República de Costa Rica Republic of Costa Rica
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Noble patria, tu hermosa bandera  (Spanish) "Noble homeland, your beautiful flag"
Capital (and largest city)		San José 9°55′N, 84°4′W
Official languages		Spanish
Demonym		Costa Rican
Government		Constitutional Republic
-	President	Óscar Arias
Independence
-	from Spain (via Guatemala)	September 15, 1821
-	from the UPCA	1838
Area
-	Total	51,100 km² (128th) 19,730 sq mi
-	Water (%)	0.7
Population
-	July 2007 estimate	4,133,884 (119th)
-	census	2000
-	Density	85/km² (107th) 220/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2006 estimate
-	Total	$48.77 billion (84th)
-	Per capita	$12,000 (62nd)
Gini? (2001)		49.9 (high)
HDI (2005)		0.841 (high) (48th)
Currency		Costa Rican colón (CRC)
Time zone		(UTC-6)
Internet TLD		.cr
Calling code		+506

Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica (Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica, pronounced [reˈpuβlikaðeˈkostaˈrika]), is a Republic 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. World map showing the Americas CIA political map of the Americas The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the continents of North America[1] and South America with their associated islands and regions. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Costa_Rica. ... Image File history File links Costa_Rica_COA.svg‎ Coat of arms of Costa Rica Extracted from Image:Flag of Costa Rica (state). ... State and war flag and ensign, ratio: 3:5 Civil ensign, ratio: 2:3 The Flag of Costa Rica was adopted on November 27, 1906. ... Coat of Arms since May 5, 1998 The Coat of Arms of Costa Rica depicts an essential simplification of the nation. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... Noble patria, tu hermosa bandera (Spanish language, Noble homeland, your beautiful flag) is the national anthem of Costa Rica. ... Image File history File links LocationCostaRica. ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... Demographics of Costa Rica, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands. ... Nickname: Location of San José Canton between provinces Coordinates: , Country Province Canton San José Canton Founded circa. ... An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. ... The following table contains a list of the presidents and heads of state of Costa Rica since Central American independence from Spain and Mexico. ... Óscar Arias Sánchez (born 13 September 1940, in Heredia, Costa Rica) is the current President of Costa Rica, a position he also held from 1986-1990. ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1821 (MDCCCXXI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The United Provinces of Central America (UPCA) was a country that existed in Central America from July 1823 to approximately 1840. ... | Jöns Jakob Berzelius, discoverer of protein 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 10,000 km² and 100,000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... A percentage is a way of expressing a proportion, a ratio or a fraction as a whole number, by using 100 as the denominator. ... This is a list of countries ordered according to population. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Population density by country, 2006 List of countries and dependencies by population density in inhabitants/km². The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories that are recognized by the United Nations. ... The purchasing power parity (PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their purchasing power. ... There are three lists of countries of the world sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year). ... Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head. ... This article includes two lists of countries of the world[1] sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) at purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita, the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year divided by the average population for the same year. ... Graphical representation of the Gini coefficient The Gini coefficient is a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth distribution. ... World map indicating Human Development Index (2006). ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... World map indicating Human Development Index (2007) (Colour-blind compliant map) For red-green color vision problems. ... The colón (named after Christopher Columbus, known as Cristóbal Colón in Spanish) is the currency of Costa Rica. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... UTC redirects here. ... A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is a top-level domain used and reserved for a country or a dependent territory. ... .cr is the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Costa Rica. ... This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E.164. ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ... Map of Central America and the Caribbean The Caribbean Sea (pronounced or ) is a tropical sea in the Western Hemisphere, part of the Atlantic Ocean, southeast of the Gulf of Mexico. ... In December 1, 1948, president José Figueres Ferrer of Costa Rica abolished the countrys army after victory in the civil war in that year. ...

History

Main article: History of Costa Rica

Costa Rica was founded by columbus in 1502^[1] 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. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the Americas continent. ... Native Americans redirects here. ... The Intermediate Area is an archaeological culture region that was defined in its clearest form by Gordon R. Willey in his 1971 book (Prentice Hall: Englewood Cliffs, NJ). ... Mesoamerica is the region extending from central Mexico south to the northwestern border of Costa Rica that gave rise to a group of stratified, culturally related agrarian civilizations spanning an approximately 3,000-year period before the European discovery of the New World by Columbus. ... The word Andean refers to the geographic area in and around the Andes Mountains of South America, and to the indigenous peoples that inhabit the area, such as the Inca. ... The Isthmo-Colombian area (a portion of what has previously been termed the Intermediate Area) was defined in a chapter of the 2003 book Gold and Power in Ancient Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia (Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C.) as a culture area encompassing those territories occupied by speakers of...

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 (named after Nitin) cultural influence when the Spanish conquerors (conquistadores) came in the sixteenth century. The central 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 diseases such as smallpox^[2] and mistreatment by the Spaniards. Nicoya Peninsula seen from space (false color) The Nicoya Peninsula (Spanish: ) is a peninsula on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and lies in the Guanacaste Province in the north, and the Puntarenas Province in the south. ... For the Spanish language as spoken in Mexico, see Mexican Spanish. ... Conquistador (meaning Conqueror in the Spanish language) is the term used to refer to the soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under Spanish rule between the 15th and 17th centuries. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... For other uses, see Culture (disambiguation). ... Smallpox (also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera) is a contagious disease unique to humans. ...

