Christopher Columbus discovered Costa Rica and the indigenous people living there in 1502. The Spanish subsequently colonized it. The name of the country, Rich Coast, comes from their mistaken belief that gold was prevalent. It wasn't, but the name stuck. In 1821, Costa Rica joined other Central American countries in declaring independence from Spain. True independence didn't occur till 1838 when Costa Rica broke away from a federation of Central American countries.
In a major departure from many Central America countries, Costa Rica has largely been a free and peaceful democracy since 1899. It has a system of checks and balances similar to the United States, but more power is invested with the President and executive branch. The President and congressional members are elected to 4-year terms.
Costa Rica covers an area of 19,730 square miles. The capital is San Jose, which has a population of 2.1 million people. The terrain is rugged and tropical with dormant volcanoes, a rain forest in the south and immaculate beaches. Rainfall is heavy during summer months, but temperatures are consistently in the 70 to 90 degree range.
The people of Costa Rica are known both as "Ticos" and "Costa Ricans." The total population is 4 million, but growing at 1.5 percent. Roman Catholic is the dominant religion, although 15 percent of the population claims Protestant as their faith. Literacy is at 96 percent. Average life expectancy for a woman is 79 years while men average 74 years. Spanish is the dominant language.
Costa Rica is both a hot tourist and relocation destination. The country is simply beautiful and the people are friendly. There has been a lot of construction and expansion over the last 15 years. Places like Tamarindo are no longer sleepy little coast towns. If you want to see the sleepy Costa Rica of old, now is the time to go before it is to late.
Volcanoes Of Costa Rica
While Costa Rica, or ?Rich Coast,? received its name from the Spaniard Gil Gonzalez Davila who was inspired by all of the gold jewelry worn by the inhabitants, the land was actually brought to the Europe's attention through Christopher Columbus in 1502 who discovered Costa Rica on his way to his final voyage to the New World.
Before his arrival, civilization had thrived in Costa Rica for nearly 10,000 years. Though the indigenous people numbered only a few hundred thousand, they were firmly rooted in the land and had built a great civilization. Archeological finds have proven that the civilization was very advanced. In fact, ruins of a large city complete with aqueducts have been found east of San Jose. Exquisite and sophisticated gold and jade jewelry has also been uncovered.
Sadly, the civilization was not strong enough to withstand Spanish Colonialism. The small population fled or was overcome by disease. Today, only 1 percent of Costa Ricans are of indigenous descent and an amazing 98 percent are white.
Here is a brief timeline of major historical events in Costa Rica:
?1562 - Juan Vasquez founded the first colonial city, Cartago.
?1821 - Costa Rica, along with the rest of Central America and Mexico, rebelled against Spain.
?1823 - Civil war develops when some opted to become part of Mexico. They were quickly defeated and sovereignty was proclaimed.
?1824 ? Juan Mora Fernandez is elected as the first head of state.
?1870 ? General Tomas Guardia took control of the government and contributed to many reforms.
?1948 ? The Costa Rican civil war begins after Dr. Rafael Angel Calderon and the United Social Christian Party refuse to turn power over to the winning party after losing the election.
?1948 - Exile Jose Maria Figueres Ferrer quickly defeated Calderon in a month and became an influential leader. Under his leadership the communist party was banned, banks were nationalized, and presidential terms were established.
Today, Costa Rica is on the upsurge not only politically but economically as well. The country is experiencing a rapidly expanding economy and an influx of interest from investors and businesses that want to put down roots in this exotic and beautiful country. This has all led to Costa Rica being declared the most advanced country in Latin America today.
Both Richard Monk & David Lovendahl are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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