Costa Rica - A Beautiful Country Indeed

Until you actually arrive at a location, you don’t really know if what you’ve seen or heard are true. Unfortunately, they often are mostly fluff and the trip can be disappointing. Costa Rica, however, defies this trend.

Costa Rica truly has a little something for everyone. You probably think of golden beaches first and you are correct. Both coasts offer amazing beaches that can range in style from isolated beaches miles long to beaches full of party revelers.

The beauty of Costa Rica is there is so much more than just beaches. Eco-tourism is hot with some of the most accessible rain forests in the world. Like rafting? The rivers around Lake Arenal in the center of the country are thrill rides.

All and all, words are cheap. If you are considering a trip to the country, you need some hard information. Here are few tidbits to wet your appetite.

In 1502, Christopher Columbus made the first European landfall in the area. It was his fourth trip the Americas. That being said, it took the Spanish another twenty years to actually settle the country.

Given the name of the country, you probably will not be surprised to learn the people are known as “Costa Ricans.” That is a mouthful, so most of the citizens just call themselves “Ticos”

In 1821, Costa Rica joined other Spanish provinces in a joint declaration of independence from Spain. It took 21 more years to gain independence as a country.

Costa Rica had a basic agricultural based economy like much of Central America. Think bananas. It has converted into a tourism based economy, which allows it to maintain a more stable economy.

Costa Rica has no standing military, but does have a police force.

The country has a relatively small population at 4 million, but is now growing at 1.5 percent. Roman Catholic is the dominant religion, although a surprising 15 percent claim a Protestant faith.

Education is tremendous in Costa Rica with the country having a 96 percent literacy rate. Average life expectancy for a woman is 79 years while men come in at 74. Spanish is the dominant language.

Costa Rica puts Seattle to shame when it comes to rain. 100 inches annually is the number. Mountain areas can get as many as 250 inches. Temperatures always remain in the 70 to 90 degree range.

Calypso music makes hip hop sound boring. Costa Ricans love the calypso and you’ll find it as the major sound in the country. Fortunately, the country seems to disdain most American pop, so little Michael Jackson will be heard.

Many countries could learn a thing or two about education systems from Costa Rica. Elementary and high schools are everywhere. Since there is no funding needed for a military, education gets a lot of focus and the literacy rate in Costa Rica is of 96%.

At the end of the day, there are tons of different things you could know about Costa Rica. The most important way to find them out, however, is just to visit the country and take in one of the best travel destinations in the world.

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