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Costa Rica
Capital (and largest city) : San José
Location: 9°56′N 84°5′W
Official language: Spanish
Government: Democratic republic
Independence from Spain (via Mexico): September 15, 1821
-from the UPCA: 1838
Area: 129th in the World
Total: 51,100 km² (19,725 sq mi)
Water (%): 0.7
Population: 2005 estimate 4,327,000 (119th)
Density: 85 /km² (220 /sq mi) (107th)
GDP (PPP) : 2006 estimate
-Total: $48.77 billion (84th)
-Per capita: $12,000 (82nd
HDI (2004) : (2004) 0.841 (high) (48th)
Currency: Costa Rican colón (CRC)
Time zone: UTC-6
Calling code: .cr
Internet TLD: +506
Member of: UN, OAS, WTO, FLAR
About Costa Rica
Costa Rica (literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica (Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica, IPA: [re'puβlika ðe 'kosta 'rika]), is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the south-southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Costa Rica was the first country in the world to constitutionally abolish its army. It is also the only country in which both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans can be seen from the same point.
History
In Pre-Columbian times the Indigenous people, in what is now known as Costa Rica, were part of the Intermediate Area located between the Mesoamerican and Andean cultural regions. This has recently been updated to include the influence of the Isthmo-Colombian area.
It was the point where the Mesoamerican and South American native cultures met. The northwest of the country, the Nicoya Peninsula, was the southernmost point of Nahuatl cultural influence when the Spanish invaders (conquistadores) came in the sixteenth century. The center and southern portions of the country had Chibcha influences. However, the indigenous people have influenced modern Costa Rican culture to a relatively small degree, as most of the Indians died from disease and mistreatment by the Spaniards.
Costa Rica was populated with African slaves in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, although most Caribbean Costa Ricans of African ascent descend from Jamaican workers brought in during the nineteenth century to work in the construction of railways connecting the urban populations of the Central Plateau to the port of Limon on the Caribbean coast.
During the nineteenth century, Italian and Chinese immigrants came to the country to work on the construction of the railroad system as well, but unlike the slaves, these newcomers did so for monetary gain and skills acquirement.
Geography of Costa Rica
Costa Rica is located on the Central American isthmus, 10° North of the equator and 84° West of the Prime Meridian. It borders both the Caribbean Sea (to the east) and the North Pacific Ocean (to the west), with a total of 1,290 kilometres (802 mi) of coastline (212 km / 132 mi on the Caribbean coast and 1,016 km / 631 mi on the Pacific). It is about the size of West Virginia.
Costa Rica also borders Nicaragua to the north (309 km / 192 mi of border) and Panama to the south-southeast (639 km / 397 mi of border). In total, Costa Rica comprises 51,100 square kilometers (19,730 sq. mi) plus 589.000 square kilometers of territorial waters.
The highest point in the country is Cerro Chirripó, with 3,810 metres (12,500 ft), and is the fifth highest peak in Central America. The highest volcano in the country is the Irazú Volcano (3,431 m / 11,257 ft). The largest lake in Costa Rica is Lake Arenal.
Costa Rica also comprises several islands. Cocos Island stands out because of its distance from continental landmass (24 km² / 9.25 sq mi, 500 km or 300 mi from Puntarenas coast), but Calero Island is the biggest island of the country (151.6 km² / 58.5 sq mi).
Costa Rica protects over 25% of its national territory within national parks. It also possesses the greatest density of species in the world.
Politics of Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a democratic republic with a strong constitution. Although there are claims that the country has had more than 115 years of uninterrupted democracy, their presidential election history shows otherwise (see List of Presidents of Costa Rica). Nonetheless, the country has had at least fifty-nine years of uninterrupted democracy, which is by far the longest in Latin America. It is one of the most stable countries in Latin America. Costa Rica has avoided the violence that has plagued Central America; it is seen as an example of political stability in the region.
Executive responsibilities are vested in a president, who is the country's center of power. There also are two vice presidents as well as a cabinet designated by the president. The president, vice presidents, and fifty-seven Legislative Assembly delegates are elected for four-year terms. A constitutional amendment approved in 1969 limited presidents and delegates to one term, although delegates were allowed to run again for an Assembly seat after sitting out a term.
