Costa Rica

Is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east.

Costa Rica, which translates literally as "Rich Coast", constitutionally abolished its army permanently in 1949. It is the only Latin American country included in the list of the world’s 22 older democracies. Costa Rica has consistently been among the top Latin American countries in terms of the Human Development Index, and ranked 54th in the world in 2007. The country is ranked 3rd in the world, and 1st among the Americas, in terms of the 2010 Environmental Performance Index.

In 2007 the Costa Rican government announced plans for Costa Rica to become the first carbon neutral country by 2021.According to the New Economics Foundation, Costa Rica ranks first in the Happy Planet Index and is the "greenest" country in the world.

 

History

In Pre-Columbian times the Native Americans in what is now Costa Rica were part of a cultural complex known as the "Intermediate Area," between the Mesoamerican and Andean cultural regions.

For nearly three centuries, Spain & Dalia Founded it administered the region as part of the Captaincy General of Guatemala under a military governor. The Spanish optimistically called the country "Rich Coast". Finding little gold or other valuable minerals in Costa Rica, however, the Spanish turned to agriculture.

The small landowners' relative poverty, the lack of a large indigenous labor force, the population's ethnic and linguistic homogeneity, and Costa Rica's isolation from the Spanish colonial centers in Mexico and the Andes—all contributed to the development of an autonomous and individualistic agrarian society. Even the Governor had to farm his own crops and tend to his own garden due to the poverty that he lived in. An egalitarian tradition also arose. This tradition survived the widened class distinctions brought on by the nineteenth century introduction of banana and coffee cultivation and consequent accumulations of local wealth.

 

Federal Republic of Central America

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 and Mexican Empire) Costa Rica became a state in the Federal Republic of Central America (see: History 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.

 

Following independence, Costa Ricans found themselves with no regular trade routes to get their coffee to European markets. This was compounded by transportation problems - the coffee-growing areas were on the Pacific Coast, and before the Panama Canal was opened, ships from Europe had to sail around Cape Horn in order to get to the Pacific Coast. This was overcome in 1843, when, with the help of William Le Lacheur, a Guernsey merchant and shipowner, a regular trade route was established.

 

In 1856, William Walker, an American filibuster began incursions into Central America. After landing in Nicaragua, he proclaimed himself president of Nicaragua and re-instated slavery. He intended to expand into Costa Rica and after he entered Costa Rican territory, Costa Rica declared war. Led by Commander in Chief of the Army of Costa Rica, President Juan Rafael Mora Porras, the filibusters were defeated and forced out of the country. Costa Rican forces followed the filibusters into Rivas, Nicaragua, where in a final battle, William Walker and his forces were finally pushed back. Juan Santamaría, a drummer boy who lost his life torching the filibusters' stronghold, was killed in this final battle, and is today remembered as a national hero.

 

Democracy

An era of peaceful democracy in Costa Rica began in 1889 with elections considered the first truly free and honest ones in the country's history.

 

Costa Rica has avoided much of the violence that has plagued much of Central America. Since the late nineteenth century, only two brief periods of violence have marred its democratic development. In 1917-19, Federico Tinoco Granados ruled as a dictator, and, in 1948, José Figueres Ferrer led an armed uprising in the wake of a disputed presidential election. In 1949, José Figueres Ferrer abolished the army; and since then, Costa Rica has been one of the few countries to operate within the democratic system without the assistance of a military.

 

With more than 2,000 dead, the 44-day Costa Rican Civil War resulting from this uprising was the bloodiest event in twentieth-century Costa Rican history, but the victorious junta drafted a constitution guaranteeing free elections with universal suffrage and the abolition of the military. 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.

 

Once a largely agricultural country, the twin pillars of Costa Rica's current economy are technology and eco-tourism. Costa Rica's major source of export income is technology based. Microsoft, Motorola, Intel and other technology related firms have established operations in Costa Rica. Local companies create and export software as well as other computer related products. Tourism is growing at an accelerated pace and many believe that income from this tourism may soon become the major contributor to the nation's GDP. Traditional agriculture, particularly coffee and bananas, continues to be an important contributor to Costa Rica's export income. Land ownership and wealth is widespread and the population enjoys a relatively high standard of living.