During Spanish Colonial times, the principal city in Central America was Guatemala City. Costa Rica's distance from this hub led to difficulty in establishing trade routes and was one of the reasons that Costa Ricans developed in relative isolation and with little oversight from the Spanish Monarchy ("The Crown"). While this isolation allowed the colony to develop free of intervention by The Crown, it also contributed to its failure to share in the prosperity of the Colonies, making Costa Rica the poorest Spanish Colony in Central America. An anachronous map of the overseas Spanish Empire (1492-1898) in red, and the Spanish Habsburg realms in Europe (1516-1714) in orange. ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ... Guatemala City (in full, La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción; locally known as Guatemala or Guate) is the capital and largest city of the nation of Guatemala. ... It has been suggested that Regents: Iberian States be merged into this article or section. ... Coat of Arms of the King of Spain King of Spain redirects here. ... This article is about a type of political territory. ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ...

Another contributing factor to this poverty was lack of indigenous peoples to use for forced labor. While many Spaniards in the other colonies had Indians to work their land, most of the Costa Rican settlers had to work their own land. For all these reasons, Costa Rica was by and large unappreciated and overlooked by the Crown, and left to develop on its own. It is believed that the circumstances during this period led to the formation of many of the idiosyncrasies that Costa Rica has become known for, while at the same time setting the stage for Costa Rica's development as a more egalitarian society than the rest of its neighbors. Costa Rica became a "rural democracy" with no oppressed mestizo or Indian class. It didn't take long for Spanish settlers to head for the hills, where they found rich volcanic soil and a climate that was more milder than in the lowlands.^[3] During the reign of Emperor Charles V (Carlos I of Spain), who ascended the thrones of the kingdoms of Spain after the death of his grandfather Ferdinand, Habsburg Spain controlled territory ranging from Philippines to the Netherlands, and was, for a time, Europes greatest power. ...

General map of Costa Rica

Costa Rica joined other Central American provinces in 1821 in a joint declaration of independence from Spain. After a brief time in the Mexican Empire of Agustín de Iturbide Costa Rica became a state in the Federal Republic of Central America from 1823 to 1839. In 1824 the capital was moved to San José, but following a rivalry with Cartago that was violent. Although the newly independent provinces formed a Federation, border disputes broke out among them, adding to the region's turbulent history and conditions. Costa Rica's northern Guanacaste Province was annexed from Nicaragua in one such regional dispute. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Agustín Cosme Damián de Iturbide y Arámburu (September 27, 1783 – July 19, 1824) was Emperor of Mexico from 1822 to 1823. ... Flag Capital Guatemala City¹ Language(s) Spanish Government Republic History  - Established 1823  - Disestablished May 31, 1838 Currency Central American Republic real ¹ Moved to San Salvador in 1834. ... Nickname: Location of San José Canton between provinces Coordinates: , Country Province Canton San José Canton Founded circa. ... Cartago is a city in Costa Rica, about 25 km (15 miles) east of the capital, San José. It is at an elevation of about 1435 m (some 4930 ft) above sea level on the Cartago River, at the base of the Irazú Volcano. ... The Partido de Nicoya was a major part of what is now the Guanacaste province in Costa Rica. ...

Costa Rica's membership in the newly formed Federal Republic of Central America, now free of Spanish rule, was short lived and in 1838, long after the Central American Federation ceased to function in practice, Costa Rica formally withdrew and proclaimed itself sovereign. The distance from Guatemala City to the Central Valley of Costa Rica, where most of the population lived and still lives, was great. The local population had little allegiance to the government in Guatemala City, in part because of the history of isolation during Colonial times. Costa Rica's disinterest in participating as a province in a greater Central American government was one of the deciding factors in the break-up of the fledgling federation into independent states, which still exist today. However, all of the Central American nations still celebrate September 15th as their independence day, which pertains to the independence of Central America from Spain. A province is a territorial unit, almost always a country subdivision. ...

Most Afro-Costa Ricans, who constitute about 3% of the country's population, descend from Jamaican immigrants who arrived during the 1880s to work in the construction of railways connecting the urban populations of the Central Plateau to the port of Limón on the Caribbean coast.^[4] Although most blacks arrived as workers, many also were brought as slaves.^[5] American convicts and Chinese immigrants also participated in the construction project, conducted by American businessman Minor C. Keith. In exchange for completing the railroad, the Costa Rican government granted Keith large tracts of land and a lease on the train route, which he used to produce bananas and export them to the United States. As a result, bananas came to rival coffee as the principal Costa Rican export and foreign-owned corporations (including the United Fruit Company) began playing a major role in the national economy. Immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. ... // Development and commercial production of electric lighting Development and commercial production of gasoline-powered automobile by Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Maybach First commercial production and sales of phonographs and phonograph recordings. ... For other uses, see Construction (disambiguation). ... Limón, also known as Puerto Limón, is the capital city of the homonymous province of Costa Rica. ... Slave redirects here. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into United Fruit Company. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Entrance facade of old United Fruit Building on St. ...