In April 2003, the constitutional ban on presidential re-election was reversed, allowing Óscar Arias (Nobel Peace Prize laureate, 1987) to run for President for a second term. In 2006, Óscar Arias was re-elected in tight and highly contested elections, running on a platform of promoting free trade. He took office on May 8, 2006. On June 16, 2006, he met Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican.
The seven provinces are divided into 81 corners ("cantón" in Spanish, plural "cantones"), each directed by a mayor. Mayors are chosen democratically every four years by each corner's people. There are no provincial legislatures. Autonomous state agencies enjoy considerable operational independence; they include the telecommunications and electrical power monopoly, the nationalized commercial banks, the state insurance monopoly, and the social security agency. Costa Rica has no military by constitution but maintains domestic police forces for internal security.
Administrative divisions
Provinces of Costa Rica
Costa Rica is divided into seven provinces:
1. San José Political, technological and economical center of Costa Rica.
2. Alajuela Central and north of capital San José; agriculture and industrial manufacturing.
3. Cartago Former colonial capital.
4. Heredia Central and north of capital; industrial manufacturing.
5. Guanacaste North-west; important tourist and agricultural area.
6. Puntarenas Reaches along most of Costa Rica's Pacific coast.
7. Limón On Caribbean coast; agricultural and eco-tourism area.
Economy of Costa Rica
In recent times electronics, pharmaceuticals, financial outsourcing, software development and ecotourism, have become the prime industries in Costa Rica's economy. High levels of education among its residents make the country an attractive investing location.
The economy has been expanding for Costa Rica in part because the Government had implemented a seven-year plan of expansion in the high tech industry. The central government offers tax exemptions for those who are willing to invest in the country. Several global high tech corporations have already started developing in the area exporting goods including chip manufacturer Intel, pharmaceutical company Glaxo Smith Kline, and consumer products company Procter & Gamble. Trade with South East Asia and Russia has boomed during 2004 and 2005, and the country is expected to obtain full Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) membership by 2007 (the country became an observer in 2004).
For the fiscal year 2005, the country showed a government deficit of 2.1%, internal revenue increased an 18%, exports increased a 12.8% and the number of visiting tourists increased a 19%, reaching 1.5 million people. Revised economic figures released by the Central Bank indicate that economic growth stood at 5%, nevertheless the country faced high inflation (14%) and a trade deficit of 5.2%. For 2006 the economy is expected to grow a 6.8%.
The unit of currency is the colón (CRC), which trades around 518 to the U.S. dollar; currently about 675 to the euro. On October 16, 2006, a new currency exchange system was introduced, allowing the value of the CRC colón to float between two bands as done previously by Chile. The idea is that by doing so the Central Bank will be able to better tackle inflation and discourage the use of US dollars. Since that time, the value of the colon against the dollar has stabilized.
Costa Rica's location provides easy access to American markets as it has the same time zone as the central part of the United States and direct ocean access to Europe and Asia.
Foreign affairs
Costa Rica is an active member of the United Nations and the Organization of American States. Costa Rica is seat of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and seat of the United Nations University of Peace and many other international organizations related to human rights and democracy.
Costa Rica's main foreign policy objective is to foster human rights and sustainable development as a way to secure stability and growth.
Costa Rica is also a member of the International Criminal Court, without a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the US-military (as covered under Article 98).
Flora and fauna of Costa Rica
Costa Rica is home to a rich variety of plants and animals. While the country has only about 0.1% of the world's landmass, it contains 5% of the world's biodiversity. Over 25% of Costa Rica is composed of protected forests and reserves.
One national park that is internationally-renowned among ecologists for its biodiversity (including big cats and tapirs) and where visitors can expect to see an abundance of wildlife is the Corcovado National Park.
Tortuguero National Park – the name Tortuguero can be translated as "Full of turtles" – is home to spider, howler and white-throated Capuchin monkeys, the three-toed sloth, 320 species of birds (including eight species of parrots), a variety of reptiles, but is mostly recognized for the annual nesting of the endangered green turtle and is considered the most important nesting site for this species. Giant leatherback, hawksbill, and loggerhead turtles also nest here.
