Costa Rica

By,Hannah and Dakota

Location

• Costa Rica is located above the equator.

• Costa Rica is in the Northern and Western hemisphere.

The Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean surround Costa Rica

Nicaragua and Panama are the countries that border Costa Rica.

Place

• Latitude- 10° N• Longitude- 84° W

• Volcano- Arenal Volcano- The ash fertilizes the soil.

• Bay- Coronado- Lots of ships can come in. It is a really good place to have a town.

• Island- Cocos Island- This is a very good place for vacations and houses.

• Mountain- Cerro Pico Blanco- This mountain works really well for mountain climbers. It is the second highest mountain of the Cerros de Escazu.

• Beach- Manuel Antonio- 1,700 acres of landmass. People can go surfing and relax on the beach.

• River- Rio Frio- This river is great for fishing. Lots of boats can get around!

Landforms

Climate• The temperature is usually around

81°F

Crops

• Coffee• Corn

Plants

• Costa Rica is home to over 9,000 known plants.

• Epiphytes, Mosses, Lichens, Orchids, Ferns.

Trees

• Guanacaste• Almendro • Cedro amargo • Cedro dulce

Wildlife

• Costa Rica is home to more than 500,000 animals.

• Coati, Toucan, Green Iguana, Howler Monkey, Swallowtail Butterfly, Cicada.

Population• 4.516 million

Language

• The main language in Costa Rica is Spanish. Some English is understood.

Major Cities

• San Jose- Capital• Cartago• Alajuela• Puerto Limon• Puerto Jimenez and Dominica• Deja

Attractions

• Province Guanacaste- Long summer days and beautiful beaches is where you’ll find Guanacaste. It has a great shoreline, excellent surfing, and ok snorkeling.

Arenal Volcano National Park- This attraction has two volcanoes. It has been an active volcano since July 29, 1968.

Monteverde- It is the most famous shorline. Visitors can explore this place by walking on trails.

• Osa- This has many nice lodges in the Osa Peninsula and Drake Bay. Osa also has guides for hiking the rainforest.

Human/Environment Relationships

Natural Resources

• Hydro power

• Forest Products

• Fish products

Agriculture/Industries

• Agriculture- Bananas, Pineapples, Beef, and Dairy products.

• Industries- Electronics, Medical equipment, Tires, and Food processing.

Economic Issues

• Tourism fell about 8% in 2009. It then got boosted back up in 2010. The price in oil also rose up.

Climate Information

• It is never cold in Costa Rica, so the houses do not have insulation to keep the house warm. You never want to wear lots of layers because it's so humid that you will sweat to death. At night, it is very muggy.

Important People• Jose Maria Castro Madriz- He was a lawer, academic, and

politician. He twice was a president from 1847 to 1849, and from 1866 to 1868.

• Jose Figueres Ferrer- He was a president three different times. 1948-1949, 1953-1958, and 1970-1974. As his first time being president he established the countries army and granted women and blacks the right to vote.

• Oscar Arias Sanchez- He is a Costa Rican politician who was president from 2006 to 2010. He received the Nobel Prize in 1987 because of his efforts to end the civil war.

• Claudia Poll- She is an Olympic gold-medalist and national record for swimming. She is Costa Rica's only gold-medalist.

• Franklin Ramon Chang-Diaz- He is a former NASA astronaut. He is currently president and CEO of Ad Astra Rocket Company.

Movement

Immigration/Migration

• In the last 40 years there has been more immigration than migration. The immigration has been slowing down.

Transportation

• Bus• Taxi• Rent-A-Cars• Airplanes• Helicopters• Trains

Communication

• Telephones• Radio broadcast• Television• Internet

Traditions

• August 2nd- Virgen de los Angeles.• Easter Week- Semana Santa• Christmas Tradition- El Portal y El

Rezo

Customs

• During Easter Week the priest gives everyone a rose as a token when Jesus walked into Jerusalem.

Region

Land Division

• Costa Rica is divided into 7 provinces. Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarehas, and San Jose.

Government

• Costa Rica is a Democratic Republic. Its main rival is the more consevitive (don't like to change) Social Christian Unity Party.

Ethnic Group

• White• Black• Indian

Religious Groups

• Christianity• Judaism• Islam• Buddhism

Foods

Cuisine Tipica Rice Beans

Sports

The main sport played is soccer.

Family LifeIt is a laid back life and families like to stay

close together.

Homes

Costa Ricans have to work to live. It also depends on your budget.

Clothing

Women- Dresses

Men- Red Collars

Music

Disco

Rock and Roll

Mexican Music

Pop

Soca

Salsa

Merengue

Cumbia

Recreation Activities

Soccer

Golf

Tennis

Horse Back Riding

Flying

Hang Gliding

Bungee Jumping

QUIZCOSTA RICA

What is the main language?

What are their main crops?

What hemisphere is Costa Rica located in?

what are the two countries bordering Costa Rica?

Costa Rica is home to more than how many animals?

How big is Costa Rica’s population?

Costa Rica is usually how warm?

How man types of plants are there?

What two bodies of water surround Costa Rica?

BONUS: What is the latitude and longitude of Costa Rica?

Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v

=8f_aI9JPVc4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vUUn3KgASA&feature=related

Thank you Ask.com,

Wikipedia, Youtube,

Answers.com, and

Yahoo!