The colón (named after Christopher Columbus, known as Cristóbal Colón in Spanish) is the currency of Costa Rica. The plural is colones in Spanish, but English-speakers often say colons instead. The ISO 4217 code is CRC.
The symbol for the colón is a c with two slashes. The symbol "₡" has Unicode code point U+20A1, and the decimal representation is 8353. In HTML it can be entered as ₡ The colón sign is not to be confused with the cent sign (¢), which has a code point U+00A2 in Unicode (or 162 in decimal); or the cedi sign ₵, which has a code point U+20B5 in Unicode (or 8373 in decimal).
Costa Rica boasts a tumultuous geographical past which is reflected in a lesser scale in its present. The variety of landscapes includes ample coastlines, mountain ridges, rivers and volcanoes, all of them compressed in an area which is approximately the size of West Virginia. Numerous ecosystems and micro-climates are the result of this incredible diversity.
The total area of Costa Rica is 19,653 square miles. From all the cardinal points, North to South and East to West, the longest distance is only 200 miles. The area is double the size of El Salvador, but the population is half, at 3.5 million people. Therefore, the only region where overpopulation is felt is in the Central Valley, where the capital city of San José is located.
There are five main geographical areas in the country: Tropical Lowlands (Pacific and Caribbean Coasts), the North Central Plains, the Central Valley and the Northwest Peninsula. The governmental divisions, however, include seven provinces: Guanacaste, Alajuela, Heredia, Limón, Cartago, San José and Puntarenas. Both the geographical divisions and the political ones display different climates and different formations. However, most of them include at least the following geological phenomena: rivers, mountains, valleys and volcanoes.
Costa Rica is a country where one of the main seasons is the rainy one, which means that rivers are abundant. The following are some of the biggest rivers: San Juan (border between C.R. and Nicaragua), Tempisque, Sarapiquí, Reventazón, Pacuare, Sixaola and the Chirripó. After heavy rains, these rivers can turn into avalanches of tree trunks and stones, called "cabezas de agua" (heads of water) which are extremely dangerous for unaware bathers; they can also cause large-scale floods.
The mountain ridges that stretch across the country from North to South, are a small part of the larger Andean Sierra Madre chain, which is present in the Western region of the Americas. The Costa Rican ridge is divided into the Cordillera of Guanacaste (North), Cordillera Central,Cordillera of Tilarán (Southeast), and the Cordillera of Talamanca(Southwest). The highest mountain in Costa Rica is located in the last mountain ridge and is called the Chirripó, at an approximate elevation of 12,450 feet. The ridges are interrupted by valleys, as in the case of the Central Valley and the Cartago Valley, which are extremely fertile areas.
The large quantity of mountains and volcanoes is due to the intense geological activity caused by two tectonic plates: the Cocos Plate(Pacific) and the Caribbean Plate (Atlantic). Their shifting, friction or collision cause numerous tremors and earthquakes, as well as the formation of ridges and volcanoes. The last large earthquake which occurred in 1991 and measured 7.4 on the Richter Scale, shook the whole country and caused much destruction in the Caribbean area. However, most seismic activity is very moderate and earthquakes such as this one aren´t usual.
The same observation applies to volcanic activity in the country. Even though there are at least 60 dormant or extinct volcanoes, only seven are active. Of course, the total area of the country being what it is, seven is plenty! Some of the most interesting national parks are created around volcanoes like the Poás or the Irazú.
Costa Rica is definitely a "Rich Coast" in the sense that it offers a tremendous variety of geological phenomena and formations. Even natural catastrophes such as floods and volcanic eruptions have contributed to the richness and fertility of the area. These forces of nature can't be seen purely as threats or disasters, since they are also the main cause of the nation's natural wealth.