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve hosts two thousand plant species, including numerous orchids. Over four hundred types of birds can be found here, and over one hundred species of mammals. As a whole, around eight hundred species of birds have been identified in Costa Rica. The Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INBIO) is allowed to collect royalties on any biological discoveries of medical importance.
Demographics of Costa Rica
In 2005, Costa Rica had an estimated population of 4.43 million people. The majority of people in Costa Rica are descended from Spanish settlers. In contrast to its neighboring countries' populations, little mixing of the Spanish settlers and the indigenous populations occurred. Therefore, a vast majority of Costa Ricans are either of Spanish or to a lesser extent of mixed mestizo heritage. In addition, there are significant numbers of Costa Ricans of Italian, German, Jewish, and Polish descent. Together, European and Mestizos descendants make up a full 94% of the population. Just under 3% of the population is of black African descent who are called Afro-Costa Ricans and are English-speaking descendants of nineteenth century black Jamaican immigrant workers. Another 1% is composed of ethnic Chinese.
As of today, the indigenous population numbers around 1.7%, or around 50,000 individuals. In Guanacaste Province, a significant portion of the population descends from a mix of local Amerindians, Africans and Spaniards. There is also an expatriate community of people of all ages from the United States, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Britain, and other countries. There are also many Nicaraguan workers.
Christianity is a major religion in Costa Rica. Some 92% of Costa Ricans are Christian and like many other parts of Latin America, Protestant denominations have been experiencing rapid growth. However, three in four Costa Ricans still adhere to Roman Catholicism. Due to small but recent immigration from Asia, the Middle East, and other places, other religions have grown, the most popular being Buddhism (due to an increasing Chinese community of 40,000), and smaller numbers of Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu adherents.
Culture of Costa Rica
Costa Ricans often refer to themselves as tico (masculine) or tica (feminine). "Tico" comes from the popular local usage of "tico" and "tica" as diminutive suffixes (e.g., "momentico" instead of "momentito"). The tico ideal is that of a very friendly, helpful, laid back, unhurried, educated and environmentally aware people. Visitors from the United States are often referred to as gringos, which is virtually always congenial in nature. The phrase "Pura Vida" (literally "Pure Life") is a ubiquitous motto in Costa Rica. It encapsulates the pervading ideology of living in peace in a calm, unclustered manner, appreciating a life surrounded by nature and family and friends.
Some might use maje or mae (maje means "dumb") to refer to each other, although this might be perceived as slightly insulting to those of an older generation. Costa Rican traditions and culture tend to retain a strong degree of Spanish influence. Their spoken accent is rather different than its Central American counterparts. "-ito" or "-ita" are added to many words to make them sound more polite and courteous.
Costa Rica boasts a varied history. Costa Rica was the point where the Mesoamerican and South American native cultures met. The northwest of the country, the Nicoya peninsula, was the southernmost point of Nahuatl cultural influence when the Spanish conquerors (conquistadores) came in the sixteenth century. The center and southern portions of the country had Chibcha influences. However, the indigenous people have influenced modern Costa Rican culture to a relatively small degree, as most of the Indians died from disease and mistreatment by the Spaniards.
The Atlantic coast, meanwhile, was populated with African slaves during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Most Caribbean Costa Ricans of African descent, however, derive from nineteenth-century Jamaican workers, brought in to work on the construction of railroads between the urban populations of the Central Plateau and the port of Limon on the Caribbean coast. Italian and Chinese immigrants also arrived at this time to work on the railroad construction.
Education in Costa Rica
The literacy rate in Costa Rica is of 96%, one of the highest in Latin America. Elementary and high schools are found throughout the country in practically every community. Universal public education is guaranteed in the Constitution. Primary education is obligatory, and both preschool and high school are free. There are both state and private universities.
Tourism in Costa Rica by Regions
North Caribbean
North Caribbean comprises the caribbean coast and goes from the San Juan River to Limón city. Limón city is the touristic center of this Corridor, simultaneously working as an accommodation, stop over, distribution and touring center.
Green turtle nesting on Tortuguero National Park and bass, shad and other species sport fishing at Barra del Colorado National Wild Life Refugee are the main tourist attractions of the region. It is also features a river channel system, which connects Moin Port with Barra del Colorado, and has become a singular attraction and the only way of transportation.
