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 1,290km of coastline (212km on the Caribbean coast and 1016km on the Pacific). Costa Rica also borders Nicaragua to the north (309km of border) and Panama to the south-southeast (639km of border). In total, Costa Rica comprises 51,100 km² of which 50,610 km² is land and 440 km² is water, making it slightly smaller than the U.S. state of West Virginia and about half the size of Ireland.

The highest point in the country is Cerro Chirripo, with 3,810 m (approximately 12,515 feet), the second highest peak in Central America, after Volcan Tajumulco in Guatemala. The highest volcano in the country is the Irazu Volcano (3,431 m or 11,257 feet). Costa Rica also comprises several islands. Cocos Island stands out because of its distance from continental landmass (24 km², 500 km from Puntarenas coast), but Chira Island is the biggest island of the country (52 km²).The largest lake in Costa Rica is Lake Arenal. The country is highly recognized and praised for its national park system: a developed and progressive system which stresses on ecotourism. Costa Rica protects over 25% of its national territory within national parks.

Costa Rica is a democratic republic with a strong system of constitutional checks and balances. Executive responsibilities are vested in a president, who is the country's center of power. There also are two vice presidents and a 15-member cabinet that includes one of the vice presidents. The president and 57 Legislative Assembly deputies are elected for 4-year terms. A constitutional amendment approved in 1969 limited presidents and deputies to one term, although a deputy may run again for an Assembly seat after sitting out a term.

An amendment to the constitution to allow second presidential terms was proposed and also the constitutionality of the prohibition against a second presidential term has been challenged in the courts. In April 2003 the prohibition was officially recognized, in a highly polemic resolution, as anti-constitutional allowing Oscar Arias (Nobel Peace Prize, 1987) to run for President a second time in the upcoming 2006 elections. Arias is promoter of free trade and supports the free trade agreement with the United States which is the source of a great controversy that might develop in protests around the country in the upcoming months. Costa Rica uses a form of proportional representation to elect its national legislative body.

Governors appointed by the president head the country's seven provinces, but they exercise little power. There are no provincial legislatures. Autonomous state agencies enjoy considerable operational independence; they include the telecommunications and electrical power monopoly, the nationalized commercial banks, the state insurance monopoly, and the social security agency. Costa Rica has no military by constitution and maintains only domestic police and security forces for internal security.

Facts & Figures

Official name: República de Costa Rica
Official language: Spanish
Capital: San José
Independence Date: September 15, 1821 (from Spain)
President: Oscar Arias Sánchez
Area: 51,100 km²
Population: 4.13 million
Currency: Colón (CRC)

The national bird is called called Yigüirro (clay-colored robin) and was declared national bird of Costa Rica as a tribute to its powerful and melodious call that signals the beginning of the rainy season. This bird was chosen especially because it is so familiar to Costa Ricans as it tends to live near people's homes.

The Guanacaste tree (enterolobium ciclocarpum) was declared the national tree of Costa Rica. The tree symbolizes the protection that Costa Ricans enjoy from the State. The name "Guanacaste" originates from a native language called "náhuatl" and means "tree of the ears". This is because the fruits of the tree are similar to the shape of the human ear.

History

In 1502, Christopher Columbus, on his fourth trip, arrived to the Caribbean coast to Cariari, what today is Limon. From that moment began a period of catastrophic conquest, not only in terms of exploitation and violence, but also because of the diseases that came with the Europeans, like smallpox, measles or the flu, to which many of the indigenous population succumbed. The conquest was hindered by lack of political coherence of the indigenous people and the anarchy among the invaders. However, the spread of slavery and human commerce in all only reinforced the civil and religious control of the region. During this time, the Atlantic region kept control of its people and land, thanks to its remote location through the harshness of its climate and the fierce resistance of its people. However, the conquest of this region was extremely arduous and violent. The plundering brought upon the indigenous people, friendly at first, created a determined resistance of “fierce indians”, as the historians say.

