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| {{Infobox Country | |||
| |conventional_long_name = Republic of Costa Rica | |||
| |native_name = República de Costa Rica | |||
| |common_name = Costa Rica | |||
| |image_flag = Flag of Costa Rica (state).svg | |||
| |image_coat =Coat_of_arms_of_Costa_Rica.svg | |||
| |image_map = LocationCostaRica.svg | |||
| |national_anthem = '']''{{spaces|2}}<small>{{es icon}}<br/>"Noble homeland, your beautiful flag"</small> | |||
| |official_languages = ] | |||
| |regional_languages = ] | |||
| |ethnic_groups = 94% Primarily of European descent (], ] and ])<br /> 3% ]<br> 1% ]<br />1% ]<br> 1% Other | |||
| |demonym = ] | |||
| |capital = ] | |||
| |latd=9 |latm=55 |latNS=N |longd=84 |longm=4 |longEW=W | |||
| |largest_city = ] | |||
| |government_type = ]<br><small>(])<small> | |||
| |leader_title1 = ] | |||
| |leader_name1 = ] (]) | |||
| |leader_title2 = ] | |||
| |leader_name2 = ] | |||
| |area_rank = 128th | |||
| |area_magnitude = 1 E10 | |||
| |area_km2 = 51,100 | |||
| |area_sq_mi = 19,730 <!--Do not remove per ]--> | |||
| |percent_water = 0.7 | |||
| |population_estimate = 4,133,884 | |||
| |population_estimate_rank = 119th | |||
| |population_estimate_year = July 2007 | |||
| |population_census_year = 2000 | |||
| |population_density_km2 = 85 | |||
| |population_density_sq_mi = 220 <!--Do not remove per ]--> | |||
| |population_density_rank = 107th | |||
| |GDP_PPP = $56.777 billion | |||
| |GDP_PPP_rank = 84th | |||
| |GDP_PPP_year = 2006 | |||
| |GDP_PPP_per_capita = $12,000 | |||
| |GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 62nd | |||
| |Gini = 49.9 | |||
| |Gini_year = 2001 | |||
| |Gini_category = <font color="#e0584e">high</font> | |||
| |sovereignty_type = ] | |||
| |established_event1 = {{nowrap|from ] (via ])}} | |||
| |established_date1 = ] ] | |||
| |established_event2 = from the ] | |||
| |established_date2 = 1838 | |||
| |HDI = {{increase}} 0.846 | |||
| |HDI_rank = 48th | |||
| |HDI_year = 2007 | |||
| |HDI_category = <font color="#009900">high</font> | |||
| |HPI = 8th | |||
| |HPI_year = 2004 | |||
| |currency = ] | |||
| |currency_code = CRC | |||
| |country_code = | |||
| |time_zone = | |||
| |utc_offset = -6 | |||
| |time_zone_DST = | |||
| |utc_offset_DST = | |||
| |cctld = ] | |||
| |calling_code = 506 | |||
| |footnotes = | |||
| }} | |||
| '''Costa Rica''', officially the ''' Republic of Costa Rica ''' (]: ''Costa Rica'' or ''República de Costa Rica'', {{IPAes|re̞ˈpuβ̞lika ð̞e̞ ˈko̞sta ˈrika}}), is a ] in ], bordered by ] to the north, ] to the east and south, the ] to the west and south and the ] to the east. Costa Rica was the first country in the world to constitutionally ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elespiritudel48.org/docu/h013.htm|author=El Espíritu del 48|title=Abolición del Ejército|accessdate=2008-03-09}} (Spanish)</ref> Among ]n countries, Costa Rica ranks 4th in terms of the 2007 ], and 48th worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|title=Table 1: Human development index |url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/hdr_20072008_en_indicator_tables.pdf|accessdate=2008-03-09| author=UNPD Human Development Report 2007/2008|format=PDF}}</ref> Costa Rica is ranked 5th in the world in terms of the 2008 ], up from the 15th place in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|title=Switzerland Tops 2008 Environmental Scorecard at World Economic Forum|url=http://www.yale.edu/opa/newsr/08-01-23-04.all.html|accessdate=2008-03-09| author=Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy / Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University}}</ref><ref name = "dqvkdj">{{cite web |title=Environmental Performance Index 2008, Metrics for Costa Rica|url=http://epi.yale.edu/CostaRica|accessdate=2008-03-09 | |||
| |author=Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy / Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University}}</ref> In 2007 the government of Costa Rica stated that they want Costa Rica to be the first country to become ] by 2021.<ref>{{cite news | title= Costa Rica Aims to Be a Carbon-Neutral Nation | url =http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19141333 | accessdate = 2008-02-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title= Costa Rica Aims to Become First "Carbon Neutral" Country | url =http://www.worldwatch.org/node/4958 | accessdate = 2008-02-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title= País quiere ser primera nación con balance neutro de carbono | url =http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2007/febrero/21/aldea1002694.html | accessdate = 2008-02-18 | language = Spanish}}</ref> | |||
| ==History== | |||
| {{Main|History of Costa Rica}} | |||
| In ] times the ], in what is now known as Costa Rica, were part of the international ] located between the ] and ] cultural regions. This has recently been updated to include the influence of the ] area. It was the point where the Mesoamerican and South American native cultures met. | |||