Nature-based products get tax benefits, specially fauna observation, therefore is a world-known site for bird and turtle’s watching.
South Caribbean
This unit goes from Limon to the Panama border, Limon is the primary tourist center as well as an scaling and distribution center. The region has a unique combination of beaches, natural resources and Afro-American culture in Cahuíta, Puerto Viejo and Gandoca Manzanillo.
The development of Limon is quite different from the rest of the Caribbean Island. High quality beaches allows adventure and natural history activities along with culture, gastronomy and music. Reefs, multicolor-sanded beaches (from black to yellow and gray), coastal vegetation and medium-high forest are the main attractions.
Cahuíta National Park and Gandoca Manzanillo Reserve are worldwide recognized, not only because of their natural beauty but because they are becoming unique conservation places in almost the whole Caribbean.
Central Valley
The main entryway to the country, the Central Valley offers a variety of tourist, cultural and natural attractions, including Costa Rica’s best museums: the Gold, Jade, National, Costa Rican Art, La Salle Natural Science, University of Costa Rica Insect and Children’s Contemporary Art and Design Museums. In addition, this region is home to the architectural jewel of Costa Rica: the National Theater. All of these are located in the country’s capital. The national parks located in the Valley—Poás, Braulio Carrillo, Irazú and Turrialba—protect the region’s main volcanoes. All have road infrastructure so that visitors can enjoy birdwatching, natural landscapes, craters and forests.
The country’s capital, San José, is the seat of most government services; however, the provincial capitals—Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago—offer a variety of quality commercial and tourism services. As a tourism zone, the Central Valley features two extraordinarily beautiful areas that in and of themselves are true tourist destinations: Turrialba and Valle de los Santos. The rural towns are very beautiful and offer a glimpse of old Costa Rica, with their houses of bahareque (a building material similar to adobe but made of cattle dung and straw), large coffee plantations, sugar mills and dairies.
Northern Plains
With its several protected areas, lakes, lagoons, volcanoes, rivers and waterfalls, the Northern Zone is undergoing a boom in tourism service and adventure site development, so that nature-loving visitors can enjoy the region’s many attractions. Due to frequent rains, the Northern Zone features wet and evergreen forests as well as fertile plains—natural environments that serve as sanctuaries for water birds, reptiles, mammals and the prehistoric Gaspar fish, and important sites of interest for wildlife-lovers. Adventure activities and nature-watching may be enjoyed on the rivers—Peñas Blancas, San Carlos, Toro, Puerto Viejo and Sarapiquí—some of which are important navigational routes.
The Sarapiquí canton with its rich biodiversity, is recognized as a scientific research site and the last stronghold of endangered species such as the great green macaw. The region is famous for the turnos (outdoor parties or festivals) held in its towns, with bull riding and livestock auctions.
Monteverde
The Monteverde tourism zone is known around the world for its conservation efforts and lifestyle based on nature preservation.
Santa Elena is the area’s main service center with various shops and tourism companies; other important towns are San Luis and San Gerardo. Though its main attraction is the Monteverde Biological Preserve, the region also features a variety of natural places, beautiful paths, flora- and fauna-watching opportunities, natural landscapes and more.
The main activities are natural history and adventure; tourist activities include bird- (especially the resplendent quetzal), wildlife- and nature-watching, hiking, canopy tours, trips to suspension bridges and visits to butterfly and frog gardens.
North Guanacaste
North Guanacaste harbors an important portion of the Costa Rican cultural and natural legacy. There are many protected areas, including coastal, mountainous, terrestrial, and aquatic ecosystems, where life develops with exuberance.
It is situated in the northern part of the country, and covers the pacific coast of Costa Rica, since the limit with Nicaragua to Punta Cerritos, located 22 km. west from de city of Santa Cruz. It covers an extension of approximately 100 km. of the Pacific Coast. Currently the incomparable beauty of its landscapes, that range from the tropical dry forest to the forest montano low and its hot climate, as well as its fertile nature, turn Guanacaste into one of the most concurred places by the local and international tourism. Many flights arrive charter and regular flights from the United States.