Historically, Costa Rica has enjoyed greater peace and political stability than most other Latin American nations. Since the late nineteenth century, Costa Rica has experienced only two significant periods of violence. In 1917-19, Federico Tinoco Granados ruled as a dictator until he was overthrown and forced into exile. In 1948, José Figueres Ferrer led an armed uprising in the wake of a disputed presidential election. With more than 2,000 dead, the resulting 44-day Costa Rica Civil War was the bloodiest event in twentieth-century Costa Rican history, but the victorious government junta abolished the military and oversaw the drafting of a new constitution by a democratically-elected assembly, before relinquishing power in 8 November of 1949. Figueres became a national hero, winning the first election under the new constitution in 1953. Since then, Costa Rica has held 12 presidential elections, the latest in 2006. All of them have been widely regarded as peaceful and transparent. General José Federico Alberto de Jesús Tinoco Granados (1870-1931) was a President of Costa Rica. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... With more than 2,000 dead, the 1948 44-day civil war was the bloodiest event in 20th-century Costa Rican history. ... Look up junta in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Geography

On the Río Savegre, just below San Gerardo de Dota in the Talamanca Mountains of Costa Rica.

Main article: Geography of Costa Rica

See also: List of volcanoes in Costa Rica, Category:Waterfalls of Costa Rica, and Islands 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 kilometers (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 and shares that state's reputation for excellent whitewater kayaking/rafting opportunities. Two of the country's most renowned rivers in that regard are the Rio Pacuare and the Rio Reventazon located near the city of Turriabla about 2 hours east of San Jose. Other notable whitewater areas are the Sarapiqui Valley area, several Pacific coast rivers near Quepos, and the southern Pacific drainage area around San Isidro de General. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1536x2048, 671 KB) Description: This waterfall is on the Rio Savegre just below San Gerardo de Dota in the Talamanca Mountains of Costa Rica File links The following pages link to this file: Costa Rica ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1536x2048, 671 KB) Description: This waterfall is on the Rio Savegre just below San Gerardo de Dota in the Talamanca Mountains of Costa Rica File links The following pages link to this file: Costa Rica ... Political map of Costa Rica. ... This is a list of active and extinct volcanoes in Costa Rica. ... Tortuga San Lucas Isla Chira Cano Violin Cocos Island ... For other uses, see Isthmus (disambiguation). ... World map showing the equator in red In tourist areas, the equator is often marked on the sides of roads The equator marked as it crosses Ilhéu das Rolas, in São Tomé and Príncipe. ... Location of the Prime Meridian Image:Prime Meridian. ... Pacific redirects here. ... “Miles” redirects here. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Largest metro area Charleston metro area Area  Ranked 41st  - Total 24,244 sq mi (62,809 km²)  - Width 130 miles (210 km)  - Length 240 miles (385 km)  - % water 0. ... Pacuare River The Pacuare River, or the Río Pacuare, in Costa Rica has its source in the Cordillera de Talamanca and flows approximately 108 km to the Caribbean. ... The Reventazón River or Rio Reventazón, also called the Parismina River or Rio Parismina, is a river in Costa Rica, it is 145 km long and flows into the Caribbean sea. ...

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. A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Map of Sealand and the United Kingdom, with territorial water claims of 3nm and 12nm shown. ...

The crater of Volcán Irazú, an active volcano near Cartago, Costa Rica

The highest point in the country is Cerro Chirripó, at 3,820 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. Irazú volcano summit crater, Costa Rica. ... Irazú volcano summit crater, Costa Rica. ... Cerro Chirripó is the highest mountain in Costa Rica, with an altitude of 3,819 metres. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The Irazú Volcano, in spanish is an active volcano in Costa Rica, situated in the Cordillera Central close to the city of Cartago. ... Lake Arenal is a reservoir in Costa Rica, formed by enlarging an existing small lake of the same name by the completion of a dam in 1979. ...

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). Nickname: Country Province Canton Puntarenas Incorporated 17 September 1858 Government  - Mayor Agnes Gomez Franceschi Area  - Total 10 km² (3. ...

Costa Rica protects 23% of its national territory within the Protected Areas system. It also possesses the greatest density of species in the world.^[6] List of SINAC Conservation Areas of Costa Rica: Regional locations of Conservation Areas. ...

Politics

Main article: Politics of Costa Rica

See also: Military 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,^{[citation needed]} 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, making it one of the most stable countries in the region. Costa Rica has avoided the violence that has plagued Central America. Politics of Costa Rica takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Costa Rica is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. ... In December 1, 1948, president José Figueres Ferrer of Costa Rica abolished the countrys army after victory in the civil war in that year. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the political process. ... The following table contains a list of the presidents and heads of state of Costa Rica since Central American independence from Spain and Mexico. ... For other uses, see Violence (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ...