| The northwest of the country, the ], was the southernmost point of ] (named after Nitin) cultural influence when the ] conquerors (]) came in the ]. The central and southern portions of the country had ] influences. However, the indigenous people have influenced modern Costa Rican ] to a relatively small degree, as most of these died from diseases such as ]<ref></ref> and mistreatment by the Spaniards. | |||
| The first European to reach what is now Costa Rica was ] in 1502.<ref> Accessed on Nov 22, 2007.</ref> During ] times, the largest city in ] was ]. 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 ] ("]"). While this isolation allowed the ] 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 ].<ref>{{cite news | title= A Brief History of Costa Rica: Colonial Times | url =http://www.horizontes.com/en/history.html | accessdate = 2007-12-21}}</ref> Costa Rica was described as "the poorest and most miserable Spanish colony in all Americas" by a Spanish governor in 1719.<ref>{{cite book |author=Shafer, D. Michael |title=Winners and losers: how sectors shape the developmental prospects of states |publisher=Cornell University Press |location=Ithaca, N.Y |year=1994 |pages= |isbn=0-8014-8188-0 |oclc= |doi=}}</ref> | |||
| Another contributing factor to this poverty was the lack of indigenous people used as ]. While many Spaniards in the other colonies had tribal members working on their land, most of the Costa Rican settlers had to work on their own land themselves. For all these reasons Costa Rica was by and large unappreciated and overlooked by the ] 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 indigenous class. It was not long before ] settlers turned to the hills, where they found rich volcanic soil and a ] that was milder than that of the lowlands.<ref></ref> | |||
| 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 ] Costa Rica became a state in the ] from 1823 to 1839. In 1824 the capital was moved to ], but due to an intense rivalry with ], violence briefly ensued. 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 membership in the newly formed Federal Republic of Central America, now free of Spanish rule, was short lived; 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 ] 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 ]. | |||
| ] | |||
| Most Afro-Costa Ricans, who constitute about 3% of the country's population, descend from ]n ] who arrived during the 1880s to work in the ] of ]s connecting the urban populations of the Central Plateau to the port of ] on the Caribbean coast.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title= Blacks of Costa Rica | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.everyculture.com/Middle-America-Caribbean/Blacks-of-Costa-Rica.html | work =World Culture Encyclopedia | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-23 | language = }}</ref> ] ] and ] immigrants also participated in the construction project, conducted by US businessman ]. 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 ]s and export them to the United States. As a result, bananas came to rival coffee as the principal Costa Rican ], while foreign-owned ]s (including the ]) began to hold a major role in the national economy. | |||
| Historically, Costa Rica has generally enjoyed greater ] and more consistent political stability compared with many of its fellow Latin American nations. Since the late nineteenth century, however, Costa Rica has experienced two significant periods of ]. In 1917-19, ] ruled as a dictator until he was overthrown and forced into ]. Again in 1948, ] led an armed uprising in the wake of a disputed presidential election. With more than 2,000 dead, the resulting 44-day ] was the bloodiest event in Costa Rican history during the twentieth-century. Afterwards, the new, victorious government ], led by the opposition, abolished the military and oversaw the drafting of a new constitution by a democratically-elected assembly. Having enacted these reforms, the regime finally relinquished its power on ] ] to the new democratic government. After the ], Figueres became a national hero, winning the country's first democratic election under the new constitution in 1953. Since then, Costa Rica has held 12 presidential elections, the latest being in 2006. All of them have been widely regarded by the international community as peaceful, transparent, and relatively smooth transitions. | |||
| ==Geography== | |||
| {{main|Geography of Costa Rica}} | |||
| ] | |||
| {{seealso|List of volcanoes in Costa Rica|Islands of Costa Rica|Category:Waterfalls of Costa Rica}} | |||
| Costa Rica is located on the Central American ], 10° North of the ] and 84° West of the ]. It borders both the Caribbean Sea (to the east) and the ] (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 ] 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 ] and the ] located near the city of Turrialba about two 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. | |||