The Arrival of the 20th Century found Costa Rica in the midst of social and political transformation. In 1913 free elections had already been instituted, but only for men. Women would have to wait until 1949. The participation of the working class in the electoral process gave rise to two new parties, the Communist and the Reformist. The Communist party, although persecuted at first, managed to place representatives in public positions. The intellectual and privileged class, as well as the church continued to encourage education for the common class. However, the popular class began to read everything that could be found, from literature to anarchist discourse. The intellectual and privileged class, as well as the church continued to encourage education for the common class. However, the popular class began to read everything that could be found, from literature to anarchist discourse. The theater was also vital in the diffusion of culture, but that soon became obsolete due to the cinema. By 1930, Costa Rica had made its first movie, The Return. Music, library, theater, museums, history, parks, bookstores, colleges, schools, and, of course, soccer were the focus of the urban culture’s attention during these years. The only setback was the stock market crash in 1929, leading to protests and demonstrations, causing more intervention by the state. Without exception, these times were one of profound cultural discovery for Costa Rica

The Second World War in 1939 interrupted the economic revival that had begun and another hard time was born. In spite of the international crisis and national hardships good things were happening. The University of Costa Rica was founded, Social Security was enacted, and a Code of Labor was created. Within the framework of the warlike conflict, however, political parties started drifting away from one another. This division led to political strife and fighting, and eventually led to a Civil War in 1948. In the five weeks of fighting more than 2,000 people were killed, making it the most tragic political event in history. "La Junta", which governed the country for a brief time after the conflict, decided in 1949 to disband the military in an effort to stop this from happening again. As a result, in the following years, while many Central American countries saw a rise in tyranny, Costa Rica moved closer to democracy and social justice.

In the Second Half of the Century worldwide economic expansion had repercussions in Costa Rica. The demographics of Costa Rica began to change. By 1950 the population had reached one million and the life expectancy was much higher than before. The increase and streamlining of production improved the quality of life, and in general the well being of the country was good. Industry had really taken off after Costa Rica joined the Free Central American Market in 1963, giving the economy a boost. In those years the public investment in education, healthcare, infrastructure, energy, and communication grew. After 1970 the population growth and urban development threatened to outpace the government planning. The influence of the United States became much more evident, especially in music, fashions, and cinema. Thankfully the progressive intellectuality of the people of Costa Rica and the commitment to social programs allowed Costa Rica to balance this influx from outside its borders. Additionally, the Technological Institute, the National University, and the Long-Distance University were founded in these years; as well as the strives by intellectuals and students who were fighting against the ALCOA company.

The 1980's began with a process of radical change. The rise in petroleum prices, the drop in coffee prices, indecisive economic policy, pressure from the International Monetary Fund, and the influx of thousands of illegal immigrants from neighboring countries (displaced mostly due to civil war) changed the Costa Rican way of life. Washington, with its interventionist policies, tried to use Costa Rica as a base of operations for influencing other Central American countries. The Declaration of Perpetual Neutrality stopped this influence and was a statement to everyone that Costa Rica wished to remain neutral. In the following years, Persident Arias focused his efforts on bringing peace to Central America and in the process won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987. The diversification of exports (seafood, pineapples, and textiles) led to a more stable economy and a relative boom. In 1990 the National Soccer team made it to the World Cup Semifinals, which led to a period of euphoria and patriotism. The application of neoliberal policy in the government led to a period of social deterioration, as the power of the state was reduced and inequalities of class were increased. Other social changes were also taking place; a new society was being formed by cable TV, malls, private universities and clinics, universal teaching of English and increased delinquency. Corruption in the government led to more “white collar” crime, such as money laundering and drug trafficking. Nevertheless, the creation of the Sala Constitucional in 1989 and the Defensoria de los Habitantes in 1992, helped to maintain faith in the country’s institutions. The presence of women at all levels of business and government also increased.

Towards the Future, Costa Rica will have to maintain the best of itself and continue to strive towards being a unique and extraordinary country. Some of the challenges it will face are keeping its democratic roots, defeating poverty, conserving its prodigious nature, and striving always toward humanity. Their history of a pacifist and hardworking country, without exception, allows them to have hope...

picture/text - costa rica chamber of tourism