The Costa Rica Portal
Republic of Costa Rica República de Costa Rica (Spanish) | |
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| Anthem: "Himno Nacional de Costa Rica" (Spanish) "National Anthem of Costa Rica" | |
| ISO 3166 code | CR |
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Costa Rica (UK: /ˌkɒstə ˈriːkə/, US: /ˌkoʊstə/ (
listen); Spanish: [ˈkosta ˈrika]; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica (Spanish: República de Costa Rica), is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, and maritime border with Ecuador to the south of Cocos Island. It has a population of around five million in a land area of 51,060 km2 (19,710 sq mi). An estimated 333,980 people live in the capital and largest city, San José, with around two million people in the surrounding metropolitan area.
The sovereign state is a unitary presidential constitutional republic. It is known for its long-standing and stable democracy, and for its highly educated workforce. The country spends roughly 6.9% of its budget (2016) on education, compared to a global average of 4.4%. Its economy, once heavily dependent on agriculture, has diversified to include sectors such as finance, corporate services for foreign companies, pharmaceuticals, and ecotourism. Many foreign manufacturing and services companies operate in Costa Rica's Free Trade Zones (FTZ) where they benefit from investment and tax incentives.
Costa Rica was inhabited by indigenous peoples before coming under Spanish rule in the 16th century. It remained a peripheral colony of the empire until independence as part of the First Mexican Empire, followed by membership in the Federal Republic of Central America, from which it formally declared independence in 1847. Following the brief Costa Rican Civil War in 1948, it permanently abolished its army in 1949, becoming one of only a few sovereign nations without a standing army. (Full article...)
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Costa Rican cuisine is known for being fairly mild, with high reliance on fruits and vegetables. Rice and black beans are a staple of most traditional Costa Rican meals, often served three times a day. Costa Rican fare is nutritionally well rounded, and nearly always cooked from scratch from fresh ingredients. Owing to the location of the country, tropical fruits and vegetables are readily available and included in the local cuisine.
Owing to the contrast of Costa Rica's large tourist economy the many rural communities throughout the country, the foods available, especially in the more urban areas, have come to include nearly every type of cuisine in addition to traditional Costa Rican dishes. Cities such as San José, the capital, and beach destinations frequented by tourists offer a range of ethnic foods, from Peruvian to Japanese. Chinese and Italian food is especially popular with Ticos, (the local name for anybody Costa Rican, Tica is also sometimes used for females), and can be found around the country, though with varying levels of quality. Food is an important aspect of Costa Rican culture, and family gatherings and celebrations are often centered around meals. (Full article...)Did you know (auto-generated)
- ... that tropical ecologist Winifred Hallwachs helped develop and expand the Área de Conservación Guanacaste in Costa Rica, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
- ... that Marita Camacho Quirós, who was First Lady of Costa Rica (1962–1966), is the oldest former first lady in the world and a supercentenarian?
- ... that to animate conquistadors in Jungle Cruise, frogs were recorded in a Costa Rican forest?
- ... that while Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Barrios was exiled from Nicaragua and living in Costa Rica in the 1980s, his sister Claudia was there as Nicaragua’s ambassador?
More Did you know -
...that Inca Dove is a small New World dove that ranges from the southwestern United States and Mexico through Central America to Costa Rica?
Related portals
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A wave at Punta Cocles, Costa Rica
The fort in Heredia, Costa Rica in 2010, after its 2009 restoration
A Costa Rican breakfast with gallo pinto
The Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels, Cartago, located in the city of Cartago, Costa Rica
A view of Heredia
Arenal Volcano, located in northwestern Costa Rica
The Jenaro Valverde Marín Tower in San José, Costa Rica, an example of brutalist architecture
Beachgoers and an air show at Puntarenas, 2013
Costa Rica 1897 20 Colones (proof) from the first year of issue for coinage
A detailed map of Costa Rica (1987)
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Costa Rica news
- 7 April 2022 –
- A DHL Boeing 757-200 cargo plane breaks into two parts after making an emergency landing at the Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José, Costa Rica. No one is injured. (Reuters)
- 3 April 2022 – 2022 Costa Rican general election
- Voters in Costa Rica head to the polls to vote in the second round of the presidential election. (TSE)
- Rodrigo Chaves Robles is elected President of Costa Rica. (Reuters)
- 10 February 2022 – COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Costa Rica
- Costa Rican president Carlos Alvarado Quesada tests positive for COVID-19. (Anadolu Agency)
- 6 February 2022 – 2022 Costa Rican general election
- A general election is held in Costa Rica. (Al Jazeera)
WikiProjects
Gallo Pinto (from Culture of Costa Rica)
Typical settlement of the Diquis indigenous people before the arrival of Columbus. (from History of Costa Rica)
Costa Rican Women in traditional dress (from Culture of Costa Rica)
The phrase "Pura Vida" on Sophia's shoulder (from Culture of Costa Rica)
A Diquis stone sphere in the courtyard of the National Museum of Costa Rica. (from Culture of Costa Rica)
Costa Rican kids. (from Culture of Costa Rica)
José Figueres Ferrer's symbolic act of the army's abolition on December 1st, 1948 at Cuartel Bellavista, today the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica. (from History of Costa Rica)
José María Castro Madriz formally declared Costa Rica as independent from the Federal Republic of Central America in 1848. (from History of Costa Rica)
The 1849 national coat of arms was featured in the first postal stamp issued in 1862. (from History of Costa Rica)
Oxcart wheels, decorated in traditional style, found particularly in Sarchí (from Culture of Costa Rica)
Topics
| Province of San José de Costa Rica | ||
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Armed conflicts involving Costa Rica | ||
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International schools in Costa Rica | ||
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| San José area | ||
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Mountains of Costa Rica | ||
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External media
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