Costa Rica is a rugged, rainforested Central American country with coastlines on the Caribbean and Pacific. Though its capital, San Jose, is home to cultural institutions like the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, Costa Rica is known for its beaches, volcanoes, and biodiversity. Roughly a quarter of its area is made up of protected jungle, teeming with wildlife including spider monkeys and quetzal birds.
It is bordered by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. The Caribbean Sea is to the east and the Pacific Ocean is to the west. Costa Rica is slightly smaller than the state of West Virginia. There are two major mountain ranges in the country: The Cordillera Volcanica and the Cordillera de Talamanca.
Key Cities
Key cities in Costa Rica include: San Jose, Puerto Limon, Alajuela, Heredia, Cinco Esquinas, Desamparados, Liberia, Puntarenas, San Vicente, Barranca.
Historical, Cultural facts & Religion
The colonial period began when Christopher Columbus reached the eastern coast of Costa Rica on his fourth voyage on September 18, 1502. Numerous subsequent Spanish expeditions followed, eventually leading to the first Spanish colony in Costa Rica, Villa Bruselas, founded in 1524.
Roman Catholicism is the state religion of Costa Rica, and Christian values are present in many aspects of daily life
Brief Country History
At the beginning of the 16th century, the indigenous people of Costa Rica were divided into tribes of farmers. They had created a sophisticated society. However, on 18 September 1502, Christopher Columbus sighted Costa Rica. In the mid 16th century the Spanish gradually conquered Costa Rica. However, it lacked gold. Its population was small and it was far less important than the other Spanish colonies. Furthermore, the indigenous population was devastated by European diseases to which they had no resistance.
The first Spanish town was Cartago, which was founded in 1562. However, for centuries Costa Rica remained poor and unimportant with few towns.
In 1821 Central America broke away from Spain and became independent although independence meant little to most people in Costa Rica. Juan Mora Fernandez became the first head of state in 1824. At first, Costa Rica was part of a federation with other Central American states. However, it soon broke up and Costa Rica formally became a separate state in 1838.
Meanwhile in the early 19th-century coffee was grown in Costa Rica and a class of coffee barons grew up. Coffee brought new wealth to the country.
Costa Rica in the 20th Century
In 1889 the first democratic elections were held in Costa Rica. The early 20th century was generally peaceful in Costa Rica. However, in 1948 a short civil war was fought following a contested election. About 2,000 people died in the fighting. However, peace soon returned and inn 1949 a new constitution was published. The army in Costa Rica was abolished.
In the late 20th century Costa Rica gradually developed and in 1987 President Oscar Arias Sanchez was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Costa Rica in the 21st Century
In 2010 Laura Chinchilla was elected the first woman president of Costa Rica. Today, Costa Rica is a relatively prosperous country with a well-developed welfare system. Tourism is a growing industry. Bananas, coffee, sugar and beef are still important exports. However, the industry in Costa Rica is developing rapidly. There is every reason to be optimistic about the future of Costa Rica. Today the population of Costa Rica is 4.9 million.
Language (s) Written & Spoken
Costa Rica’s official and predominant language is Spanish*. The variety spoken in Costa Rican Spanish is a form of Central American Spanish. A Creole-English language, Jamaican patois (also known as Mekatelyu), is spoken along the Caribbean coast.
Information about Spanish, a Romance language spoken in Spain and in most of Central and. Guinea; First written: 11th century; Writing system: Latin script; Status: official language in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile,
Important Types of Commerce in Costa Rica
Costa Rica’s economy is based on tourism, agriculture and electronics exports. Coffee and banana exports dominated the economy in Costa Rica until 1998 when technology exports replaced both agricultural and tourism as the top industry.
Language Services US and others will provide working with Costa Rica
In the Costa Rica language support may be required in a number of settings including conferences, business meetings and court hearings. Interpreter service will help you make the most of your valuable time in Costa Rica helping a multi-national company carry out effective meetings and communicating their ideas in seminars and training sessions. Translation service might be required immigration paperwork, driver’s license, birth certificate, criminal record, marriage certificate, passport/visa.
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