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Government and Politics in Costa Rica
Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica, is a country in Central
America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the
Caribbean Sea to the east. Costa Rica was the first country in the world to constitutionally abolish its army. Among Latin
American countries, Costa Rica ranks 4th in terms of the 2007 Human Development Index, and 48th worldwide. Costa Rica is
ranked 5th in the world in terms of the 2008 Environmental Performance Index, up from the 15th place in 2006. In 2007
the government of Costa Rica stated that they want Costa Rica to be the first country to become carbon neutral by 2021.
Costa Rica is a republic with three powers: executive responsibilities are vested in a president, legislative power is
vested on the Legislative Assembly, and Judicial power is vested on the Supreme Court. There also are two vice presidents
as well as a cabinet designated by the president. The president, vice presidents, and fifty-seven Legislative Assembly
delegates are elected for four-year terms. A constitutional amendment approved in 1969 limited presidents and delegates
to one term, although delegates were allowed to run again for an Assembly seat after sitting out a term.
Living in Costa Rica
It's a fact that Costa Rica is one of the few true democracies in Latin America, so Costa Rica’s history, politics and government are
interesting topics to read about, especially if you are planning on moving to Costa Rica or buying real estate in Costa Rica. For additional
information, just follow the links to get all the info you’re looking for:
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Geography of Costa Rica
Costa Rica is located on the Central American isthmus, 10° North of the equator and 84° West of the Prime Meridian. It borders both
the Caribbean Sea (to the east) and the North Pacific Ocean (to the west), with a total of 1,290 kilometers (802 mi) of coastline
(212 km / 132 mi on the Caribbean coast and 1,016 km / 631 mi on the Pacific). It is about the size of West Virginia and shares that state's
reputation for excellent whitewater kayaking/rafting opportunities.
Two of the country's most renowned rivers in that regard are the Rio Pacuare and the Rio Reventazon located near the city of Turrialba about
two hours east of San Jose. Other notable whitewater areas are the Sarapiqui Valley area, several Pacific coast rivers near Quepos, and the
southern Pacific drainage area around San Isidro de General.
Costa Rica also borders Nicaragua to the north (309 km / 192 mi of border) and Panama to the south-southeast (639 km / 397 mi of border).
In total, Costa Rica comprises 51,100 square kilometers (19,730 sq. mi) plus 589.000 square kilometers of territorial waters.
The highest point in the country is Cerro Chirripó, at 3,820 metres (12,532 ft), and is the fifth highest peak in Central America.
The highest volcano in the country is the Irazú Volcano (3,431 m / 11,257 ft). The largest lake in Costa Rica is Lake Arenal.
Costa Rica also comprises several islands. Cocos Island stands out because of its distance from continental landmass (24 km² / 9.25
sq mi, 300 mi (480 km) from Puntarenas coast), but Calero Island is the largest island of the country (151.6 km² / 58.5 sq mi).
Costa Rica protects 23% of its national territory within the Protected Areas system. It also possesses the greatest density of species in
the world.
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Culture of Costa Rica
Costa Ricans often refer to themselves as tico (masculine) or tica (feminine). "Tico" comes from the popular local usage of
"tico" and "tica" as diminutive suffixes (e.g., "momentico" instead of "momentito"). The phrase "Pura Vida!" (approximately
translatable to "This is living!", literal meaning "Pure Life!") is a ubiquitous motto in Costa Rica.
Some youth use mae, a contraction of "maje" (mae means "guy/dude"), to refer to each other, although this might be perceived
as insulting to those of an older generation; maje was a synonym for "tonto" (stupid).
Costa Rica boasts a varied history. Costa Rica was the point where the Mesoamerican and South American native cultures met.
The northwest of the country, the Nicoya peninsula, was the southernmost point of Nahuatl cultural influence when the Spanish
conquerors (conquistadores) came in the sixteenth century. The center and southern portions of the country had Chibcha
influences.
The Atlantic coast, meanwhile, was populated with African workers during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Most
afro Costa Ricans, however, derive from nineteenth-century Jamaican workers, brought in to work on the construction of railroads
between the urban populations of the Central Plateau and the port of Limon on the Caribbean coast. Italian and Chinese
immigrants also arrived at this time to work on railroad construction.
The above was taken from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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