Portal:Costa Rica
The Costa Rica Portal
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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 Ecuador to the south of Cocos Island. It has a population of around 5 million in a land area of 51,060 square kilometers (19,714 square miles). An estimated 333,980 people live in the capital and largest city, San José, with around 2 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, most of whom speak English. 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 sparsely 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 Rica is divided into three major drainage basins encompassing 34 watersheds with numerous rivers and tributaries, one major lake used for hydroelectric generation, and two major aquifers that serve to store 90% of the municipal, industrial, and agricultural water supply needs of Costa Rica. Agriculture is the largest water user demanding around 53% of total supplies while the sector contributes 6.5% to the Costa Rica GDP. About a fifth of land under cultivation is being irrigated by surface water. Hydroelectric power generation makes up a significant portion of electricity usage in Costa Rica and much of this comes from the Arenal dam.
Both total and per capita water usage is very high in comparison to other Central American countries but when measured against available freshwater sources, Costa Rica uses only 5% of its available supply. Urbanization is increasing and as it does, demand for water is expected to rise exponentially in the coming decades. There exists ample water but the threat of widespread contamination to the aquifers is legitimate as untreated wastewater, stormwater, and industrial effluents infiltrate subterranean supplies. (Full article...)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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Arenal Volcano, located in northwestern Costa Rica
A detailed map of Costa Rica (1987)
Beachgoers and an air show at Puntarenas, 2013
The Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels, Cartago, located in the city of Cartago, Costa Rica
The Jenaro Valverde Marín Tower in San José, Costa Rica, an example of brutalist architecture
The fort in Heredia, Costa Rica in 2010, after its 2009 restoration
A wave at Punta Cocles, Costa Rica
Costa Rica 1897 20 Colones (proof) from the first year of issue for coinage
A view of Heredia
A Costa Rican breakfast with gallo pinto
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Costa Rica news
- 14 November 2020 – 2020 Atlantic hurricane season
- Tropical Storm Iota strenghtens in the Caribbean Sea and is expected to intensify in the coming hours, threatening many parts of Central America, including Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia. The storm is expected to grow into a hurricane. (CNN)
- 1 September 2020 – Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Costa Rica, COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- Costa Rica reopens their borders to Americans from 11 states and Washington, D.C.. On September 15, Americans traveling from Colorado, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania will be allowed to enter the country. However, American travelers will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test in order to enter. (The Hill)
WikiProjects
José María Castro Madriz formally declared Costa Rica as independent from the Federal Republic of Central America in 1848.
Costa Rican kids.
Costa Rican Women in traditional dress
Oxcart wheels, decorated in traditional style, found particularly in Sarchí
A Diquis stone sphere in the courtyard of the National Museum of Costa Rica.
Gallo Pinto
Typical settlement of the Diquis indigenous people before the arrival of Columbus.
The 1849 national coat of arms was featured in the first postal stamp issued in 1862.
Jose Figueres Ferrer's symbolic act of the army's abolition on December 1st, 1948 at Cuartel Bellavista, today the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica.
The phrase "Pura Vida" on a woman's shoulder
Costa Rica topics
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Associated Wikimedia
External media
- News
- The Costa Rica Star – Costa Rica news
- The Tico Times
- Q Costa Rica
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