With landscape that varies from lush rainforest to hardscrabble cliffs to smooth white sand beaches, Costa Rica boasts a diversity of flora and fauna unlike anywhere else in the world. Despite its small size, the country is host to some 9,000 species of plants, about 900 species of birds, and over 200 species of mammals, including the impressive Howler Monkey. With a government plan in place to protect 18 percent of the country in national parks and another 13 percent in privately owned preserves, Costa Rica is at the forefront of eco-conservation and diversity.