“The Switzerland of Central America.” That is how some travel writers describe Costa Rica.

But, is that comparison accurate?

Surely, the little Latin American country is not in the same economic league as Switzerland. I mean its per capita income is less than twenty percent of its European counterpart. One is a First World Country; the other not even close.

Now, if the measure of wealth, Switzerland will never want to become an European Costa Rica. On the other hand, is that the only measure?

What comes to mind for most people are two things when comparing these countries. Each is tiny and has magnificent mountains and scenery.

But, the world might be better off when the day comes that Switzerland can be known as the “Costa Rica of Europe.”

For my money, Costa Rica is far wealthier. Here is my case.

It starts with vision.

There was a time when both countries had abundant wildlife. Switzerland had magnificent lynx, wolf packs, and european bears, chamois, and deer but the predators were killed off to make way for progress. In 1904, the last luckless bear, perhaps one that unwittingly trespassed into the country, was destroyed.

Somewhere, it is Said: “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. ”

But, apparently, good is a relative term. There simply was not room enough in this bucolic country for all of God’s creatures and Man.

Some might say that Switzerland lacked vision back then. So, today, a vacationer can enjoy great chocolate and trains that run on time but not the thrill of wilderness.

Costa Rica could have emulated Switzerland but took a radically different approach. You see, while Switzerland is now almost devoid of animals, little Costa Rica is bursting at the seams. Just the size of West Virginia, so small it can be driven from the Nicaragua border to Panama in a few hours, Costa Rica has nearly twenty percent of all animal and plant species on earth.

All in all, somewhere between 500,000 and a million species of animals and plants, including more than 2,000 different kinds of orchids exist in
the Land of Pura Vida!

One of every five kinds of plant on earth calls Costa Rica home. A startling fifth of every kind of animal in the world is found in Costa Rica. The African continent has a lot of different kinds of butterflies but Costa Rica has more: more than South Africa, more than Namibia, Mozambique,Tanzania, more than all of the countries combined in Africa. There are nearly as many species of birds in Costa Rica as in the entire 48 continental states. 35% of all whale and porpoise species are in its waters and all but one of the species of turtles nest on its beaches.Of course, there was a time when several Central American countries were like Costa Rica. Verdant forests traversing the Caribbean to the Pacific. Mountains, jungles, beaches, and waters filled with life. Wild, remote, extraordinary diversity of life, Tropical Eden.Easy pickings. Real temptation. One after the other, countries from Mexico to South America chose exploitation. Quick gain, quick wealth. The great forests were slashed and burned, north to south, east to west, coast to coast, under the illusion that unfettered development would bring prosperity. Unfortunately, it perpetuated grinding poverty to most except huge landowners, many of which were huge multinational businesses.

Wildlife was terribly exploited. Manificent tropical birds were brought to the edge of extinction for the American and European pet trades. The
great cats were slaughtered for their hides. Great caravans of mules and horses carried off hundreds of millions of turtle eggs each year until some beaches went from more than 100,000 nests a year to just two. Sea turtles were mercilessly slaughtered so that a portion of their shell could be sent to Japan and Italy as a decoration on expensive shoes or knick knacks in American tourist shops.

While its neighbors were burning their forests and destroying their natural heritage, Costa Rica elected to restore its jungles. In place of
exploitation, it set its sights on sustainability. Within the last 30 years or so, and despite a per capita income just a fraction of Switzerland or other

First World countries it has:

a. Become one of the most stable countries in the Western Hemisphere and a world class tourist destination. You see, it learned that ecotourism in Costa Rica brings a lot of money along with it. Turtles, birds, orchids are worth far more alive and sustained than dead or caged;
b. Set aside more than a quarter of the country as parks, reserves, and refuges. No other country has even come close;
c. Announced that by 2021 it will be the world’s first carbon neutral country (something the wealthy Swiss will not commit to doing);
d. Created the world’s largest green sea turtle preserve on its Caribbean Coast and the world’s largest olive ridley sea turtle preserve on its Pacific Coast;
e. Risen to the very top of the world’s “Happy Index”, a measure of a country’s health, satisfaction with life, and devotion to preservation and development of sustainable resources;
f. Planted so many trees that its forests have grown more than 20%, resulting in the return of wildlife not seen in decades.

Which brings us back to Switzerland and the issue of defining wealth.

Imagine the day when a Swiss hiker hears of a wolf’s howl in the night. or sees the first bear track in more than a century. Whether he or she is financially well off or not, there will be a chill up a spine.

A year later, will that person remember how much money he or she had that day? No

Will the hiker still remember the sight or sound of wilderness? Absolutely.

So, what will that be worth? The answer is obvious: priceless.

So, which country is the wealthiest? For my vote: Costa Rica.

Maybe the time will come when Switzerland will be called “The Costa Rica of Europe” if it takes to heart the lessons the little Latin American
country has to offer about real wealth.

It only requires vision.