 Costa Rica — (kos´tə rē´kə) |
About The People
Did You Know...... During the fourth voyage to the New World in 1502 Christopher Columbus landed at "Cariari," known to »» More
Fashion... Western Style clothing is worn. Clean, unwrinkled clothing is very important to urban working class. »» More
Socializing... People generally work in order to secure financial stability. Getting a car
and/or a house is the »» More
Family... Extended family is the basis of society. Several generations may live in the same house. »» More
Sports & Recreation... Football(soccer) is the national sport. Children will normally play it at school,
but they also pl »» More
| World Region: Central America
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Costa Rica History
In 1502, on his fourth and last voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus made the first European landfall in the area. Settlement of Costa Rica began in 1522. For nearly three centuries, Spain 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 »» More | Statistics, Graphs, Charts, & Data Tables
Capital Cities... San Jose »» History of San Jose
Population: 4,253,877
GDP: $48,480,000,000 (USD)
Total Area: 51,100 (sq km) 19,730 (sq mi)
Currency: Costa Rican colon
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