I often enjoy researching my destination when I’m in the midst of planning a trip. And I love to share what I learn! So let’s take a tour of a particularly spectacular Latin American country: Costa Rica. You’ll get to know much more about what makes this small country so distinct from its neighbors. Its unusual biodiversity is one difference, but read on to learn about this country’s history, and why it is often described by the phrase pura vida (“pure life”).
Where is Costa Rica?
To begin, let’s look at the map. This small Latin American country borders Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. The Caribbean Sea lies on the east, and the Pacific Ocean is to the west. Costa Rica has a tropical climate with a range of terrains, from rain forests to sandy beaches, to mountains and volcanoes.
Although Costa Rica is relatively small, it is one of the most biodiverse places in Latin America.
Just over 5 million people live in Costa Rica, about 60% in the urban areas (San Jose, the capital, has about 1.5 million), and 40% live in more rural parts of the country.
The People of Costa Rica
The area we know as Costa Rica today was the home of indigenous people for centuries. Almost half a million of these natives lived in the region before the Spanish conquest in the 1500s. The Indian groups include the Bribrí, Cabécar, Boruca, and Guatuso.
That number was reduced by slave raids and disease, to name a few. Today the native populations of Costa Rica have largely assimilated to the mainstream culture. But on the Caribbean side of the country in the Talamanca region, the indigenous people maintain their ancient traditions and animalistic religions, and they survive on subsistence farming. About 2.4% of the country’s population is indigenous.
Today more than 80% of Costa Ricans are of European descent (mainly from Spain). Other ethnicities represented in Costa Rica include Italian, German, French, Irish and Portuguese. After World War II, a sizable Jewish community immigrated to Costa Rica.
Costa Rica’s population also has a strong mestizo or mixed population, with Afro-Costa Ricans (descendants of the 19th century black Jamaican workers), as well as many refugees from neighboring countries.
Most Costa Ricans consider themselves to be Catholic, which is the state religion. Spanish is the primary language, although there are at least five local indigenous languages as well.
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A Brief History of Costa Rica
Historians believe that Christopher Columbus was the first European to encounter Costa Rica on his fourth Atlantic voyage. It’s a bit of mystery why Columbus and the Spanish conquistadors didn’t make more of a fuss over Costa Rica.
One theory is that other areas of the region (like Peru, or Brazil) promised more riches (think: GOLD!). In fact, Costa Rica might have been a “rich coast,” but it wasn’t rich in mineral resources. It also lacked the critical mass of laborers the Spaniards needed to collect their New World booty.
The first Spanish settlement of Costa Rica was established in Cartago in 1564.
Spain placed Costa Rica under the political rule of the general of Guatemala, as well as the bishop of Nicaragua. But Costa Rica was neglected by both these ruling administrations.
The population of Costa Rica settled and grew in what is known as the upland basin. Coffee is still the main crop and export. The other crops are bananas and pineapple. Cacao for cocoa beans and tobacco were also cultivated. Many families were small landowners. These local landowners cared greatly about their communities, and about living in a fair social system. These are the roots of Costa Rica’s democratic government.
For a short period beginning in the 1820s, Costa Rica (with a few other Central American countries), joined the Mexican Empire. But Costa Rica decided to remain separate, and has continued to retain its autonomy. Even today Costa Rica is somewhat isolated from the rest of Latin America.
Costa Rica has been able to retain its autonomy for several reasons.
First, the country’s leaders recognized that while they didn’t have gold to mine, they had another precious commodity: COFFEE!
As early as the 1800s, a European market for coffee fueled the Costa Rican economy. Countries like Great Britain invested in Costa Rica. The Costa Rican coffee trade was more successful than the coffee trade in other Latin American countries.
Of course, Costa Rica had its share of problems and issues with colonial invaders.
For a brief while in the 1820s part of Nicaragua broke off and tried to join Costa Rica, but the attempt was unsuccessful. The American William Walker tried to claim Nicaragua in 1856, which also threatened Costa Rica. Costa Rican troops drove out Walker.
