A stone sphere created by the culture at the. Is the icon of the country's cultural identity.
Pre-Columbian period Historians have classified the of Costa Rica as belonging to the, where the peripheries of the and native cultures overlapped. More recently, Costa Rica has also been described as part of the. The oldest evidence (stone tool making) of human occupation in Costa Rica is associated with the arrival of various groups of about 10,000 to 7,000 years in the. The presence of type spearheads and arrows from opens the possibility that, in this area, two different cultures coexisted.
Agriculture became evident in the populations that lived in Costa Rica about 5,000 years ago. They mainly grew and roots. For the first and second millennia BCE there were already settled farming communities. These were small and scattered, although the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture as the main livelihood in the territory is still unknown. The earliest use of appears around 2,000 to 3,000 BCE. Shards of pots, cylindrical vases, platters, gourds and other forms of vases decorated with grooves, prints, and some modelled after animals have been found. The impact of indigenous peoples on modern Costa Rican culture has been relatively small compared to other nations, since the country lacked a strong native civilization to begin with.
Most of the native population was absorbed into the Spanish-speaking colonial society through inter-marriage, except for some small remnants, the most significant of which are the and tribes who still inhabit the mountains of the, in the southeastern part of Costa Rica, near the frontier with. Spanish colonization The name la costa rica, Spanish for 'rich coast', was in some accounts first applied by, who sailed to the eastern shores of Costa Rica during his final voyage in 1502, and reported vast quantities of gold jewelry worn by natives. The name may also have come from conquistador, who landed on the west coast in 1522, encountered natives, and appropriated some of their gold. Costa Rica is located on the Central American, lying between latitudes and, and longitudes and. It borders the (to the east) and the 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 to the north (309 km or 192 mi of border) and to the south-southeast (330 km or 210 mi of border).
In total, Costa Rica comprises 51,100 square kilometres (19,700 sq mi) plus 589 square kilometres (227 sq mi) of. The highest point in the country is, at 3,819 metres (12,530 ft); it is the fifth highest peak in Central America. The highest volcano in the country is the (3,431 m or 11,257 ft) and the largest lake is.
There are 14 known volcanoes in Costa Rica, and six of them have been active in the last 75 years. The country has also experienced at least ten earthquakes of magnitude 5.7 or higher (3 of magnitude 7.0 or higher) in the last century. Costa Rica also comprises several islands. (24 square kilometres or 9.3 square miles) stands out because of its distance from the continental landmass, 480 kilometres (300 mi) from, but is the largest island of the country (151.6 square kilometres or 58.5 square miles). Over 25% of Costa Rica's national territory is protected by (the National System of Conservation Areas), which oversees all of the country's. Costa Rica also possesses the greatest density of species in the world. Climate Because Costa Rica is located between 8 and 12 degrees north of the, the climate is year round.
However, the country has many depending on elevation, rainfall, topography, and by the geography of each particular region. Costa Rica's seasons are defined by how much rain falls during a particular period. The year can be split into two periods, the dry season known to the residents as summer ( verano), and the rainy season, known locally as winter ( invierno). The 'summer' or dry season goes from December to April, and 'winter' or rainy season goes from May to November, which almost coincides with the, and during this time, it rains constantly in some regions. The location receiving the most rain is the Caribbean slopes of the mountains, with an annual rainfall of over 5,000 mm (196.9 in). Humidity is also higher on the Caribbean side than on the Pacific side.
The mean annual temperature on the coastal lowlands is around 27 °C (81 °F), 20 °C (68 °F) in the main populated areas of the Cordillera Central, and below 10 °C (50 °F) on the summits of the highest mountains. Further information: Costa Rica is home to a rich variety of plants and animals. While the country has only about 0.03% of the world's landmass, it contains 5% of the world's. Around 25% of the country's land area is in protected national parks and protected areas, the largest percentage of protected areas in the world (developing world average 13%, developed world average 8%).
Costa Rica has successfully managed to diminish from some of the worst rates in the world from 1973 to 1989, to almost zero by 2005. One national park, the, is internationally renowned among ecologists for its biodiversity (including and ) and is where visitors can expect to see an abundance of wildlife. Corcovado is the one park in Costa Rica where can be found. These include the, the, the endangered, and the, found only on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and a small part of, and considered endangered until 2008, when its status was upgraded to vulnerable.