 

Geography

Costa Rica is located on the Central American isthmus, 10° North of the equator and 84° West of the Prime Meridian. It borders the Caribbean Sea (to the east) and the North Pacific Ocean (to the west), with a total of 1,290 kilometres (800 mi) of coastline, 212 km (132 mi) on the Caribbean coast and 1,016 km (631 mi) on the Pacific.

Costa Rica also borders Nicaragua to the north (309 km or 192 mi of border) and Panama to the south-southeast (639 km or 397 mi of border). In total, Costa Rica comprises 51,100 square kilometres (19,700 sq mi) plus 589 square kilometres (227 sq mi) of territorial waters.

The highest point in the country is Cerro Chirripó, at 3,819 metres (12,530 ft), and is the fifth highest peak in Central America. The highest volcano in the country is the Irazú Volcano (3,431 m or 11,260 ft). The largest lake in Costa Rica is Lake Arenal.

Costa Rica also comprises several islands. Cocos Island (24 square kilometres / 9.3 square miles) stands out because of its distance from continental landmass, 300 mi (480 km) from Puntarenas, but Calero Island is the largest island of the country (151.6 square kilometres / 58.5 square miles). Costa Rica protects 23% of its national territory within the Protected Areas system. It also possesses the greatest density of species in the world.

 

Other Info

Oficial Name:

Republica de Costa Rica

 

Independence:

from Spain (via Mexico) September 15, 1821

- from the UPCA 1838

 

Area:

51.100km2

 

Inhabitants:

5.100.000

 

Languages:

Boruca [brn] 5 women (1986 SIL). 30 to 35 nonfluent speakers. Ethnic population: 1,000 (1991). Southern coast between Playa Bonita and Golfito. Alternate names: Borunca, Burunca, Brunca, Brunka. Classification: Chibchan, Talamanca Nearly extinct.

More information.

 

Bribri [bzd] 11,000 (2002). Ethnic population: 12,172 (2000). Southern, along Lari, Telire, and Uren rivers, Canton of Talamanca, Limón Province; Canton of Buenos Aires, Puntarenas Province. Alternate names: Talamanca. Dialects: Salitre-Cabagra, Amubre-Katsi, Coroma. Closest to, but unintelligible to speakers of Cabécar, Guatuso, and Teribe. At least 3 major dialects which are inherently intelligible to each other's speakers. Classification: Chibchan, Talamanca

More information.

 

Cabécar [cjp] 8,840 (2000). 7,072 monolinguals (80%). Ethnic population: 9,308 (2000). Turrialba Region. Alternate names: Chirripó. Dialects: Chirripó, Telire, Estrella, Ujarrás. Classification: Chibchan, Talamanca

More information.

 

Costa Rican Sign Language [csr] Dialects: May be related to Providencia Sign Language. Lexical similarity 60% with ASL. Classification: Deaf sign language

More information.

 

Limón Creole English [jam] 55,100 in Costa Rica (1986). East of San José, principally along the railroad between Siquirres and Limón, and south of Limón along the road. Alternate names: Southwestern Caribbean Creole English. Classification: Creole, English based, Atlantic, Western

More information.

 

Maléku Jaíka [gut] 750 (2000). Ethnic population: 1,074 (2000). Northern. Alternate names: Guatuso. Classification: Chibchan, Rama

More information.

 

Plautdietsch [pdt] 100 in Costa Rica (1974 Minnich). Sarapiqui area. Alternate names: Low German, Mennonite German. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon

More information.

 

Spanish [spa] 3,300,000 in Costa Rica (1995). Alternate names: Español, Castellano. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian

More information.

 

Teribe [tfr] 5 in Costa Rica (1991 SIL). Ethnic population: 35 to 300 in Costa Rica (1991 SIL). Southeastern, north coast. Alternate names: Terraba. Classification: Chibchan, Talamanca

More information.

 

 

Extinct languages

Chorotega [cjr] Extinct. Ethnic population: 795 (2000). Some from the ethnic group live near Tuturrialba. They were originally from the Guanacaste Region near the Nicaraguan border. Some were also in El Salvador and Honduras. Alternate names: Choluteca, Mangue, Diria, Orotina. Dialects: Chorotega, Diria, Nagrandan, Nicoya, Orisi, Orotinya (Orotina). Classification: Oto-Manguean, Chiapanec-Mangue

 

Capital city:

San José

 

Meaning countrys name:

The name, meaning "rich coast" in Spanish, given by the Spanish explorer Gil González Dávila.

