Costa Rica

Costa Rica (literally, rich coast) lies in Central America, with coastline on both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The State is often described as a haven of peace and relative stability in a region blighted by civil war and violence, and has been governed as a democracy since before 1950. In many respects, the State has been a trendsetter with regards to human rights - it was the third country in the world to abolish the death penalty in 1877, and is one of only four Latin American states to have banned corporal punishment of children in all settings. But Costa Rica has also come under criticism for the widespread trafficking of children for sexual exploitation.