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. The following table contains a list of the presidents and heads of state of Costa Rica since Central American independence from Spain and Mexico. ... A vice president is an officer in government or business who is next in rank below a president. ... This article is about the governmental body. ... President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. ... The Legislative Assembly ( Spanish: Asamblea Legislativa) is the unicameral legislative branch of the government of Costa Rica. ... For delegates in the . ... Amend redirects here. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ...

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 a tight and highly contested election, running on a platform of promoting free trade. He took office on May 8, 2006. 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. These include the Guardia Civil and the Guardia Rural. This article or section needs additional references or sources to improve its verifiability. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Óscar Arias Sánchez (born 13 September 1940, in Heredia, Costa Rica) is the current President of Costa Rica, a position he also held from 1986-1990. ... Lester B. Pearson after accepting the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish and Norwegian: Nobels fredspris) is the name of one of five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Óscar Arias Sánchez (born 13 September 1940, in Heredia, Costa Rica) is the current President of Costa Rica, a position he also held from 1986-1990. ... Free trade is an economic concept referring to the selling of products between countries without tariffs or other trade barriers. ... is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Telecommunication involves the transmission of signals over a distance for the purpose of communication. ... For delivered electrical power, see Electrical power industry. ... This article is about the economic term. ... A commercial bank is a type of financial intermediary and a type of bank. ... Insurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. ... Social security primarily refers to social welfare service concerned with social protection, or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. ... For the band, see The Police. ... For other uses, see Security (disambiguation). ...

Other current political issues include security, crime, and the limiting of large-scale immigration of people from Nicaragua. For other uses, see Security (disambiguation). ...

Provinces and cantons

Provinces of Costa Rica

Main articles: Provinces of Costa Rica and Cantons of Costa Rica

Costa Rica is composed of seven provinces, which in turn are divided into 81 cantons ("cantón" in Spanish, plural "cantones"), each directed by a mayor. Mayors are chosen democratically every four years by each canton's people. There are no provincial legislatures. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Costa Rica consists of seven provinces: Alajuela (central; north of capital San José) Cartago Guanacaste (north-west) Heredia Limón (Caribbean coast) Puntarenas (south-west) San José (Area around capital) Ranked list by population (as of 2000) Ranked list by area Ranked list by population density Categories: Central America geography... ... A legislatureis a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to ratify laws. ...

1. Alajuela
2. Cartago
3. Guanacaste
4. Heredia
5. Limón
6. Puntarenas
7. San José

Alajuela is a province of Costa Rica. ... Categories: Costa Rican provinces | Stub ... Guanacaste is a province of Costa Rica. ... Heredia is a province of Costa Rica. ... Limón is a province of Costa Rica. ... Puntarenas is a province of Costa Rica. ... Map of Costa Rica highlighting the province San José is a province of Costa Rica. ...

Economy

Metal church in Grecia

Old cathedral in Cartago

Main article: Economy of Costa Rica

According to the CIA World Factbook, Costa Rica's GDP per capita is US$12,500; however, this developing country still faces the second highest inflation rate in Latin America, lack of maintenance and new investment in infrastructure, over 740,000 (18%) people below the poverty line and just over 270,000 (6.6%) unemployed. The Costa Rican economy grew nearly 5% in 2006 after experiencing 4 years of slow economic growth.^[7] Image File history File links Metalchurchingreciacostarica. ... Image File history File links Metalchurchingreciacostarica. ... The metal church in Grecia. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1782x1203, 271 KB) Description: This is a picture of the old basilica in Cartago, Costa Rica. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1782x1203, 271 KB) Description: This is a picture of the old basilica in Cartago, Costa Rica. ... The economy of Costa Rica heavily depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. ... World Factbook 2004 cover The World Factbook is an annual publication by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with basic almanac-style information about the various countries of the world. ... USD redirects here. ...  High human development Medium human development Low human development Unavailable (colour-blind compliant map)   Developing countries not listed as least developed countries or as newly industrialized countries, in their respective articles. ... A boy from an East Cipinang trash dump slum in Jakarta, Indonesia shows what he found. ... Unemployment rates in the United States. ...

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.^{[citation needed]} 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 GlaxoSmithKline, 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). Expansion can have several meanings, including: In physics: Expansion of space In computer hardware: an Expansion card In computer programming: In-line expansion In computer gaming: an expansion pack See also: Wikipedia:Requests for expansion This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might... High tech refers to high technology, technology that is at the cutting-edge and the most advanced currently available. ... A tax exemption is an exemption to the tax law of a state or nation in which part of the taxes that would normally be collected from an individual or an organization are instead foregone. ... Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC, SEHK: 4335), founded in 1968 as Integrated Electronics Corporation, is an American multinational corporation that is best known for designing and manufacturing microprocessors and specialized integrated circuits. ... GlaxoSmithKline plc (LSE: GSK NYSE: GSK) is a British based pharmaceutical, biological, and healthcare company. ... Procter & Gamble Co. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... APEC can also stand for Atlantic Provinces Economic Council Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a group of Pacific Rim countries who meet with the purpose of improving economic and political ties. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