Deforestation, illegal pet-trading, and hunting are the main reasons for its threatened status. – the name Tortuguero can be translated as 'Full of Turtles' – is home to spider, howler, and white-throated capuchin monkeys; the and; 320 species of birds; and a variety of reptiles. The park is recognized for the annual nesting of the endangered, and is the most important nesting site for the species. Giant, and turtles also nest there.
The is home to about 2,000 plant species, including numerous orchids. Over 400 types of birds and more than 100 species of mammals can be found there. Over 840 species of birds have been identified in Costa Rica. As is the case in much of Central America, the avian species in Costa Rica are a mix of North and South American species. The country's abundant fruit trees, many of which bear fruit year round, are hugely important to the birds, some of whom survive on diets that consist only of one or two types of fruit.
Some of the country's most notable avian species include the, and the. The is allowed to collect royalties on any biological discoveries of medical importance. Costa Rica is a center of biological diversity for reptiles and, including the world's fastest running lizard, the spiny-tailed iguana ( ). A in the Pharmaceuticals, financial outsourcing, software development, and have become the prime industries in Costa Rica's economy. High levels of education among its residents make the country an attractive investing location.
Since 1999, tourism earns more foreign exchange than the combined exports of the country's three main: bananas and pineapples especially, but also other crops, including coffee. Played a key role in Costa Rica's history and in 2006, was the third cash crop export.
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As a small country, Costa Rica now provides under 1% of the world’s coffee production. In 2015, the value of coffee exports was US$305.9 million, a small part of the total agricultural exports of US$2.7 billion.
Coffee production increased by 13.7% percent in 2015-16, declined by 17.5% in 2016-17, but was expected to increase by about 15% in the subsequent year. Costa Rica has developed a system of. Similarly, Costa Rica has a tax on water pollution to penalize businesses and homeowners that dump sewage, agricultural chemicals, and other pollutants into waterways. In May 2007, the Costa Rican government announced its intentions to become 100% by 2021. By 2015, 93 percent of the country's electricity came from. In 2016, the country produced 98% of its electricity from renewable sources and ran completely on renewable sources for 110 continuous days.
In 1996, the Forest Law was enacted to provide direct financial incentives to landowners for the provision of environmental services. This helped reorient the forestry sector away from commercial timber production and the resulting, and helped create awareness of the services it provides for the economy and society (i.e., hydrological services such as producing fresh drinking water, biodiversity protection, and provision of scenic beauty). A 2016 report by the U.S. Government report identifies other challenges facing Costa Rica as it works to expand its economy by working with companies from the US (and probably from other countries). The major concerns identified were as follows:. The ports, roads, railways and water delivery systems would benefit from major upgrading, a concern voiced by other reports too.
Attempts by China to invest in upgrading such aspects were 'stalled by bureaucratic and legal concerns'. The bureaucracy is 'often slow and cumbersome'. Is one of the country's main. Costa Rica stands as the most visited nation in the Central American region, with 2.9 million foreign visitors in 2016, up 10% from 2015. In 2012, the tourism sector was responsible for $2.8 million. The lead country of origin to enter Costa Rica in 2016 was the United States with 1,000,000 visitors, followed by Europe with 434,884 arrivals. According to Costa Rica Vacations, once tourists arrive in the country, 22% go to Tamarindo, 18% go to Arenal, 17% pass through (where the Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport is located), 16% go to, the country’s capital (also passing through Juan Santamaria Airport), while 18% chose Manuel Antonio and 7% Monteverde.
By 2004, tourism was generating more revenue and than bananas and coffee combined. In 2016, the World Travel & Tourism Council's estimates indicated a direct contribution to the GDP of 5.1% and 110,000 direct jobs in Costa Rica; the total number of jobs indirectly supported by tourism was 271,000.
A pioneer of, Costa Rica draws many tourists to its extensive series of national parks and other protected areas. In the 2011, Costa Rica ranked 44th in the world and second among Latin American countries after Mexico in 2011.