One military leader of note was General Tomás Guardia, who dominated the country from 1870 until 1882. Although his government was repressive and created debt, it also boosted coffee and sugar exports and built schools throughout the country. To improve trade (agriculture primarily), a railway was constructed between Cartago and Limón. By the late 19th century, bananas were beginning to rival coffee as the chief source of Costa Rican foreign exchange. The United Fruit Company was established in 1899.
In the late 19th century the Catholic Church lost some of its considerable power. The Jesuits were expelled for a few years, cemeteries became secular, and public education was expanded. In 1886 free public education became compulsory; public schools, a museum, and a national library were established. Though the government continued to support the church, the constitution of 1871 guaranteed religious toleration. The first entirely free (and honest) election in all of Central America is attributed to President José Joaquín Rodríguez’ appointment in 1889.
Costa Rica: More Recent Events
Costa Rica maintained a stable economy and government into the 20th century. There have been, however, several significant periods of violence.
In 1917–1919, General Federico Tinoco Granados ruled as a military dictator until he was overthrown and forced into exile. The unpopularity of Tinoco’s regime, after he was overthrown, resulted in a decline in the size, wealth, and political influence of the Costa Rican military.
In 1948, José Figueres Ferrer led an armed uprising in the wake of a disputed presidential election between Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia (who had been president between 1940 and 1944) and Otilio Ulate Blanco. With more than 2,000 dead, the resulting 44-day Costa Rican Civil War was the bloodiest event in Costa Rica during the 20th century.
The victorious rebels formed a government junta that abolished the military altogether and oversaw the drafting of a new constitution by a democratically elected assembly. Having enacted these reforms, the junta transferred power to Ulate in 1949. After the coup d’état, Figueres became a national hero, winning the country’s first democratic election under the new constitution in 1953.
Since then, Costa Rica has held 15 additional presidential elections, the latest in 2022. With uninterrupted democracy dating back to at least 1948, the country is the region’s most stable.
Today the 48th president of Costa Rica is Carlos Alvarado Quesada.
How the Country of Costa Rica Has Developed
Since the beginnings of European colonization, the Valle Central has been the heartland of Costa Rica. In the 19th century, settlement slowly expanded from the core areas around Cartago and San José into the western parts of the valley. This expansion was based on coffee production from small family farms. Such farms still prevail but had become less numerous by the second half of the 19th century, when Costa Rica started to export coffee beans.
Only large farms had the capacity and labor to prepare and package the coffee for shipment. Small properties were bought and integrated into larger landholdings. Today, more than half of Costa Rica’s coffee farms are 10 acres or less in size, a factor that contributes to the country’s democratic heritage.
Government and Economy
Costa Rica stands apart from other Central American countries in a couple of ways. First (very unusual), the constitution of 1949 did away with the country’s army. Throughout the decades since, Costa Rica has remained at peace, even in the midst of neighboring countries’ plagues with social strife and drug problems.
Costa Rica isn’t rich (as its name implies), but it isn’t nearly as poor as some of its neighbors. This might be because the country’s wealth is distributed more equally among social classes. After a period of economic decline in the 1980s, in the 1990s and 21st century Costa Rica has one of highest per capita gross national product (GNP).
I’ve mentioned another unique fact about Costa Rica: its democratic government.
The country is known for its fair judicial system and independent electoral body. The government guarantees social, economic, and educational opportunities for all citizens. Perhaps it is no surprise that the country has several universities, and one of the highest literacy rates (above 97%) in the Western Hemisphere.
Because of its peaceful reputation and commitment to human rights, some pro-democracy foundations and nongovernmental organization make their headquarters in the capital, San José.
The government controls electricity, water, fixed-line telephone, and port and rail facilities, and the entire population is eligible for free medical care, but private enterprise is still strong and influential in policy making.
The government has tried to diversify the economy, with some success. Today the economy depends less on agricultural exports like coffee and bananas.
Specifically, today the agricultural sector contributes about one-tenth of the GNP. About a sixth of the population works in agriculture. Sugar and coffee are still cultivated in the highland parts of Costa Rica; bananas are harvested in the Caribbean lowland areas, and pineapples grow throughout the country. Costa Rica has the capacity to feed itself, but still has a large share of land crops that are exported.
