The Continental Divide also traverses the country. There are several archeological sites and pre-Columbian settlements. Most important to the fauna and flora, and to the Ticos themselves, are the habitats that afford shelter from the tropical heat and rain. This figure does not reflect the thousands of hectares of marine area that are also protected. That makes Costa Rica the country with the highest percentage of protected terrestrial area of all countries worldwide.
Parks have important recreational, scientific and educational uses.
Thousands of people visit the parks annually to visit, to recreate, to study and to appreciate the scenic beauty of the country. Additionally, collection of seashells may be prohibited in certain areas. It is best to check with officials before leaving with those popular souvenirs. Since there are so many unique parks and protected areas, I have selected some that were most interesting to me. They are arranged in alphabetical order, and the volcano national parks are listed at the end under that heading.