation records, boasting that one-quarter of the country is under some form of official protection in the form of national parks or biological reserves. These reserves and parks will continuously be faced with the pressures of development, so simply setting aside areas for preservation cannot be the total solution. The INBio was founded in 1989 as a private, nonprofit organization for the public good. The Institute's strategies are to develop an inventory of fauna and flora and to publicize and promote the nondestructive use of biodiversity by the commercial world.