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.^{[citation needed]} 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 6.8%.^{[citation needed]} As of 2006, Costa Rica's inflation rate stands at 11.5% and ranks 197 out of 227, Latin Americas 2nd highest inflation rate, after Venezuela.^[8] A budget deficit occurs when an entity (often a government) spends more money than it takes in. ... Seal of the Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the United States government agency that collects taxes and enforces the internal revenue laws. ... World GDP/capita changed very little for most of human history before the industrial revolution. ... Balance of trade figures are the sum of the money gained by a given economy by selling exports, minus the cost of buying imports. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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. This article is about the engineering discipline. ... Pharmacology (in Greek: pharmacon is drug, and logos is science) is the study of how chemical substances interfere with living systems. ... Tapanti National Park in Costa Rica Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a form of tourism which appeals to the ecologically and socially conscious. ... Investment is a term with several closely related meanings in finance and economics. ...

The unit of currency is the colón (CRC), which trades around 518 [2] 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 colón against the dollar has stabilized. The colón (named after Christopher Columbus, known as Cristóbal Colón in Spanish) is the currency of Costa Rica. ... CRC is a three-letter acronym that could mean: Canada Research Chair Cancer Research Campaign Capital Research Center Cartier Railway (AAR reporting mark CRC) Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Chemical Rubber Company, now called CRC Press China Resources Company (華潤) Christian Reformed Church Class-Responsibility-Collaboration cards, popularized by Rebecca Wirfs-Brock, and... USD redirects here. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In finance, the exchange rate between two currencies specifies how much one currency is worth in terms of the other. ...

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. A country wide referendum has approved a free trade agreement with the United States. Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ...

Tourism

With a $1.7-billion-a-year tourism industry, Costa Rica stands as the most visited nation in the region. Eco-tourism is extremely popular with many tourists visiting the many protected areas around the country. Sex tourism has become a popular form of tourism and has been gaining popularity in Costa Rica where it already amounts for 10% of the billion dollar tourism industry.^[9] Costa Rica has been hailed as a national destination for sex tourists,^[10][11] this is largely because of legal prostitution.^[12] The government has made efforts to attack mainly child prostitution. A large child prostitution organization was dismantled by authorities in 2005, sending the female leader of the groups to 8 years in jail. Critics said the sentence was not strong enough and that the government efforts have been insufficient. Tourist redirects here. ... Sex tourism is travel to engage in sexual intercourse or sexual activity with prostitutes, and is typically undertaken internationally by tourists from wealthier countries. ... Whore redirects here. ... The Optional protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography to the Convention on the Rights of the Child states that the prostitution of children or child prostitution is the practice whereby a child is used by others for sexual activities in return for remuneration or any...

Foreign affairs

Costa Rica is an active member of the United Nations and the Organization of American States. Costa Rica holds a seat on the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and on the United Nations University of Peace and many other international organizations related to human rights and democracy. UN and U.N. redirect here. ... Headquarters Washington, D.C. Official languages English, French, Spanish, Portuguese Membership 35 countries Leaders  -  Secretary General José Miguel Insulza (since 26 May 2005) Establishment  -  Charter first signed 30 April 1948 in effect 1 December 1951  Website http://www. ... The Inter-American Court of Human Rights is an autonomous judicial institution based in the city of San José, Costa Rica. ... Headquartered in Costa Rica, the United Nations-mandated University for Peace (UPEACE) was established in December 1980 as a Treaty Organization by the UN General Assembly. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ...

Costa Rica's main foreign policy objective is to foster human rights and sustainable development as a way to secure stability and growth. A countrys foreign policy is a set of political goals that seeks to outline how that particular country will interact with other countries of the world and, to a lesser extent, non-state actors. ...

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). The official logo of the ICC The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt)[1] was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression, although it cannot currently exercise jurisdiction over the crime of aggression. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Opened for signature June 17, 1998[1] at Rome Entered into force July 1, 2002 Conditions for entry into force 60 ratifications Parties 99[2] The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (or Rome Statute) is the treaty which established the International...

On June 1, 2007, Costa Rica broke ties with the Republic of China in Taiwan, switching to the People's Republic of China in mainland China. [3] is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... National motto: None Official language Mandarin Chinese Capital and largest city Taipei President Chen Shui-bian Vice President Annette Lu Premier Su Tseng-chang Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 138th 35,980 km² 2. ... ...

Flora and fauna

An anhinga drying its feathers.

See also: Wildlife of Costa Rica and List of birds 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.^[13] About 23% of Costa Rica is composed of protected forests and reserves.^[14][15] Download high resolution version (468x615, 104 KB)Anhinga drying its feathers, Costa Rica Photographed by Lefty May 2004; uploaded 19:23, 2005 Feb 20 (UTC) I, the creator of this image, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Download high resolution version (468x615, 104 KB)Anhinga drying its feathers, Costa Rica Photographed by Lefty May 2004; uploaded 19:23, 2005 Feb 20 (UTC) I, the creator of this image, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Binomial name Anhinga anhinga (Linnaeus, 1766) For the bird genus Anhinga, see Darter The Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga), sometimes called Snakebird, Darter, American Darter, or Water Turkey, is a water bird of the warmer parts of North America and South America. ... Costa Ricas climate and geography are great for supporting a wide variety of wildlife. ... Although Costa Rica is a small country, it is in the bird-rich neotropical region, and has a huge number of species for its area. ... For other uses, see Plant (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Rainforests are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth Biodiversity is the variation of taxonomic life forms within a given ecosystem, biome or for the entire Earth. ... This article is about a community of trees. ...

