Costa Rica Tops Prosperity Index for Latin America

At number 32, Costa Rica tops the Prosperity Index in Latin America, according to The 2009 Legatum Prosperity Index. The "Switzerland of Central America," as it's often referred to, has achieved high marks in catergories like personal freedom and democratic insitutions. According to Reuters, "the index is based on a definition of prosperity that combines economic growth with the level of personal freedoms and democracy in a country as well as measures of happiness and quality of life."