Half of the population, the centers of culture and government, four of the six main cities, and the bulk of the coffee industry are found on the plateau (“Costa Rica”).
The Atlantic coastal plain, on the Caribbean side of the highlands, makes up about 30 percent of Costa Rica's territory and is low, swampy, hot, excessively rainy, and heavily forested. The Pacific slope, some 40 percent of the country's area, resembles the Caribbean lowlands, but to the northwest is a dry area suited to cattle raising and grain production. The lowest point is at sea level (Pacific Ocean) (“Costa Rica”). Not only is the landscape very interesting, Costa Rica also is home to many distinct species including 232 mammals, 838 birds, 258 reptiles, and 183 amphibians (“Costa