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Found at the heart of the lush rainforests in Central America,
the Republic of Costa Rica proves that good things can come in small packages.
Costa Rica is sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Carribean Sea.
When the Spanish conquistadors first reached the land in the early 1500s, they saw the locals’ penchant
for gold jewelry. As such, they named the country, “costa rica,” which translates
to “rich coast.”
Long after Spanish rule, Costa Rica continues to be a developing country. It has been recognized
for its environmental sustainability efforts, with 99.62% of its energy generated from green
sources as of 2019.
However, what other riches does Costa Rica hold? Watch on for a closer look at the most
visited country in Central America.
Costa Rica earns the most from tourism.
With over 2 million tourists visiting annually, Costa Rica generates more income from tourism
than the banana, pineapple and coffee industry combined.
Costa Rica holds the record for the 12th happiest country on Earth.
In 2016, The Happy Planet Index gave the country a 64.0 score based on their 3 criteria:
experienced well-being, life expectancy, and Ecological Footprint.
However, the 2019 World Happiness Report of the United Nations ranked Costa Rica
as the 12th happiest country, consistently placing in the top 20.
In Costa Rica, people call their lovers oranges.
They use the term ‘media naranja’ to address their significant other.
It translates to ‘the other half of the orange’.
The marimba is Costa Rica’s national instrument.
Before it was an Apple ringtone, early marimbas were made using
hollowed-out ‘calabaza’ or squash gourds. Although it originated from
Africa, the marimba was essential to the musical background of Costa Rica, Guatemala and the
Mexican Chiapas region.
Costa Rica ranks 13th in the world’s largest coffee exporters.
Jamaica introduced coffee to Costa Rica in 1779. The locals referred to coffee
as ‘grano de oro.’ Now, over 247,000 acres of coffee plantations thrive in the country.
Coffee was the biggest industry in Costa Rica for 150 years, until the tourism industry beat
it in 1991.
Costa Rica trains professional coffee tasters.
The coffee industry is so important in Costa Rica that
they train ‘Catadores’ or tasters. These tasters are the main decision-makers
in coffee purchases. They are somewhat the equivalent of the French wine tasters.
For five years, they study the perfect method of slurping the flavor of coffee off a spoon
and directly into their taste buds. They believe that good coffee should taste
good whether hot or cold. For the tasting, they usually do it cold.
Costa Rica has a 96% literacy rate.
As with any developing country, its schools are still out of reach for children from rural areas.
However, a national radio station works to teach the lessons over broadcast.
Overall, the country allocates more of its budget on education compared to other countries.
You can’t drink soda in Costa Rica.
There’s no ban on the fizzy drinks here,
but if you look for a soda in Costa Rica, locals would probably take you to a small
restaurant that serves traditional local dishes - known to them as “soda”. These sodas
commonly serve ‘Casado,’ which is a meal of beans, salad, rice and meat.
Lake Michigan is bigger than Costa Rica.
Costa Rica is the 3rd smallest country in Central America.
It has a total area of 51,100 km², while Lake Michigan’s area is 58,000 km².
Costa Rica is the second country with the most bodies of water.
Not only is it rich in wildlife, but Costa Rica has the most bodies of water in the world
next to New Zealand. This is thanks to the heavy amounts of rainfall that add water volume
to its rivers.
Costa Rica is home to 200 volcanic formations.
Costa Rica’s volcanoes are more than 65 million years old.
Most of them are found either in the northern region or the central highlands.
Only 100 volcanoes have shown any signs of activity.
Out of the 200 volcanoes, only 5 officially classify as active volcanoes.
Currently, there are 60 dormant volcanoes that could potentially be active in the future.
The Arenal Volcano is the most active one in Costa Rica.
The Arenal Volcano isn’t just the most active volcano in Costa Rica, but it also counts
as one of the most active volcanoes in the whole world. In 1968, the Arenal Volcano erupted
and brought tragedy to the town of Tabacón. Its latest recorded eruption was in 2010.
The Irazú Volcano is the tallest one in Costa Rica.
The Irazu Volcano stands 11,000 feet tall, which is equivalent to 3,800 miles.
Nicknamed by the locals as El Coloso, Irazú was dormant for 30 years until it erupted with a loud
noise on December 8th, 1994. Before that, it erupted on March 19, 1963, just in time
for John F. Kennedy’s arrival to the country.
Costa Rica holds the largest isolated island in the world.
If you’ve ever seen the original Jurassic Park film, you might remember the scenic island
in the first few frames of the film. That lush island was actually the Cocos Island.
With a perimeter of 8 miles by 3 miles, Isla del Coco lies southwest of mainland Costa Rica,
around 360 miles or 600 kilometers into the Pacific Ocean.
Costa Rica is home to 4 UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Costa Rica houses the Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Cocos Island National Park,
La Amistad National Park, and the Precolumbian Chiefdom Settlements.
There’s another country inside Costa Rica.
In 1995, the country of Airrecú was established in Costa Rica,
but it was never acknowledged by the Costa Rican government or the UN.