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.^[16][17] This article is about national parks. ... For the journal, see Ecology (journal). ... Rainforests are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth Biodiversity is the variation of taxonomic life forms within a given ecosystem, biome or for the entire Earth. ... Big cat refers to the medium-to-large wild felids of The Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. ... Species Tapirus bairdii - Bairds Tapir Tapirus indicus - Malayan Tapir Tapirus pinchaque - Mountain Tapir Tapirus terrestris - Brazilian Tapir A tapir is a large, browsing animal, roughly the shape of an over-sized pig but with a short, prehensile trunk. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Corcovado National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Corcovado) is a National Park on the Osa Peninsula in the South West of Costa Rica (9° North, 83° West), which is part of the Osa Conservation Area. ...

The Clay-colored Robin is Costa Rica's national bird.

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. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 600 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,536 × 1,536 pixels, file size: 412 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Clay-colored Robin (Turdus-grayi) Panama City, Panama, 2005 December Photograph: Mdf first upload in en wikipedia on 19:50, 13 December... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 600 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,536 × 1,536 pixels, file size: 412 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Clay-colored Robin (Turdus-grayi) Panama City, Panama, 2005 December Photograph: Mdf first upload in en wikipedia on 19:50, 13 December... Binomial name Turdus grayi Bonaparte, 1838 The Clay-colored Robin (Turdus grayi) is a common Central American bird of the thrush family. ... Tortuguero National Park is a National Park within the Tortuguero Conservation Area. ... Type species Simia paniscus Linnaeus, 1758 Species Ateles paniscus Ateles belzebuth Ateles chamek Ateles hybridus Ateles marginatus Ateles fusciceps Ateles geoffroyi Spider monkeys are New World monkeys of the family Atelidae, subfamily Atelinae. ... Type species Simia belzebul Linnaeus, 1766 Species Alouatta coibensis Alouatta palliata Alouatta pigra Alouatta belzebul Alouatta guariba Alouatta macconnelli Alouatta nigerrima Alouatta sara Alouatta seniculus Alouatta caraya The howler monkeys (genus Alouatta monotypic in subfamily Alouattinae) are among the largest of the New World monkeys. ... Binomial name Cebus capucinus Linnaeus, 1758 The White-headed Capuchin (Cebus capucinus), also known as the White-faced Capuchin or White-throated Capuchin, is a small New World monkey of the family Cebidae, subfamily Cebinae. ... Green: , Blue: , Red: Species Bradypus pygmaeus Bradypus torquatus Bradypus tridactylus Bradypus variegatus The three-toed sloths are the only members of the Bradypus genus and the Bradypodidae family. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... Systematics (but see below) Family Cacatuidae (cockatoos) Subfamily Microglossinae (Palm Cockatoo) Subfamily Calyptorhynchinae (dark cockatoos) Subfamily Cacatuinae (white cockatoos) Family Psittacidae (true parrots) Subfamily Loriinae (lories and lorikeets) Subfamily Psittacinae (typical parrots and allies) Tribe Arini (American psittacines) Tribe Cyclopsitticini (fig parrots) Tribe Micropsittini (pygmy parrots) Tribe Nestorini (kakas and... Reptilia redirects here. ... Binomial name Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758) The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) is a large sea turtle, the only member of the genus Chelonia (Brongniart, 1800). ... Binomial name (Vandelli, 1761) The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the largest of all living turtles. ... Binomial name Eretmochelys imbricata Linnaeus, 1766 Range of the Hawksbill turtle subspecies Eretmochelys imbricata bissa (Rüppell, 1835) Eretmochelys imbricata imbricata (Linnaeus, 1766) Synonyms Eretmochelys imbricata squamata junior synonym The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 The Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) is a sea turtle and the only member of the genus Caretta. ... For other uses, see Turtle (disambiguation). ...

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is home to about 2,000 plant species,^[18] including numerous orchids. Over four hundred types of birds can be found here, and over one hundred species of mammals.^[19] 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. For other uses, see Monteverde (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Plant (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Species (disambiguation). ... Orchid re-directs here; for alternate uses see Orchid (disambiguation) Genera Over 800 See List of Orchidaceae genera. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including milk producing sweat glands, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex...