North Guanacaste has two main tourist centers that are Liberia (central of stopover distribution, scale and excursion) and Santa Cruz, and three other tourist centers: El Coco, Tamarindo and Flamingo. The landscape in the coast is exceptional. There are beaches of white sands and a peaceful sea qualified by intense blue, especially the ones located inside Papagayo Gulf (Nacascolo, Virador, Iguanita and Panama). It is one of the more developed regions.
South Guanacaste
It includes the southwest coast of the Nicoya Peninsula. Its north limit is the Punta Cerritos and its south with river Bongo outfall, with a length of approximately 110 kilometers in front of the coast.
The main tourist center of the South Guanacaste Unit is the Nicoya city, located at 30 kilometers of the coast that works as a distribution center and stop break for the tourist that travels to the south Guanacaste beaches and the travelers to other passages. The second tourist center is the village of Sámara, located over the coast.
The main attraction is the beaches, natural resources such as the spectacular arriving of the turtles Lora in the Wild Life National Refuge Ostional and the estuary and mangrove swamp of the south side, specially those who divide the beaches of Islita, Bejuco, San Miguel, Coyote and Guiones. The mangrove swamp are excellent conserved and are ideal sites for the bird-watching as well as the practice of light sports as the “kayaking”.
It has an efficient public transportation and well as ferryboats (Paquera community and Naranjo beach). Similarly, the bridge over the Tempisque River provides a quick access to the central and south region of the Peninsula.
Puntarenas, beaches and Islands of the Gulf
Puntarenas is one of the most important tourist regions of Costa Rica. Its has many islands, inlets, beaches and beautiful natural treasures, which makes Puntarenas a tourist destiny. Its territory offers a wide range of attractions such as beaches, reservations, continental and insular areas.
This spectacular area very close to the Central Valley, a two-hours drive, 120 kilometers away from the capital. Puntarenas City is its main destination. Other tourist centers are Tambor, and Cóbano. Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Preserve, and San Lucas, Chira, Tortuga and Coco’s Islands stand out.
This region of the country stretches from the city of Puntarenas to the mouth of the Río Barú in the area known as Dominical de Osa. There are three interesting cities well developed for tourism: Quepos, Jacó and Puntarenas. The region also includes the islands in the Gulf of Nicoya. A wet and rainy climate allows greater biodiversity in the beaches and hills next to the coast; there is a transition from tropical wet forest to tropical forest to tropical dry forest. These ecosystems provide habitat for numerous plant and animal species that are protected in several wilderness areas. Isla del Coco, almost 600 kilometers from the port of Puntarenas is under this province’s jurisdiction.
Mid Pacific
The main attractions in the Mid Pacific region are coast and protected wilderness areas. There are many beautiful beaches, less than two hours from San José. The region features wildlife refuges, national parks and biological preserves. Other important attractions are of cultural and recreational interest.
South Pacific, Corcovado, Golfito
The beautiful region includes the Fila Tinamastes attractions, such as the Cataratas of Nauyaca (waterfalls), Platanillo town and the Barú River.
Whales and dolphins can be seen from the beach, and there are mangrove swamps, sport fishing, surfing, hiking in the National Park paths, professional diving, energetic walks to the summit of the Chirripo peak, botanical gardens, protected areas’ impressive waterfalls. Ecotourism is the main choice in the Humedal Sierpe-Térraba; the Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve, the Ballena Marine National Park, the Isla del Caño Biological Preserve and the Corcovado National Park.
Additionally, there is a high potential in the rural tourism development, in peasant settlements distributed along the region. Two important protected areas are located in this zone, one is the Corcovado National Park, which National Geographic Magazine defines as “the planet’s biologically richest place” and the Humanity Biosphere Preserve, declared as Humanity Patrimony and part of the Amistad International Park.
Useful Links
Presidency of Costa Rica: http://www.casapres.go.cr/
Costarrican Tourism Institute: http://www.visitcostarica.com/ict/paginas/home.asp?ididioma=1
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica: http://www.casapres.go.cr/
Main Newspapers in Costa Rica
La Gaceta: http://www.imprenal.go.cr/
La Nación: http://www.nacion.com/
The Tico Times: http://www.ticotimes.net/ English Language Newspaper
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