| 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 ]) plus 589.000 square kilometers of ]. | |||
| The highest point in the country is ], at 3,820 metres (12,532 ft), and is the fifth highest peak in Central America. The highest volcano in the country is the ] (3,431 m / 11,257 ft). The largest lake in Costa Rica is ]. | |||
| Costa Rica also comprises several islands. ] stands out because of its distance from continental landmass (24 km² / 9.25 sq mi, {{convert|300|mi|km|abbr=on}} from ] coast), but ] is the largest island of the country (151.6 km² / 58.5 sq mi). | |||
| Costa Rica protects 23% of its national territory within the ]. It also possesses the greatest density of species in the world.<ref></ref> | |||
| ==Politics== | |||
| {{main|Politics of Costa Rica}} {{seealso|Military of Costa Rica}} | |||
| Costa Rica is a democratic ] with a strong ]. Although there are claims that the country has had more than 115 years of uninterrupted democracy,<ref>{{cite web|title=Costa Rica|url=http://www.yci.org/html/programs/countries/costarica.asp|publisher=Youth Challenge International|year=2005|accessdate=2008-02-18}}</ref> their ] history shows otherwise (see ]). 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 been able to avoid the widespread ] that has plagued most of ]. | |||
| Costa Rica is a republic with three powers: executive responsibilities are vested in a ], legislative power is vested on the ], and Judicial power is vested on the Supreme Court. There also are two ]s as well as a ] designated by the ]. The president, vice presidents, and fifty-seven ] ]s are elected for four-year terms. A ] 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 Supreme Electoral Body, the Office of the Comptroller General, the Office of the Procurator General of the Republic and the Office of the Ombudsman also enjoy a lot of independence. | |||
| The Supreme Court is divided into 4 chambers, one dealing with Constitutional Law, one dealing with Criminal Law and two dealing with Civil Law, Merchant Law and the like. | |||
| In April 2003, the ] ban on presidential re-election was reversed, allowing ] (] laureate, 1987) to run for President for a second term. In 2006, ] was re-elected in a tight and highly contested election, running on a platform of promoting ]. He took office on ], ]. | |||
| Certain autonomous state agencies enjoy considerable operational independence; they include the ] and ] ], the nationalized ]s, the state ] monopoly, and the ] agency. Costa Rica has no military by constitution. | |||
| == Provinces, cantons, and districts == | |||
| ] | |||
| {{main|Provinces of Costa Rica|Cantons of Costa Rica|Districts of Costa Rica}} | |||
| Costa Rica is composed of seven provinces, which in turn are divided into 81 cantons ("cantón" in Spanish, plural "cantones"), each of which is directed by a mayor. Mayors are chosen democratically every four years by each canton's people. There are no provincial ]s. The cantons are further divided into districts (''distritos''). The provinces are: | |||
| # ] | |||
| # ] | |||
| # ] | |||
| # ] | |||
| # ] | |||
| # ] | |||
| # ] | |||
| ==Economy== | |||
| ] microprocessor facility in Costa Rica is responsible for 20% of Costa Rican exports and 4.9% of the country's ].]] | |||
| ] valley.]] | |||
| {{main|Economy of Costa Rica}} | |||
| According to the ], Costa Rica's GDP per capita is ]13,500 ] (2007 estimate); however, this ] still faces the fourth highest ] rate in Latin America, lack of maintenance and new investment in infrastructure, over 16% of the people were below the ] line (2006 estimate) and a 5.5% ] (2007 estimate).<ref name="CIAEC">{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Rank Order - Inflation rate (consumer prices) | date= | publisher= | url =https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cs.html | work =CIA World Factbook | pages = | accessdate = 2008-02-14 | language = }}</ref> The Costa Rican economy grew nearly 5% in 2006 after experiencing four years of slow economic growth.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Costa Rica: Economy | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2019.htm | work =U.S. State Department | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-02 | language = }}</ref> Costa Rica is also the ] pioneer in the implementation of a modern ]. Its welfare spending is as high as that of ] countries. | |||
| The central government offers ]s for those who are willing to invest in the country. Several global high tech corporations have already started developing in the area ] goods including chip manufacturer ], pharmaceutical company ], and consumer products company ]. In 2006 ]'s microprocessor facility alone was responsible for 20% of Costa Rican exports and 4.9% of the country's ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eleconomista.es/empresas-finanzas/noticias/81837/10/06/Intel-supone-el-49-por-ciento-del-PIB-de-Costa-Rica.html |title=Intel supone el 4,9 por ciento del PIB de Costa Rica|date=2006-10-06|publisher=El Economista|accessdate=2008-04-13|language=Spanish }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lavanguardia.es/premium/publica/publica?COMPID=53410660334&ID_PAGINA=22088&ID_FORMATO=9&turbourl=false|title=Intel fabrica el procesador "más veloz del mundo" en Costa Rica|date=2007-11-13|publisher=La Vanguardia|accessdate=2008-04-13|language=Spanish }}</ref> Trade with ] and ] has boomed during 2004 and 2005, and the country is expected to obtain full ] (APEC) membership by 2007 (the country became an observer in 2004). | |||