Human habitation can be traced back more than 10,000 years but it appears Costa Rica was sparsely populated and a relative backwater in the pre-Columbian era. There is little sign of major communities and none of the impressive stone architecture that characterized the more advanced civilizations of Mesoamerica to the north and the Andes to the south. When Columbus arrived near Lim¢n on September 18, 1502 on his third and last voyage to the Americas, there were probably no more than 20,000 indigenous inhabitants They lived in several autonomous tribes, all with distinct cultures and customs. Costa Rica's only major archaeological site is at Guayabo, 30 miles east of San Jos‚, where an ancient city, dating back to 1000 B.C. and though to have contained 10,000 people at its peak, is currently being excavated. Many interesting gold, jade and pottery artefacts have been found throughout the region and are on display in several museums in San Jose.
The Indians gave Columbus gold and he returned to Europe with reports of a plentiful supply of the yellow metal. But the adventurers who arrived to cash in found only hostile Indians, swamps and disease for their trouble. Several early attempts to colonize the Atlantic coast failed for the same reasons and for almost half a century Costa Rica was passed over while colonization gathered pace in countries to the north and south. In 1562, the Spanish main's administrative center in Guatemala sent Juan Vasquez de Coronado to Costa Rica as governor and Cartago was established as the capital the following year. With no Indian slaves to work the land, the colonists were forced to work the land themselves, scratching out a meagre subsistence by tilling small plots. The impoverished colony grew slowly and was virtually ignored by the Spanish rulers in Guatemala. By the late 18th century, the settlements that would buela had been founded and exports of wheat and tobacco were making economic conditions somewhat better.
Central America gained independence from Spain on September 15, 1821. The news reached Costa Rica a month after the event. The question of whether Costa Rica should join newly independent Mexico or join a new confederation of Central American states resulted in a bitter quarrel between the leaders of San Jose and their counterparts in Cartago and Heredia. A brief civil war in 1823 was won by San Jose and Costa Rica joined the confederation.
Juan Mora Fernandez was elected the country's first head of state in 1824. His progressive administration expanded public education and encouraged the cultivation of coffee with land grants for growers. This quickly led to the establishment of a new Costa Rican elite, the coffee barons, who quickly put their power to use by overthrowing the first Costa Rican president, Jos‚ Maria Castro. His successor, Juan Rafael Mora, is remembered as the man who mobilized a force of Costa Rican volunteers and defeated William Walker, ending the persistent North American adventurer's ambitions to turn Central America into a slave state and annex it to the United States.
After more than a decade of political turmoil, General Tom s Guardia seized power in 1870. Though he ruled as a military dictator, his 12 years in power were marked by progressive policies like free and compulsory primary education, restraining the excesses of the military and taxing coffee earnings to finance public works. It was Guardia who contracted Minor Keith to build the Atlantic railroad from San Jose to the Caribbean. The post-Guardia years witnessed the fitful transition to full democracy.
The next important era began with the election of Dr. Rafael Angel Calder¢n Guardia in 1940. His enlightened policies included land reform, a guaranteed minimum wage and progressive taxation. But when Calder¢n's United Social Christian Party refused to step down after losing the 1948 election, civil war erupted. The anti-Calder¢n forces were led by Jose Mar¡a (Don Pepe) Figueres Ferrer who had been exiled to Mexico in 1942. Supported by the governments of Guatemala and Cuba, he won the war which lasted 40 days and cost 2,000 lives.
Figueres became head of the Founding Junta of the Second Republic of Costa Rica. He consolidated the reforms introduced by Calder¢n and introduced many of his own: He banned the Communist Party, gave women the vote and granted full citizenship to blacks, abolished the armed forces, established a term limit for presidents and nationalized the banks and insurance companies. He also founded the Partido de Liberacion Nacional. (The PLN won last year's presidential election behind Don Pepe's son, now President Jose Mar¡a Figueres Olsen.