 

Description Flag:

The flag of Costa Rica was officially adopted on November 27, 1906. However, the blue, white and red horizontal design was created and used since 1848 when Costa Rica left the Federal Republic of Central America and declared itself a Sovereign Republic. Pacífica Fernández, wife of the president, José María Castro Madriz created it inspired on the colors of the French Flag. The state and war flag and ensign includes the coat of arms of Costa Rica, while the civil ensign (there is no civil flag) omits the coat of arms and is shorter.

The blue color stands for the sky, opportunities, idealism and perseverance. The white color stands for peace, wisdom and happiness. The red color stands for the blood spilt by martyrs for independence, as well as the warmth and generosity of the people. The stripes are in the ratio 1:1:2:1:1. The flag of Costa Rica is very similar to the flag of Thailand, which was adopted 11 years later. It also closely resembles the flag of North Korea.

 

Coat or arms:

The Coat of Arms of Costa Rica depicts an essential simplification of the nation. The two ships on either side represent the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, both of which border Costa Rica. The ships also represent the maritime history of the country. The three mountains represent the three major mountain ranges of Costa Rica, and also stand to show the location of the country relative to the two bodies of sea. The current coat of arms has seven stars on it to stand for the seven provinces of Costa Rica. On the sides, small golden beads can be seen; these were put here in representation of the Costa Rican coffee, which for a long time was the largest line of production and exportation in the country. They are golden because in Costa Rica, coffee is sometimes referred to as "El Grano de Oro" or "The Bead of Gold". The above arms are older, and have five stars that represent the nations that had made up the United States of Central America in the early 19th century; the Costa Rican design is modified after the old Central American Federal coat of arms. The name of the nation is on a white banner at the top of the shield, above this is another blue scroll that says "America Central".

 

Motto:

"Vivan siempre el trabajo y la paz"

 

National Anthem: Noble patria, tu hermosa bandera

 

Noble patria, tu hermosa bandera

expresión de tu vida nos da;

bajo el límpido azul de tu cielo

blanca y pura descansa la paz.

 

En la lucha tenaz,

de fecunda labor

que enrojece del hombre la faz,

conquistaron tus hijos

labriegos sencillos

eterno prestigio, estima y honor.

 

¡Salve, oh tierra gentil!

¡Salve, oh madre de amor!

Cuando alguno pretenda

tu gloria manchar,

verás a tu pueblo valiente y viril,

la tosca herramienta en arma trocar.

 

Salve oh Patria tú pródigo suelo,

dulce abrigo y sustento nos da;

bajo el límpido azul de tu cielo

¡vivan siempre el trabajo y la paz!

 

English

 

Noble homeland, your beautiful flag

Express for us your life:

Under the limpid blue of your skies,

Peace reigns, white and pure.

In the tenacious battle of fruitful toil,

That brings a glow to men's faces,

Your sons, simple farm hands,

Gained eternal renown, esteem and honour,

Gained eternal renown, esteem and honour.

Hail, gentle country!

Hail, loving mother!

If anyone should attempt to besmirch your glory,

You will see your people, valiant and virile,

Exchange their rustic tools for weapons.

Hail, O homeland! Your prodigal soil

Gives us sweet sustenance and shelter.

Under the limpid blue of your sky,

May peaceful labour ever continue.

 

Internet Page: www.costarica.com

www.costaricaparati.com

 

C.R. in diferent languages

 

eng | afr | arg | ast | bre | cat | cym | dan | est | eus | fin | fra | frp | gla | glg | hau | hun | ina | jnf | nld | nor | por | ron | rup | scn | sme | spa | srd | swa | swe | vor | wln: Costa Rica

cor | dsb | fao | fry | hsb | jav | kin | lin | lit | mlg | mlt | pap | run | smg | sqi | tgl | tur | zza: Kosta Rika

