Costa RicaBy: Meaghan Landry and Haley Wynn

o Costa Rica is known as the "Land of Peace"

o Over 100 years of political stability

o Christopher Columbus discovered Costa Rica in 1502.

o The national dish of Costa Rica is "Gallo Pinto"-pre cooked rice and beans fried together with onions and peppers.

About Costa Rica

Government Type:Democratic Republic

•regular and fair elections

•Every 4 years is a new president

Current Leader: Laura Chinchilla Miranda

Costa Rica is the oldest democracy

in Latin America.

Costa Rican Government

• The United states is Costa Rica's most important trading partner

• America accounts for almost half of Costa Rica's imports, exports and tourism

• The U.S. also accounts for more than two thirds of Costa Rica's foreign investment

EconomyUSA

• Average annual rainfall-100 inches

• Tropical country

• Average temperature 72: degrees fahrenheit

• Dry Season: December-April

• Wet Season: May-November

Climate

• Located in: Central America

• Long./Lat.: 10 degrees N 84 degrees West

• Terrain: Rugged Forest between Mountains and Ocean Coastlines

General Geography (GG)

PICTURES ON NEXT SLIDE

Physical Map of Costa RicaPolitical Map of Costa Rica

GeneralGeography picturespicturespictures

Costa Rica compared to world

• The Costa Rican flag contains of three colors: Red(hardiness,bravery), white(peace, honesty), and blue(truth and loyalty).

• Coat of arms of Costa Rica stays on the double width red stripe. Blue, and White Ribbon

• Blue Ribbon says the words American Central

•

• White Ribbon says the words Republica Costa Rica

Country Flag

• The United states is Costa Rica's most important trading partner

• America accounts for almost half of Costa Rica's imports, exports and tourism

• The U.S. also accounts for more than two thirds of Costa Rica's foreign investment

The U.S. and Costa Rica's Relationship

The official currency in Costa Rica is the Costa Rican Colon (CRC).

Facts about the CRC:•5000 colons transfer to $10 and 10000 colons transfer to $20•$1 is 505 colons•To transfer dollars to colones multiply by 505

Currency

• The majority of Costa Rica's inhabitants are of Spanish descendants

• In the lowlands, there are mestizos- a mixture of European and Indigenous blood

• 70-90% of Costa Rica is Catholic

• There is only a little amount of racial diversity

Costa Rican Lowlands

Represents Catholics praying

CULTURES

T

Traditional Clothing

Clothing

Girls Traditional Clothing consists of long (occasionally ruffled) white blouses and long colorful skirts.

•It is popular that mothers feed babies coffee in their bottles

•Costa Ricans call speed bumps son muertos meaning "dead persons" in Spanish

•It is considered disrespectful to wear shorts to the immigration office

•Many fast food restaurants do home deliveries

•Costa Rica declared independence from Spain on September 15, 1821. Spain did not recognize their independence until May 10, 1850.

•The Quetzal is Costa Rica's National bird

Some More Interesting Facts...

www.flags-flag-flag.org.uk

www.secretaryclinton.files.wordpress.com

http://www.pcc.edu/about/international/study-abroad/alajuela/documents/CostaRicaFunFacts.pdf

Cultures of the World: Costa Rica (book)

http://www.naturevacations.com/assets/uploads/eco-tours-things-to-do-costa-rica.jpg

http://costaricavacations.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/CostaRicaBeaches.jpg

http://www.intercarto.com/EN/produits_image/image_1465_BDM_Costa-Rica_GB.gif

http://www.birdquest-tours.com/tour_images/68092509.jpg

http://costa-rica-guide.com/travel/images/stories/5colonboth.png

http://www.anywherecostarica.com/img/maps/costa-rica-map.jpg

http://i.infopls.com/images/states_imgmap.gif

http://www.typographydeconstructed.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/ampersand.gif

Sources

http://geography.about.com/library/cia/blccostarica.htm

http://belamifilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/usa-flag-map.png

http://www.world-challenge-expeditions.com/images_website/destination/costa%20rica/costa-rica-climate-chart.gif

https://docs.google.com/a/students.natickps.org/presentation/d/1Wk3NuuExouSitk6MIgZ_9qi88G6c0QWNoOaou5zaefk/edit?pli=1#slide=id.gc892fed_0_62

http://beachcomberpete.com/costa_rica/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Northern-Lowlands-Costa-Rica.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdtUybPxhcI&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

Sources II