Don Pepe died in 1990 a national hero, his deeds having set the scene for the social and economic progress that would earn Costa Rica the reputation as a peaceful and stable island of democracy in one of the world's most politically unstable, and often war-torn regions. When civil war broke out in neighboring Nicaragua, Costa Rica was drawn reluctantly into the conflict, its northern zone being used as a base first for Sandinista and later for "contra" forces. In 1986, a young lawyer called Oscar Arias Sanchez was elected president on the platform of peace. Arias' tireless efforts to promote peace in the region were rewarded when the five Central American presidents signed his peace plan in Guatamala City in 1987, an achievement that earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.
Costa Rica is a Catholic country and it’s holidays are mostly church-related. Most businesses, including banks, close on official holidays. The country closes down entirely during the biggest holiday time, Easter Holy Week, but only during Holy Thursday, Friday and Saturday, by Holy Sunday, some services might be available, but don't count on it in remote parts of the country. Buses stop running on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Banks and offices are closed. And hotels and car rentals are booked solid weeks in advance as everyone seems to head for the beach. Avoid the popular beaches during Easter week. Most Ticos now take the whole Christmas holiday week through New Year as an unofficial holiday.
Easter is a perfect opportunity to see colorful religious processions. Individual towns also celebrate their patron saint’s day: highlights usually include a procession, plus bullfights, rodeos, dancing, and other parades. Fireworks and firecrackers are a popular part of local fiestas and church celebrations.
This is the list of the main and official holidays in Costa Rica:
January 1st: New Year’s Day, celebrated with a big dance in San Jose’s Parque Central.
March 19th: St. Joseph’s Day, patron saint of San Jose and San Jose province.
Easter: Holy Week, Semana Santa. Dates vary annually but businesses will often close for the entire week preceding Easter weekend.
April 11th: Juan Santamaria Day. Public holiday to commemorate the national hero who fought at the battle of Rivas against the American invader William Walker in 1856.
May 1st: Labor Day. Dia de los Trabajadores.
June: Corpus Christi
June 29th: St. Peter and St. Paul’s Day
July 25th: Guanacaste Day. To mark the annexation of Guanacaste from Nicaragua in 1824.
b>August 2nd: Virgin de los Angeles Day. Patron saint of Costa Rica.
August 15th: Mother’s Day and Assumption Day
September 15th: Independence Day, with big patriotic parades celebrates Costa Rica’s independence from Spain in 1821.
October 12th: Dia de la Raza (Columbus Day). Limon province only, marked by carnival, which take place in the week prior to October 12.
November 2nd: All soul’s Day
December 8th: Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary.
December 25th: Christmas Day. Family-oriented celebrations with trips to the beach. Much consumption of apples and grapes.
The population of Costa Rica in 2003 was estimated by the United Nations at 4,173,000, which placed it as number 118 in population among the 193 nations of the world. In that year approximately 6% of the population was over 65 years of age, with another 32% of the population under 15 years of age. There were 103 males for every 100 females in the country in 2003. According to the UN, the annual population growth rate for 2000–2005 is 1.93%, with the projected population for the year 2015 at 5,030,000. The population density in 2002 was 77 per sq km (200 per sq mi).It was estimated by the Population Reference Bureau that 48% of the population lived in urban areas in 2001. The capital city, San Jose, had a population of 964,000 in that year. Other large cities are Limón, 67,784; Alajuela, 158,276; Puntarenas, 92,360; Cartago, 108,958; and Heredia, 67,387. According to the United Nations, the urban population growth rate for 2000–2005 was2.6%.
Capitale: SAN JOSE'
Popolazione: 4.160.000 abitanti (stima)
Superficie: 51.100 Km2
Fuso orario: -7h rispetto all'Italia; -8h quando in Italia vige l'ora legale
Lingue: la lingua ufficiale è lo spagnolo, l’inglese è diffuso.
Religione: in prevalenza Cattolica.
Moneta: Colón della Costa Rica (CRC)
Prefisso dall'Italia: 00506
Prefisso per l'Italia: 0039
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