Other foods and items supplement the country’s economy, including flowers, herbs, macadamia nuts, fertilizer, handicrafts, garments, palm oil, and publishing.
Today tourism is a main contributor to the country’s economy. About 3 million visitors traveled to Costa Rica annually pre-pandemic. The highest number come from the U.S., followed by Europeans.
Costa Rica is considered a pioneer of ecotourism, where organized tours take visitors to the national parks and other protected areas. There is even a Camino de Costa Rica trail (similar to Spain’s Camino de Santiago) where people can walk from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast.
Pura Vida: Identity and Culture
In 2017, Costa Rica was ranked by National Geographic as happiest country in the world!
What’s that all about?
It could be for a couple of reasons.
As mentioned, while Costa Rica is not a wealthy country, state services like healthcare and education make people feel cared for. There is also low government corruption.
There’s also a true pride in Costa Rican identity.
The National Geographic wrote: “Costa Ricans enjoy the pleasure of living daily life to the fullest in a place that mitigates stress and maximizes joy.” It is not surprising that one of the most recognizable phrases among “Ticos” is “Pura Vida”, pure life in a literal translation. It reflects the inhabitant’s philosophy of life, denoting a simple life, free of stress, a positive, relaxed feeling.
The culture of Costa Rica recognizes the contributions and blending of the native people, the settlers, and immigrants. Influence of Spanish culture and the Catholic church is still important.
Costa Ricans are proud of their culture. The country is known for its beautiful craftwork. The colorfully painted wheels of the carreta (ox cart) is one of the country’s symbols. This is just one type of woodwork typical of Costa Rica’s artisans.
Traditional dance is also part of the culture. There are several traditional dances that ticos learn from a young age. The Punto guanacasteco, which originated from the Guanacaste province, is considered the national dance. It enacts three different stages of courtship. It’s performed on national holidays.
The cuisine of Costa Rica is also an important part of its culture. National dishes are a combination of Caribbean, Spanish, South American, and American influences.
Gallo pinto (“spotted rooster”) is one national dish. It’s a blend of black beans, white rice, cilantro, onions, and garlic with an added local condiment called Salsa Lizano. Arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) and Olla de carne (a type of stew) are other popular dishes. Fried plantains and corn tortillas are eaten at almost every meal.
More on Costa Rica’s Biodiversity
This overview or Costa Rica’s history and culture helps us understand the country’s commitment to protecting its people, and it also shows dedication to preserving the environment.
But we need to appreciate Costa Rica for being a role model in stopping deforestation.
In fact, Costa Rica has restored many of its forests and developed a thriving ecosystem that has been applauded by biologists, ecologists, and other researchers from across the globe.
More than a quarter of the country’s total land area is comprised of parks, biological reserves, and wildlife refuges.
Corcovado National Park in particular is known for its diverse fauna (including tapirs and big cats), four species of monkey, and hundreds of insect species and amphibians. Altogether, more than 10,000 species of plants and trees grow in Costa Rica.
Fun Facts About Costa Rica’s Biodiversity
Consider a few more of these fun facts about Costa Rica’s biodiversity.
- Costa Rica represents around 6% of the world’s biodiversity even though it takes up only 0.03% of the planet’s land surface.
- In 2013, scientists estimated that Costa Rica is home to more than 500,000 species. These include more than 300,000 insect species, 1,251 butterflies, 8,000 moths, 175 amphibians (85% of which are frogs), 225 reptiles, 250 mammals and 894 birds.
- In 2015, Costa Rica pledged to become Earth’s first carbon-neutral nation by 2021 (having a net-zero release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere).
- Costa Rica currently generates more than 99% of its electricity using only renewable sources. In 2017, it set the world record for the most consecutive days of running electricity on renewable energy: 300 in total.
- And for you ornithologists: Manuel Antonio National Park is home to 184 different types of birds.
Final Thoughts On Costa Rica
What an impressive country. From its history, democratic legacy, and commitment to human rights and preserving the environment, Costa Rica truly represents pura vida. You might want to add this lovely land to your future travel list!
If you’ve been to Costa Rica, let us know what you enjoyed most about your time there.
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