| For the ] 2005, the country showed a government ] of 2.1%, ] increased an 18%, and exports increased a 12.8%. Revised economic figures released by the ] indicate that ] stood at 5%, nevertheless the country faced high ] (14%) and a ] of 5.2%. As of 2007, Costa Rica's inflation rate stands at 9.30%, Latin Americas 4th highest inflation rate.<ref name="CIAEC"/> | |||
| In recent times ], ], financial outsourcing, software development, and ] have become the prime industries in Costa Rica's ]. High levels of ] among its residents make the country an attractive ] location. Since 1999, ] earns more foreign exchange than the combined exports of the country's three main ]: ], ] and ].<ref name="ICT2006">{{cite web|author=Departamento de Estadísticas ICT |url=http://www.visitcostarica.com/ict/backoffice/treeDoc/files/Anuario%20de%20Turismo%202006%20(VERSION%20FINAL).pdf|title=Anuário Estadísticas de Demanda 2006|publisher=Intituto Costarricense de Turismo|year=2006|language=Spanish|accessdate=2008-07-29|format=PDF}} Table 44 and 45</ref> ] has played a key role in Costa Rica's history and economy, and by 2006 was the third ] export.<ref name="ICT2006"/> The largest coffee growing areas are in the provinces of ], ], ], ], and ]. Costa Rica is famous for its ] coffee beans, with Costa Rican ] among the finest ] beans in the world used for making ] coffee, together with ], ]n ] and ].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://veja.abril.com.br/300708/p_140.shtml|title=Os melhores grãos do mundo |author=] | publisher=]|date=2008-07-31 |accessdate=2008-07-29 |language=Portuguese }} Edition 2071. Print edition pp. 140</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9400E0D7173BF936A3575AC0A96F958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2|title=The World Before Starbucks |author=Betty Fussell| publisher=] |date=1999-09-05 |accessdate=2008-07-29 |language= }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE3DB153FF931A3575AC0A964958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1|title=Americans Wake Up and Smell the Coffee |author=Florence Fabricant| publisher=] |date=1992-09-02 |accessdate=2008-07-29 |language= }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ferriscoffee.com/coffee.html|title=Ferris Gourmet Coffee Beans: Single origin coffees |author=| publisher=Ferris Coffee & Nuts |date= |accessdate=2008-07-29 |language= }}</ref> | |||
| The unit of ] is the ] (]), which trades around 517<ref></ref> to the ]; currently about 800 to the ]. On ], ], a new ] system was introduced, allowing the value of the CRC colón to float between two bands as done previously by ]. 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. | |||
| Costa Rica's location provides easy access to American markets as it has the same ] as the central part of the United States and direct ocean access to ] and ]. A country wide referendum has approved a free trade agreement with the United States. In the referendum on ], ], the voters of Costa Rica narrowly backed the free trade agreement, with 51.6 percent of "Yes" votes.<ref></ref> | |||
| ===Tourism=== | |||
| ] is one of the country's main tourist attractions.]] | |||
| {{main|Tourism in Costa Rica}} | |||
| With a $1.9-billion-a-year ] industry, Costa Rica stands as the most visited nation in the Central American region, with 1.9 million foreign visitors in 2007,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2007/diciembre/19/economia1358245.html|language=Spanish|date=2007-12-19|accessdate=2008-04-13|publisher=La Nación|title=País cierra el año con llegada de 1,9 millones de turistas|author=Hassel Fallas}} Translation: Country closes year with the arrival of 1,9 million tourists</ref> which translates into a relatively high expenditure per tourist of $1000 per trip, and a rate of foreign tourists per capita of 0.46, one of the highest in the Caribbean Basin. Most of the tourists come from the ] and ] (46%), and the ] (16%).<ref name="ICT06">{{cite web|url=http://www.visitcostarica.com/ict/paginas/modEst/estudios_estadisticas.asp?idIdioma=2 |year=2006 |publisher=Instituto Costarricense de Turismo|accessdate=2008-06-06|language=Spanish|title=Informe de Encuestas IV Trimestre 2006. Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Santamaria}} 2006 Annual Survey from the Costa Rican Board of Tourism (ICT)</ref> In 2005, tourism contributed with 8.1% of the country's GNP and represented 13.3% of direct and indirect employment.<ref>{{Citation | last = Altés | first = Carmen | year = 2006 | title = El Turismo en América Latina y el Caribe y la experiencia del BID| page = 9 and 47| publisher = Inter-American Development Bank; Sustainable Development Department, Technical Paper Series ENV-149, Washington, D.C. ''available at'' http://idbdocs.iadb.org/wsdocs/getdocument.aspx?docnum=984876}}</ref> Tourism now earns more foreign exchange than bananas and coffee combined.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2004/diciembre/29/economia0.html |language=Spanish |date=2004-12-29|accessdate=2008-04-13|publisher=La Nación|title= Turismo, principal motor de la economía durante el 2004 |author=José Enrique Rojas}} </ref><ref name="ICT2006"/> | |||