By the time of the 2017 report, the country had reached 38th place, slightly behind Panama. The Ethical Traveler group's ten countries on their 2017 list of The World’s Ten Best Ethical Destinations includes Costa Rica. The country scored highest in environmental protection among the winners. Costa Rican school children The 2011 census classified 83.6% of the population as white or; the latter are persons of combined European and Amerindian descent. The segment (mix of white and black) represented 6.7% and indigenous people made up 2.4% of the population. Native and European mixed blood populations are far less than in other Latin American countries. Exceptions are, where almost half the population is visibly mestizo, a legacy of the more pervasive unions between Spanish colonists and Chorotega Amerindians through several generations, and, where the vast majority of the Afro-Costa Rican community lives.
Costa Rica hosts many refugees, mainly from and. As a result of that and illegal immigration, an estimated 10–15% (400,000–600,000) of the Costa Rican population is made up of Nicaraguans. Some Nicaraguans migrate for seasonal work opportunities and then return to their country. Costa Rica took in many refugees from a range of other Latin American countries fleeing civil wars and dictatorships during the 1970s and 1980s, notably from and, as well as people from who fled from and government. According to the, in 2010 about 489,200 immigrants lived in the country, many from Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Belize, while 125,306 Costa Ricans live abroad in the United States, Panama, Nicaragua, Spain, Mexico, Canada, Germany, Venezuela, and.
The number of migrants declined in later years but in 2015, there were some 420,000 immigrants in Costa Rica and the number of asylum seekers (mostly from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua) rose to more than 110,000, a fivefold increase from 2012. In 2016, the country was called a 'magnet' for migrants from South and Central America and other countries who were hoping to reach the U.S. Largest cities. Main article: Costa Rica was the point where the 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 16th century. The central and southern portions of the country had influences.
The Atlantic coast, meanwhile, was populated with African workers during the 17th and 18th centuries. As a result of the immigration of Spaniards, their 16th-century Spanish culture and its evolution marked everyday life and culture until today, with Spanish language and the Catholic religion as primary influences. The Department of Culture, Youth, and Sports is in charge of the promotion and coordination of cultural life. The work of the department is divided into Direction of Culture, Visual Arts, Scenic Arts, Music, Patrimony and the System of Libraries.
Permanent programs, such as the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica and the Youth Symphony Orchestra, are conjunctions of two areas of work: Culture and Youth. Dance-oriented genres, such as, and Costa Rican swing are enjoyed increasingly by older rather than younger people. The guitar is popular, especially as an accompaniment to folk dances; however, the marimba was made the national instrument. In November 2017, magazine named Costa Rica as the happiest country in the world.
The article included this summary: 'Costa Ricans enjoy the pleasure of living daily life to the fullest in a place that mitigates stress and maximizes joy'. It is not surprising then that one of the most recognizable phrases among 'Ticos' is ' Pura Vida', pure life in a literal translation. It reflects the inhabitant's philosophy of life, denoting a simple life, free of stress, a positive, relaxed feeling. The expression is used in various contexts in conversation. Often, people walking down the streets, or buying food at shops say hello by saying Pura Vida. It can be phrased as a question or as an acknowledgement of one's presence.
A recommended response to 'How are you?' Would be ' Pura Vida.' In that usage, it might be translated as 'awesome', indicating that all is very well. When used as a question, the connotation would be 'everything is going well?' Or 'how are you?' Costa Rica rates 12th on the 2017 in the World Happiness Report by the UN but the country is said to be the happiest in Latin America. Reasons include the high level of social services, the caring nature of its inhabitants, long life expectancy and relatively low corruption.
Further information: Costa Rican cuisine is a blend of, Spanish, African and many other cuisine origins. Dishes such as the very traditional and many others made of corn are the most representative of its indigenous inhabitants, and similar to other neighboring Mesoamerican countries. Spaniards brought many new ingredients to the country from other lands, especially spices and domestic animals. And later in the 19th century, the African flavor lent its presence with influence from other Caribbean mixed flavors. This is how Costa Rican cuisine today is very varied, with every new ethnic group who had recently become part of the country's population influencing the country's cuisine.