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Costa Rica

According to the CIA World Factbook, Costa Rica has a population of 4,133,884 of which 94% are mestizo or white, 3% black, 1% Amerindian, 1% Chinese and 1% other.^[20] Unofficial estimates put the white Costa Rican population at 80%,^[21] although the exact amount is not known because the Costa Rican census combines mestizos and whites in one category. The white population is primarily of Spanish ancestry^[22] with significant numbers of Costa Ricans of Italian, German, Jewish and Polish descent. In contrast to its neighboring countries' populations, less 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 Demographics of Costa Rica, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands. ... The World Factbook 2007 (government edition) cover. ... Language(s) Predominantly Spanish, (with a minority of other languages), while Mestiços speaks Portuguese Religion(s) Christianity (Predominantly Roman Catholic, with a minority of Protestant and other Religions) Related ethnic groups European (mostly Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian), Amerindian people, Austronesian people, Hispanics and Latinos Mestizo (Portuguese: Mestiço... This article deals with the white population of Latin America. ... Native Americans (also Indians, Aboriginal Peoples, American Indians, First Nations, Alaskan Natives, or Indigenous Peoples of America) are the indigenous inhabitants of The Americas prior to the European colonization, and their modern descendants. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination...

Just under 3% of the population is of black African descent. The majority of the afro Costa Ricans are Creole English-speaking descendants of nineteenth century black Jamaican immigrant workers, as well as slaves who were brought during the Atlantic slave trade. World map showing location of Africa A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second_largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ... Afro Costa Ricans, as the /b/tards say, is a Costa Rican that is of African desendent. ... REWRITE for previous article: I am trying to clean up the previous article. ... The Atlantic slave trade, also known as the Transatlantic slave trade, was the trade of African persons supplied to the colonies of the New World that occurred in and around the Atlantic Ocean. ...

The indigenous or Amerindian population numbers around 1%, or over 41,000 individuals. In the Guanacaste Province a significant portion of the population descends from a tri-racial 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, especially in the Central Valley city of Escazu. Guanacaste is a province of Costa Rica. ... For the band, see Expatriate (band). ... Escazú is part of the city of San José, Costa Rica, in the western part of the province. ...

Costa Rica hosts many refugees, mainly from Colombia and Nicaragua. As a result, an estimated 10% to 15% of the Costa Rican population is made up of Nicaraguans,^[23] most of whom migrate for seasonal work opportunities and then return to their country. There is also a growing number of Peruvian refugees. Moreover, Costa Rica took in lots of refugees from a range of other Latin American countries fleeing civil wars and dictatorships during the 1970s and 80s - notably from Chile and Argentina. Net migration rates for 2006: positive (blue), negative (orange) and stable (green). ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ...

Religion

Christianity is the predominant religion in Costa Rica, and Roman Catholicism is the official state religion as guaranteed by the Constitution of 1949. Some 92% of Costa Ricans are Christian [4] 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.^[24] Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... South America Europe Middle East Africa Asia Oceania Demography of religions by country Full list of articles on religion by country Religion Portal         Nations with state religions:  Buddhism  Islam  Shia Islam  Sunni Islam  Orthodox Christianity  Protestantism  Roman Catholic Church A state religion (also called an official religion, established church... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ...

Due to the recent small but continuous immigration of communities from Asia, the Middle East, and other places, other religions have grown, the most popular being Buddhism (because of an increasing Chinese community of 40,000), and smaller numbers of Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu adherents. For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... A statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Tawang Gompa, India. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ...

There is a Jewish synagogue, the B'nei Israel Congregation, in San José, near the La Sabana Metropolitan Park. Several homes in the neighborhood east of La Sabana Metropolitan Park are festooned with the Star of David and other recognizable Jewish symbols. The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination... A synagogue (from , transliterated synagogÄ“, assembly; beit knesset, house of assembly; or beit tefila, house of prayer, shul; , esnoga) is a Jewish house of worship. ... Nickname: Location of San José Canton between provinces Coordinates: , Country Province Canton San José Canton Founded circa. ... This article is about a Jewish symbol. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has seen modest growth in Costa Rica in the last 40 years and has built one of only two temples in Central America in the San Antonio de Belen region of Heredia. For other uses, see Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (disambiguation). ... Events Roman Empire Caligula embarks on a campaign to conquer Britain, and fails miserably. ... The Salt Lake Temple, operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is the best-known Mormon temple. ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ... Heredia is a city in north-central Costa Rica, the capital of Heredia Province. ...

Language

Main article: Languages of Costa Rica

See also: Central American Spanish

The only official language is Spanish. There are two main accents native to Costa Rica, the standard Costa Rican and the Nicoyan. The Nicoyan accent is very similar to the standard Nicaraguan accent due, in part, to its vicinity and the annexation of the Partido de Nicoya to Costa Rica in 1824. A notable Costa Rican pronunciation difference includes a soft initial and double [r] phoneme that is not trilled as in most of the Spanish speaking world.^[25]. The official and predominant language of Costa Rica is Spanish; the variety spoken there is a form of Central American Spanish. ... This FSLN logo is an example of the voseo form used in Nicaraguan media. ... The Partido de Nicoya was a major part of what is now the Guanacaste province in Costa Rica. ...