| ] is extremely popular with the many tourists visiting the extensive ] and ]s around the country. Costa Rica was a pioneer in this type of tourism and the country is recognized as one of the few with real ecotourism.<ref>{{Citation | last = Honey | first = Martha | year = 1999 | title = Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Who Owns Paradise?| page = 5| publisher = Island Press; 1 edition , Washington, D.C. | id = ISBN 1559635827}}</ref> In terms of 2008 ], Costa Rica reached the 44th place in the world ranking, being the first among Latin American countries.<ref>{{Citation | authors = Jennifer Blanke and Thea Chiesa, Editors | first = | year = 2008 | url=http://www.weforum.org/pdf/CGR08/Rankings.pdf |title = The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2008| page = | publisher = World Economic Forum, Geneva, Switzerland}}</ref> Just considering the subindex measuring human, cultural, and natural resources, Costa Rica ranks in the 24th place at a worldwide level, and ranks 7th when considering only the natural resources pillar. | |||
| ==Foreign affairs== | |||
| Costa Rica is an active member of the ] and the ]. The ] and the ] are based in Costa Rica. The Costa Rican State is also a member of many other international organizations related to ] and ]. | |||
| Costa Rica's main ] 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 ], without a ] of protection for the ]-military (as covered under ]). | |||
| Costa Rica also has had a lifelong disagreement with Nicaragua, its neighboring country over the San Juan River (Rio San Juan) which denotes the border between these two countries; the disagreement originates from the fact that the river, being Nicaraguan soil, is the only way of access to several communities in Costa Rica which need to be served by armed Costa Rican police forces. | |||
| On ], ], Costa Rica broke ties with ] in ], switching to ] in ].<ref></ref> | |||
| ==Flora and fauna== | |||
| ] drying its feathers.]] | |||
| ] is Costa Rica's national bird.]] | |||
| {{seealso|Wildlife of Costa Rica|List of birds of Costa Rica}} | |||
| Costa Rica is home to a rich variety of ]s and ]s. While the country has only about 0.1% of the world's landmass, it contains 5% of the world's ].<ref name="Guardian07">{{cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2007/may/26/saturday.costarica | publisher=The Guardian |title= Shades of green |author= Leo Hickman |language= |date=2007-05-26|accessdate=2008-06-08|}}</ref><ref name= "Honey99">{{Citation | last = Honey | first = Martha | year = 1999 | title = Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Who Owns Paradise?| page = 128-181| publisher = Island Press; 1 edition , Washington, D.C. | id = ISBN 1-55963-582-7 | language=Inglés }} Chapter 5. Costa Rica: On the Beaten Path</ref> Around 25% of the country's land area is in protected ] and ]s,<ref></ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://earthtrends.wri.org/pdf_library/country_profiles/bio_cou_188.pdf | publisher= World Resources Institute |title= Biodiversity and Protected Areas - Costa Rica |author= Earth Trends |language= |year=2003 |accessdate=2008-06-08|format=PDF}}</ref> the largest percentual of protected areas in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldheadquarters.com/cr/protected_areas/ | publisher= World Headquarters|title=Costa Rica National Parks and Reserves |author= |language= |year=2007|accessdate=2008-06-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://planetasustentavel.abril.com.br/noticia/desenvolvimento/conteudo_280147.shtml?func=2 | publisher= Revista Veja|title=O desafio da economia verde |author= Leonardo Coutinho and Otávio Cabral |language=Portuguese |date=2008-05-21|accessdate=2008-06-08}} Published on website "Planeta Sustentável"</ref> | |||
| One ] that is internationally-renowned among ] for its ] (including ] and ]) and where visitors can expect to see an abundance of ] is the ].<ref></ref><ref></ref> | |||
| ] – the name ''Tortuguero'' can be translated as "Full of Turtles" – is home to ], ] and ] monkeys, the ], 320 species of ]s, and a variety of ]s, but is recognized for the annual nesting of the endangered ] and is the most important nesting site for the species. Giant ], ], and ] ]s also nest there. | |||