Won Costa Rica's first Olympic gold medal in 1996. Costa Rica entered the for the first time in 1936 with the fencer and the for the first time in 1980 with the skier.
All four of Costa Rica's Olympic medals were won by the sisters and in, with Claudia winning the only gold medal in. Football is the most popular sport in Costa Rica. The has played in four tournaments and reached the quarter-finals for the first time in.
Its best performance in the regional was runner-up in., a forward who played for three clubs in England's in the late 1990s and early 2000s, is credited with enhancing foreign recognition of Costa Rican football. Main article: The literacy rate in Costa Rica is approximately 97 percent and English is widely spoken primarily due to Costa Rica’s tourism industry. When the army was abolished in 1949, it was said that the 'army would be replaced with an army of teachers'. Universal is guaranteed in the constitution; primary education is obligatory, and both preschool and high school are free.
Students who finish 11th grade receive a Costa Rican Bachillerato Diploma accredited by the Costa Rican Ministry of Education. There are both state and private universities. The has been awarded the title 'Meritorious Institution of Costa Rican Education and Culture'. A 2016 report by the U.S. Government report identifies the current challenges facing the education system, including the high dropout rate among high school students. The country needs even more workers who are fluent in English and languages such as Portuguese, Mandarin and French.
It would also benefit from more graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs, according to the report. Main article: According to the, in 2010 the at birth for Costa Ricans was 79.3 years. The is considered one of the in the world, where people commonly live active lives past the age of 100 years. The (NEF) ranked Costa Rica first in its 2009, and once again in 2012. The index measures the health and happiness they produce per unit of environmental input. According to NEF, Costa Rica's lead is due to its very high which is second highest in, and higher than the United States.
The country also experienced well-being higher than many richer nations and a per capita one-third the size of the United States. In 2002, there were 0.58 new general practitioner (medical) consultations and 0.33 new specialist consultations per capita, and a hospital admission rate of 8.1%. Preventive health care is also successful. In 2002, 96% of Costa Rican women used some form of contraception, and services were provided to 87% of all pregnant women.
All children under one have access to well-baby clinics, and the immunization coverage rate in 2002 was above 91% for all antigens. Costa Rica has a very low incidence of 48 per 100,000 in 2000 and no reported cases of in 2002. The perinatal mortality rate dropped from 12.0 per 1000 in 1972 to 5.4 per 1000 in 2001. Costa Rica has been cited in various journals as Central America's great health success story. Its healthcare system is ranked higher than that of the United States, despite having a fraction of its GDP. Prior to 1940, government hospitals and charities provided most health care.
But since the 1941 creation of the Social Insurance Administration ( Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social – CCSS), Costa Rica has provided to its wage-earning residents, with coverage extended to dependants over time. In 1973, the CCSS took over administration of all 29 of the country's public hospitals and all health care, also launching a Rural Health Program ( Programa de Salud Rural) for primary care to rural areas, later extended to primary care services nationwide. In 1993, laws were passed to enable elected health boards that represented health consumers, social insurance representatives, employers, and social organizations. By the year 2000, social health insurance coverage was available to 82% of the Costa Rican population. Each health committee manages an area equivalent to one of the 83 administrative cantons of Costa Rica. There is limited use of private, for-profit services (around 14.4% of the national total health expenditure).
About 7% of GDP is allocated to the health sector, and over 70% is government funded. Primary health care facilities in Costa Rica include health clinics, with a, nurse, clerk, pharmacist and a primary health technician. In 2008, there were five specialty national hospitals, three general national hospitals, seven regional hospitals, 13 peripheral hospitals, and 10 major clinics serving as referral centers for primary care clinics, which also deliver biopsychosocial services, family and community medical services and promotion and prevention programs. Patients can choose private health care to avoid waiting lists. Costa Rica is among the Latin America countries that have become popular destinations for. In 2006, Costa Rica received 150,000 foreigners that came for medical treatment. Costa Rica is particularly attractive to Americans due to geographic proximity, high quality of medical services, and lower medical costs.
Since 2012, is subject to some of the most restrictive regulations in the world.