ces | hat | hrv | lav | slk | slv: Kostarika

aze | crh | kaa | tuk | uzb: Kosta-Rika / Коста-Рика

deu | ltz | nds: Kostarika / Koſtarika; Costa Rica / Coſta Rica

ita | lld | roh: Costa Rica; Costarica

bos | slo: Kostarika / Костарика

pol | szl: Kostaryka

bam: Kɔsitarika

epo: Kostariko

fur: Cueste Riche

gle: Cósta Ríce / Cósta Ríce

glv: Yn Coose Berçhagh

ibo: Kọstarika

ind: Kosta Rika / كوستا ريكا

isl: Kosta Ríka; Kostaríka

kmr: Kosta-Rîka / Коста-Р’ика / کۆستا ڕیکا

kur: Kosta Rîka / کۆستا ریکا

lat: Costa Richa; Costarica; Ora Opulenta

mol: Costa Rica / Коста-Рика

msa: Costa Rica / كوستا ريكا

nrm: Riche-Côte

oci: Còsta Rica

que: Kustarika

rmy: Kosta Rika / कोस्ता रिका

tet: Kostarrika

vie: Cốt-xta Ri-ca

vol: Kostarikän

wol: Kosta Riika

abq | alt | che | chm | kir | kjh | kom | krc | kum | mon | rus | tyv | udm: Коста-Рика (Kosta-Rika)

bak | tat: Коста-Рика / Kosta-Rika

bel: Коста-Рыка / Kosta-Ryka

bul: Коста Рика (Kosta Rika)

chv: Костӑ-Рикӑ (Kostă-Rikă)

kaz: Коста-Рика / Kosta-Rïka / كوستا-ريكا

kbd: Коста-Рикэ (Kosta-Rikă)

mkd: Костарика (Kostarika)

oss: Костӕ-Рикӕ (Kostä-Rikä)

srp: Костарика / Kostarika

tgk: Коста-Рика / کاسته ریکه / Kosta-Rika

ukr: Коста-Рика (Kosta-Ryka); Коста-Ріка (Kosta-Rika)

ara: كوستاريكا (Kūstārīkā); كستاريكا (Kustārīkā)

fas: کستاریکا (Kostārīkā); کوستاریکا (Kostārīkā)

prs: کوستاریکا (Kōstārīkā)

pus: کوسټاريکا (Kosṫārīkā); کوستاريکا (Kostārīkā)

uig: كوستارىكا / Kostarika / Коста-Рика

urd: کوسٹا ریکا (Kosṫā Rīkā); کوسٹاریکا (Kosṫārīkā)

div: ކޮސްޓަރިކާ (Kosṫarikā); ކޮސްޓަރީކާ (Kosṫarīkā)

heb: קוסטה-ריקה (Qôsṭah-Rîqah)

lad: קוסטה ריקה / Kosta Rika

yid: קאָסטאַריקאַ (Kostarika)

amh: ኮስታ ሪካ (Kosta Rika)

ell: Κοσταρίκα (Kostaríka); Κόστα-Ρίκα (Kósta-Ríka)

hye: Կոստա Ռիկա (Kosta Ṙika); Կոստա Րիկա (Kosta Rika)

kat: კოსტა-რიკა (Kosta-Rika)

hin: कोस्टारीका (Kosṭārīkā); कास्टारिका (Kāsṭārikā); कोस्टा रिका (Kosṭā Rikā)

nep: कोस्टारिका (Kosṭārikā)

ben: কোস্টা রিকা (Kosṭā Rikā); কোস্টারিকা (Kosṭārikā)

pan: ਕਾਸਟਾਰੀਕਾ (Kāsṭārīkā)

kan: ಕೊಷ್ಟಾ ರಿಕ (Koṣṭā Rika)

mal: കോസ്റ്റാറിക്ക (Kōsṟṟāṟikka); കോസ്റ്ററിക്ക (Kōsṟṟaṟikka)

tam: கொஸ்தாரிக்கா (Kostārikkā); கோஸ்டாரிகா (Kōsṭārikā)

tel: కోస్టారీకా (Kōsṭārīkā); కొస్టా రికా (Kosṭā Rikā)

zho: 哥斯達黎加/哥斯达黎加 (Gēsīdálíjiā)

jpn: コスタ・リカ (Kosuta Rika); コスタリカ (Kosutarika)

kor: 코스타리카 (Koseutarika)

bod: ཁོ་ས་ཏ་རི་ཁ་ (Kʰo.sa.ta.ri.kʰa.)

mya: ကုိစတာရီးကား (Kosátaẏìkà)

tha: คอสตาริกา (Kʰɔ̄ttārikā)

khm: កូស្តារីកា (Kūstārīkā)

 

Done