| The ] is home to about 2,000 ] ],<ref name = "karttv"></ref> including numerous ]s. Over four hundred types of ]s can be found here, and over one hundred species of ]s.<ref name = "karttv"/> As a whole, around eight hundred species of birds have been identified in Costa Rica. The (INBIO) is allowed to collect royalties on any biological discoveries of medical importance. | |||
| Costa Rica and parts of Panama are home to the highly endangered Red Backed Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri oerstedii) (Saimiri Wildlife). Deforestation, illegal pet-trading and hunting are the main reasons for its nearly extinct status. | |||
| ==Demographics== | |||
| {{main|Demographics of Costa Rica}} | |||
| Costa Rica has a population of 4,133,884 of which 94% are White/Castizos/Mestizos, 3% are ], 1% ], 1% ] and 1% other.<ref></ref> The exact amount, however, is not known because the Costa Rican census combines mestizos and whites in one category. The white population is primarily of ] ancestry<ref></ref> with significant numbers of Costa Ricans of ], ], ] and ] descent. | |||
| Just under 3% of the population is of black ] descent. The majority of the ]s are ]-speaking descendants of nineteenth century black ] immigrant workers, as well as slaves who were brought during the ]. | |||
| The indigenous or Amerindian population numbers around 1%, or over 41,000 individuals. In the ] a significant portion of the population descends from a bi-racial mix of local Amerindians and Spaniards. There is also an ] community of people of all ages from the ], ], ], ], ], and other countries. | |||
| Costa Rica hosts many ]s, mainly from ] and ]. As a result, an estimated 10% of the Costa Rican population is made up of ],<ref> Background Note: Costa Rica - People</ref> most of whom ] for seasonal work opportunities and then return to their country. Moreover, Costa Rica took in many refugees from a range of other ]n countries fleeing civil wars and dictatorships during the 1970s and 80s - notably from ] and ], as well as those from ] who fled from ] and government ]s.<ref>{{cite book |author=Biesanz, Karen Zubris; Biesanz, Mavis Hiltunen; Biesanz, Richard |title=The Ticos: Culture and Social Change in Costa Rica |publisher=Lynne Rienner Publishers |location=Boulder |year= |pages=118 |isbn=1-55587-737-0}}</ref> | |||
| ===Religion=== | |||
| {{main|Religion in Costa Rica}} | |||
| ] is the predominant religion in Costa Rica, and ] is the official ] as guaranteed by the ] of 1949. Some 92% of Costa Ricans are ] and like many other parts of ], ] denominations have been experiencing rapid growth. However, three in four ]s still adhere to ].<ref>[http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/central-america/costa-rica/san-jose?v=print San José Travel Guide: Overview - Lonely Planet WorldGuide<!-- Bot generated title --> | |||
| Robbie Smith (a Dutch national) | |||
| is on his way to costa Rica to "help out" be warned he may appear to be nice and innocent but that is what he wants you to think. Be warned do not trust Robbie Smith | |||
| ]</ref> | |||
| Due to the recent small but continuous immigration of communities from ], the ], and other places, other ]s have grown, the most popular being ] (because of an increasing ] community of 40,000), and smaller numbers of ], ], ] and ] adherents. | |||
| There is a ] ], the ], in ], near the La Sabana Metropolitan Park. Several homes in the neighborhood east of La Sabana Metropolitan Park are festooned with the ] and other recognizable ] symbols.<ref></ref> | |||
| ] has seen modest growth in Costa Rica in the last 40 years and has built one of only two ] in ] in the ] region of ].<ref></ref> | |||
| ===Language=== | |||
| {{main|Languages of Costa Rica}} | |||
| {{seealso|Central American Spanish}} | |||
| The only official language is ]. 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. A notable Costa Rican pronunciation difference includes a soft initial and double phoneme that is not trilled as is normal in the Spanish speaking world.<ref>The Phonemes of Costa Rican Spanish | |||
| O. L. Chavarria-Aguilar ''Language'', Vol. 27, No. 3 (Jul. - Sep., 1951), pp. 248-253</ref> | |||
| Jamaican immigrants in the 19th Century brought with them a dialect of English that has evolved into the ] creole dialect. | |||
| ===Marriage=== | |||
| Because Roman Catholicism is the official state religion, only that church's marriages are legally recognized by the government. People wishing to wed outside of the Catholic church must hire a lawyer who will perform and then register their civil wedding for them. Legal age for marriage in Costa Rica is 18. The ] is 15. | |||
| ==Culture== | |||
| ] | |||
| ], the Costa Rican national theater.]] | |||
| {{main|Culture of Costa Rica}} | |||
| {{seealso|Costa Rican cuisine}} | |||
| Costa Ricans often refer to themselves as '']'' (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!" (approximately translatable to "This is living!", literal meaning "Pure Life!" as in "Distilled life!") is a ] ] 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). | |||