Jamaican immigrants in the 19th Century brought with them a dialect of English that has evolved into the Mekatelyu creole dialect. Mekatelyu (or mek-a-tél-yu, Limonese Creole) is a creole language spoken in the province of Limón on the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica. ...

Marriage

Because Roman Catholicism is the official state religion, only that church's marriages are legally recognized by the government. Any persons wishing to wed outside of the Catholic church must hire a lawyer who will perform and then register their civil wedding for them.

Culture

Inside of the Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica, the Costa Rican national theatre.

Main article: 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 phrase "Pura Vida" (literally "Pure Life") is a ubiquitous motto in Costa Rica. Some youth use mae, a contraction of "maje" (mae means "guy/dude"), to refer to each other, although this might be perceived as insulting to those of an older generation; maje was a synonym for "tonto" (stupid, ass). ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1944x2592, 1370 KB) The inside of the Teatro National de Costa Rica, the Costa Rican national theatre. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1944x2592, 1370 KB) The inside of the Teatro National de Costa Rica, the Costa Rican national theatre. ... Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica (The national theatre of Costa Rica) opened to the public on October 21, 1897 with a performace of Faust. ... Costa Rican culture is influenced by a fusion of indigenous (especially Mesoamerican) and European culture. ... Tico is a colloquial name for the natives of Costa Rica. ... -1... For other uses, see Motto (disambiguation). ...

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. This article is about the culture area. ... For the Spanish language as spoken in Mexico, see Mexican Spanish. ... Conquistador (meaning Conqueror in the Spanish language) is the term used to refer to the soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under Spanish rule between the 15th and 17th centuries. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The Atlantic coast, meanwhile, was populated with African workers during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Most afro Costa Ricans, 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 railroad construction. Afro Costa Ricans, as the /b/tards say, is a Costa Rican that is of African desendent. ... Limon may refer to: Limón province Rafael Limon Limon, Colorado Limon, a commune in the Nièvre département, in France This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Music

Though the music of Costa Rica has achieved little international renown, Costa Rican popular music genres include: an indigenous calypso scene which is distinct from the more widely-known Trinidadian calypso sound audience that supports nightclubs in cities like San José. American and British rock and roll and pop are popular and common among the youth (especially urban youth) while dance-oriented genres like soca, salsa, merengue, cumbia and Tex-Mex have an appeal among the somewhat older audience. Though its music has achieved little international renown, Costa Rican popular music genres include an indigenous calypso scene which is distinct from the more widely-known Trinidadian calypso sound, as well as a thriving disco audience that supports nightclubs in cities like San José. American and British rock and roll... Calypso might refer to one of several things: Calypso is the name of a sea nymph in Greek mythology; Calypso music is a style of Caribbean folk music; Calypso is the name of an album sung by Harry Belafonte; Calypso is the name of a moon of Saturn; 53 Kalypso... Trinidad (Spanish, Trinity) most commonly refers to the larger island of the nation Trinidad and Tobago, the subject of this article. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... For other uses, see Pop music (disambiguation). ... See: Soca River (pronounced Socha River), ( Slovenian original reka Soča). ... Salsa music is a diverse and predominantly Spanish Caribbean genre that is popular across Latin America and among Latinos abroad. ... Merengue can mean either: A style of music from Hispainolia based from either Domininican or Haitian origin [1][2]  ; see merengue music See also Méringue, style of music. ... Monument to the dance and music of cumbia in El Banco. ... Tejano (Spanish for Texan) or Tex-Mex[1] music is the name given to various forms of folk and popular music originating among the Hispanic-descended Tejanos of Central and South Texas. ...

Education

Second graders working in Centro Educativo Linda Vista de Santa Rosa, Guanacaste.

Main article: Education in Costa Rica

The literacy rate in Costa Rica is of 96% (CIA World Factbook, February 2007), 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. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 893 KB) Taken by self. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 893 KB) Taken by self. ... Guanacaste is a province of Costa Rica. ... Second graders working in Centro Educativo Linda Vista de Santa Rosa, Guanacaste. ... Primary or elementary education is the first years of formal, structured education that occurs during childhood. ... For other uses, see High school (disambiguation). ... // Public spending on education in 2005 Public education is education mandated for or offered to the children of the general public by the government, whether national, regional, or local, provided by an institution of civil government, and paid for, in whole or in part, by taxes. ...

There are only a few schools in Costa Rica that go beyond the 11th grade. Those schools that finish at 11th grade receive a Costa Rican Bachillerato Diploma accredited by the Costa Rican Ministry of Education.

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 208th day of the year (209th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Costa Rica

• Costa Rica at the Open Directory Project
• Costa Rica Surf Reports
• Catholic Church in Costa Rica (Spanish)

Government and administration

• Casa Presidencial (Spanish) Official presidential site.
• Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, National Biodiversity Institute.
• Las Constituciones De Costa Rica De 1821-1949 (Spanish) Costa Rican Constitution
• Costa Rica Tourist Board (English) Costa Rica Official Web Site

National anthem lyrics

• Himno Nacional de Costa Rica (Spanish) National Anthem Lyrics

Travel & tourism

• Costa Rica travel guide from Wikitravel