Coast Rica

The history of Costa Rica is rich with stories of Jamaican slaves brought to the tiny country during the 17th century to work for the Spaniards, but it was Christopher Columbus who arrived in Costa Rica first. When he arrived in 1502, it was inhabited with approximately 400,000 Indians. A Spanish explore named Gil Gonzalez gave Costa Rica it’s name meaning “Rich Coast”. It wasn’t until 1821 when Costa Rica gained independence. Civilization existed in Costa Rica before Columbus however, probably for more than a thousand years. Archaeologists have discovered human inhabitants thru uncovering of ruins of a large ancient city east of San Jose. Among the finds, elaborate gold and jade work, which are believed to be from the Nahuati and Mexican Olmec civilizations. The people who inhabit Costa Rica today are of 98 percent Spanish descent called “Ticos”.

Located in Central America, it is surrounded by the pacific ocean on the west and south, with Nicaragua just north and the Caribbean sea on the east. It is governed by a strong democracy and has a strong, stable economy. Tourism is the major source of economic reliance now, unlike past exports of coffee, bananas, and beef. San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica with the majority of the population (around 1 million) living and working within the area .Other major cities in Costa Rica are Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia, Puntarenas, and Limon. Since it is a tropical county, there is no winter months and basically has only two seasons--wet and dry. In the central valley, the weather conditions remain in a spring like state all year long. Along the shores stays hotter and colder in the mountains. Because of the two oceans, the mountains, volcanoes, and rainforests, Costa Rica has 11 climates.

Over a quarter of the beautiful territory is protected and preserved for the all the species and fauna which makes Costa Rica as desirable as it is. The wealth of biodiversity in Costa Rica is said to be more than most other countries due to the high numbers in endangered species and the remarkable mix of ecosystems. The Osa conservation area is hosts to many of these varieties of ecosystems including a tropical fjord, mangroves, marine life, and cloud forest. This preserved region also inhabits the endangered jaguar, the pacific green sea and the leatherback turtles, ocelot, and the scarlet macaw. The importance of conservation rates highest with the people of Costa Rica as they respectively merge their needs, like agriculture, with the preservation needs in an exemplary manner while at the same time embracing tourism positively. When traveler’s visit this beautiful country, they can expect to find a majority of scenic and natural places as a preservation area. They use the biodiversity of their country as an instrument in tourism and development. Costa Rica is considered to be one of the top twenty countries in the world with the greatest biodiversity.

Costa Rica still remains a mystery to most. Eventually, there will be more and more curious and hungry visitors to the small country, with all there is to experience. And it is the first trip there which will keep them coming back, again and again.