| Costa Rica boasts a varied history. Costa Rica was the point where the ]n and South American native cultures met. The northwest of the country, the Nicoya peninsula, was the southernmost point of ] cultural influence when the Spanish conquerors (]) came in the sixteenth century. The center and southern portions of the country had ] influences. | |||
| The Atlantic coast, meanwhile, was populated with African workers during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Most ]s, however, derive from nineteenth-century ]n workers, brought in to work on the construction of railroads between the urban populations of the Central Plateau and the port of ] on the Caribbean coast. Italian and Chinese immigrants also arrived at this time to work on railroad construction. | |||
| ====Music==== | |||
| {{main|Music of Costa Rica}} | |||
| Costa Rican popular music genres include: American and British rock and roll, pop, reggae, and ] are popular and common among the youth (especially urban youth) while dance-oriented genres like ], ], ], ] , ] and ] The guitar is a popular instrument especially as an accompaniment to Folk dances.'' | |||
| ==Education== | |||
| {{main|Education in Costa Rica}} | |||
| ], Costa Rica. Founded in 1888.]]</br> | |||
| The literacy rate in Costa Rica is of 96% (CIA World Factbook, February 2007), one of the highest in Latin America. ] and ]s are found throughout the country in practically every community. Universal ] is guaranteed in the Constitution. Primary education is obligatory, and both preschool and high school are free. There are both state and private universities. | |||
| There are only a few schools in Costa Rica that go beyond the 12th grade. Those schools that finish at 11th grade receive a Costa Rican Bachillerato Diploma accredited by the Costa Rican Ministry of Education.<p> | |||
| ==Famous Costa Ricans== | |||
| * ] Painter. | |||
| * ], Nobel Peace Prize winner (1987) and President of the Republic (1986–1990, 2006-current). | |||
| * ], politician and social reformer. President of the Republic (1940–1944). | |||
| * ] President, supreme court justice, university founder, newspaper founder. | |||
| * ], Astronaut. | |||
| * ], National caudillo and President of the Republic (1948–1949, 1953–1958, and 1970–1974). | |||
| * ] a famed writer. | |||
| * ], Toxicologist. | |||
| * ] Olympic gold medalist. | |||
| * ] Olympic silver medalist. | |||
| * ] The official National Hero. | |||
| == International Rankings == | |||
| {{mainarticle|International rankings of Costa Rica}} | |||
| {| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto" | |||
| |- align=center | |||
| | bgcolor="#ABCDEF"| '''Index (Year)'''||bgcolor="#ABCDEF"|'''Author / Editor / Source'''||bgcolor="#ABCDEF"| '''Year of<br />publication'''|| bgcolor="#ABCDEF"| '''Countries<br />sampled'''|| bgcolor="#ABCDEF"| '''World <br /> Ranking''' <small><sup>(1)</small></sup>||bgcolor="#ABCDEF"| '''Ranking<br />L.A.'''<small><sup>(2)</small></sup> | |||
| |- | |||
| | bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|] || ]<ref name = "dqvkdj"/> || <center>2008</center> || 149 || bgcolor="#fff3f3"| '''5''' || bgcolor="#fff3f3"| <center>'''1'''</center> | |||
| |- | |||
| | bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|]<small><sup>(3)</small></sup>|| ]<ref>{{cite web|title=Table 3: Human poverty index: developing countries |url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/hdr_20072008_en_indicator_tables.pdf|accessdate=2008-03-20| author=UNPD Human Development Report 2007/2008|format=PDF}} page 240</ref> || <center>2007-08</center> || 108 || bgcolor="#fff3f3"| '''5''' ||<center>4</center> | |||
| |- | |||
| | bgcolor="#f0f0ff"| ]<small><sup>(4)</small></sup>|| ]<ref>{{cite web|title=Table 3: Human poverty index: developing countries |url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/hdr_20072008_en_indicator_tables.pdf|accessdate=2008-03-20| author=UNPD Human Development Report 2007/2008|format=PDF}} page 238-240</ref> || <center>2007-08</center> || 71 || 8 || <center>3</center> | |||
| |- | |||
| | bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|] || ]<ref>{{cite web |title=Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2007|url=http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=19387|accessdate=2008-03-13 | |||
| |author=Reporters Without Borders}}</ref>|| <center>2007</center> || 169 || 21 || bgcolor="#fff3f3"|<center>'''1'''</center> | |||
| |- | |||
| | bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|]|| ]<ref>{{cite web |title=The World in 2007, Democracy Index 2006|url=http://www.economist.com/media/pdf/DEMOCRACY_INDEX_2007_v3.pdf |accessdate=2008-03-13 | |||
| |author=The Economist Intelligence Unit|format=PDF}} </ref>|| <center>2007</center>|| 167 || 25 || bgcolor="#fff3f3"| <center>'''1'''</center> | |||
| |- | |||
| | bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|] || ]<ref>{{cite web |title=Global Peace Index Rankings|url=http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/results/rankings/|accessdate=2008-05-28 | |||