Still, Airrecú has a population of around 5,000, with its own flag and national anthem.
The name ‘Costa Rica’ was first used in 1539.
Panama officials adopted the term “rich coast” to mark the territory
lying between them and Nicaragua.
Costa Rica has no military.
Costa Rica abolished its armed forces in 1949.
Now, the country only maintains a small unit of law enforcement and peacekeeping.
Costa Rica holds one of the highest life expectancies in the world.
The average life expectancy for Costa Rica is 77 years. As one of the world’s 5 Blue Zones,
Costa Rica is home to people who live lives with significantly longer years.
You may find Costa Rica’s Blue Zone just south of the Northern Pacific Coast, in a place
called the Nicoya Peninsula.
Penicillin was discovered by a Costa Rican.
We may associate penicillin with Dr. Alexander Fleming,
but a 1927 research from Costa Rican Dr. Clodomiro “Clorito” Picado, first
demonstrated penicillin’s role in preventing streptococcus growth in patients.
Costa Rica’s main international airport was named after a drummer boy.
During the Second Battle of Rivas, Juan Santamaria, a young drummer boy for the Alajuela militia,
volunteered to torch the El Mesón de Guerra in Nicaragua. He might have sent the dwelling
filibusters running from inside, but he ended up being shot by a sniper. In the end, his
name remained as a national freedom figure in local folklore.
The first Latin-American sent by NASA to space was from Costa Rica.
Dr. Franklin R. Chang-Diaz has been the only Costa Rican astronaut to date. He was one
of the 19 astronauts chosen over 3,000 in the running. Dr. Chang-Diaz retired in 2005
after accomplishing 7 successful space shuttle missions and 25 years with the organization.
Currently, he is working on the design of a rocket engine with a plasma base.
With this project, Dr. Chang-Diaz aims to reform space travel
and eventually pave the way for more people to be able to explore the entire solar system.
Costa Rica is the world’s hummingbird capital.
Out of 300 recorded species of hummingbirds, 51 of them take shelter in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica has many species of insects.
At least 34,000 different insect species are found in Costa Rica.
In addition to this is around 20,000 variations of spiders.
The unofficial national drink of Costa Rica is the Guaro.
Guaro is a moonshine rum made from distilled sugarcane. Most drinkers mix the drink with
sodas, while the best brand that makes Guaro is Cacique.
The most common breakfast in Costa Rica is the Gallo pinto.
Gallo pinto is a staple in the Costa Rican diet, made of rice and beans. Gallo pinto
means ‘colored rooster.’ The main ingredients for this traditional dish are beans
rice (usually leftovers), Lizano sauce, onions, peppers, and other spices.
Costa Ricans refer to male kin as ‘Ticos’ and female kin as ‘Ticas.’
Basically a wordplay for their Spanish language references, -tico is also used by locals as
a suffix to certain words. It might indicate a tiny part of something, but at the same
time, it also bears an affectionate meaning to the word.
Three main religious events occur in Costa Rica.
Like other Catholics from all over the world, locals also celebrate Semana Santa
or Easter Week, August 2, and Christmas Week. Still, the laidback Catholicism in the country holds
a more party-like celebration than a religious one.
The national slogan of Costa Rica is ‘Pura Vida’.
More than its translation to ‘pure life,’ Pura Vida is a lifestyle for the locals.
Researchers also believe that this mentality made Costa Rica the home of the happiest people on Earth.
Costa Ricans view soccer as a way of life.
Regardless of the size, every town in the country has a dedicated space
for a school and a soccer field. Tourists could interact with locals by joining the friendly
pickup game they do every Sunday which they call the ‘mejengas’.
Towns in Costa Rica hold their own local fiestas throughout the year.
Common features of these events are carnival games, dodgy rides, horse parades, local food
stalls, and the iconic bull riding competitions. It is good to know that no harming of the
bulls take place for the sake of the events. Locals tend to show off to the ladies by jumping
into the ring and teasing the bulls.
Costa Rica holds an ox cart festival every second Sunday of March.
In Escazú, the Dia de los Boyeros gathers about 100 painted antique oxcarts which are
then pulled by the great oxen alongside thousands of spectators.
Costa Rica hosts the most challenging mountain bike race in the world.
People know the event as the La Ruta de los Conquistadores or the Route of the Conquerors.
Participants would have to retrace the path taken by the Spanish conquistadors from the
16th century.
It spans from the Pacific Ocean up to the Caribbean Sea and wraps up in 4 days.
Hundreds of contestants gather from all over the world to compete in the November event.
Costa Rica hosts a race to the peak of its highest mountain and back.
Held annually, the Carrera de Campo Traviesa Al Cerro Chirripó has the fastest recorded
time of 3 hours, 15 minutes, and 3 seconds.
Costa Rica may be one of the smallest countries in America, but it certainly thrives as a
world of its own. From its rich biodiversity to its long-rooted culture, Costa Rica is
definitely one of the places you’ll have to see for yourself.
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