| |author=The Economist Intelligence Unit et al. (Vision of Humanity website)}}</ref>|| <center>2008</center> || 140 || 34 || <center>3</center> | |||
| |- | |||
| | bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|] || ]<ref>{{cite web |title=Pocket World in Figures 2008|url=http://www.economist.com/media/pdf/QUALITY_OF_LIFE.pdf|accessdate=2008-03-13 | |||
| |author=The Economist Intelligence Unit|format=PDF}} </ref> || <center>2007</center> || 111 || 35 || <center>3</center> | |||
| |- | |||
| | bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|] || ]<ref>{{Cite web | authors = Jennifer Blanke and Thea Chiesa, Editors | first = | year = 2008 | url=http://www.weforum.org/pdf/CGR08/Rankings.pdf |title = The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2008| author = World Economic Forum|accessdate=2008-03-09 | |||
| }} </ref> || <center>2008</center> || 130 || 44 || bgcolor="#fff3f3"|<center>'''1'''</center> | |||
| |- | |||
| | bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|]|| ]<ref>{{cite web|title=Table 1: Human development index |url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/hdr_20072008_en_indicator_tables.pdf|accessdate=2008-03-11| author=UNPD Human Development Report 2007/2008|format=PDF}}</ref> || <center>2007-08</center> || 177 || 48 || <center>4</center> | |||
| |- | |||
| | bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|] || ]<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/countries.cfm|title = Index of Economic Freedom 2008| author =The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal|accessdate=2008-03-14}} </ref> || <center>2008</center> || 162 || 49 || <center>5</center> | |||
| |- | |||
| | bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|]|| ]<ref>{{cite web|title=Global Corruption Report 2007 |url=http://www.transparency.org/publications/gcr/download_gcr|accessdate=2008-03-11| author=Transparency International}}</ref>|| <center>2007</center> || 163 || 46 || <center>3</center> | |||
| |- | |||
| | bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|] || ]<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.gcr.weforum.org/|title = The Global Competitiveness Report 2007-2008| author = World Economic Forum|accessdate=2008-03-09}}</ref> || <center>2007-08</center> || 131 || 63 || <center>4</center> | |||
| |- | |||
| | bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|]<small><sup>(5)</small></sup> || ]<ref>{{cite web|title= Inequality in income or expenditure |url= http://hdrstats.undp.org/indicators/147.html |accessdate=2008-08-05| author=UNPD Human Development Report 2007/2008}} </ref>|| <center>2007-2008</center> || 126|| 100 || <center>5</center> | |||
| |} | |||
| :<small><sup>'''(1)'''</sup> Worldwide ranking among countries evaluated. See notes (3) and (4) also</small> | |||
| :<small><sup>'''(2)'''</sup> Ranking among the 20 ] countries.</small> | |||
| :<small><sup>'''(3)'''</sup> Ranking among 108 ] with available data only.</small> | |||
| :<small><sup>'''(4)'''</sup> Ranking among 71 ] with available data only. Countries in the sample suveyed between 1990-2005. Refers to population below income poverty line as define by the ]'s $2 per day indicator</small> | |||
| :<small><sup>'''(5)'''</sup> Because the ] used for the ranking corresponds to different years depending of the country, and the underlying household surveys differ in method and in the type of data collected, the distribution data are not strictly comparable across countries. The ranking therefore is only a proxy for reference purposes.</small> | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{reflist|2}} | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| {{Commons|Costa Rica}} | |||
| *{{dmoz|Regional/Central_America/Costa_Rica}} | |||
| * {{es_icon}} | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * population, elevation, road maps, satellite photographs and more. | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| ; Government and administration | |||
| * {{es_icon}} Official presidential site. | |||
| * , National Biodiversity Institute. | |||
| * {{es_icon}} Costa Rican Constitution | |||
| * {{en_icon}} Costa Rica Official Web Site | |||
| * National Chamber of Tourism | |||
| ; National anthem lyrics | |||
| * {{es_icon}} National Anthem Lyrics | |||
| ; Travel & tourism | |||
| <!-- ******************************************************************** | |||
| Please do not place any more travel links here, or they will be removed - see Misplaced Pages policies at http://en.wikipedia.org/WP:EL or http://en.wikipedia.org/WP:SPAM. If you have a link that you REALLY think merits inclusion, please place it on the discussion page | |||
| *********************************************************** --> | |||
| * {{wikitravel|Costa Rica}} | |||
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Revision as of 20:05, 9 September 2008
hey this is a hacker and i fuckin hate u