Costa+Rica+-+Zikai+Chen

=** Costa Rica **=

The meaning of the flag
The flag of Costa Rica was officially adopted on November 27, 1906. However, the blue, white and red horizontal design was created and used since 1848 when Costa Rica left the Federal Republic of Central America and declared itself a Sovereign Republic. Pacífica Fernández, wife of the president, José María Castro Madriz created it inspired on the colors of the French Flag. The state flag and ensign includes the coat of arms of Costa Rica, while the civil ensign (there is no civil flag) omits the coat of arms.

The blue color stands for the sky, opportunities, idealism and perseverance. The white color stands for peace, wisdom and happiness. The red color stands for the blood spilt by martyrs in defense of the country, as well as the warmth and generosity of the people. The stripes are in the ratio 1:1:2:1:1.

Location
Costa Rica is a central American nation, located between Nicaragua and Panama. Its borders span 309 kilometers (192 miles) with Nicaragua and 330 kilometers (205 miles) with Panama. Costa Rica also borders the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, its coastline reaching across 1,290 kilometers (802 miles). The country has 51,100 square kilometers (19,730 square miles) of land, which is slightly less than the size of West Virginia, including the Isla del Coco (a small island in the Pacific Ocean). = =

Costa Rica National Anthem
Noble patria tu hermosa bandera // Noble homeland, your beautiful flag // Expresión de tu vida nos da: // Expression of your life it gives us: // Bajo el límpido azul de tu cielo // Under the limpid blue of your skies, // Blanca y pura descansa la paz. // Peace reigns, white and pure. // En la lucha tenaz de fecunda labor // In the tenacious battle of fruitful toil, // Que enrojece del hombre la faz, // That brings a glow to men's faces, // Conquistaron tus hijos, labriegos sencillos, // Your sons, simple farm hands, // Eterno prestigio, estima y honor, // Gained eternal renown, esteem and honour, // eterno prestigio, estima y honor. // Gained eternal renown, esteem and honour. // ¡Salve oh tierra gentil! // Hail, gentle country // ¡Salve oh madre de amor! // Hail, loving mother! // Cuando alguno pretenda tu gloria manchar, // If anyone should attempt to besmirch your glory, // Verás a tu pueblo, valiente y viril // You will see your people, valiant and virile, // La tosca herramienta en arma trocar. // Exchange their rustic tools for weapons. // ¡Salve patria! tu pródigo suelo // Hail, O homeland! Your prodigal soil // Dulce abrigo y sustento nos da; // Gives us sweet sustenance and shelter. // Bajo el límpido azul de tu cielo // Under the limpid blue of your sky, // ¡Vivan siempre el trabajo y la paz! // May peaceful labour ever continue! // media type="youtube" key="qUVT63d2P8A" height="315" width="420" = = =** Capital－San Jose **= **San José at a Glance**

San José has a world-renowned quality of life, offering a wide variety of exciting cultural, recreational, educational and entertainment opportunities. In addition, the City of San José has the nation's best public safety record of any metropolitan area, a marvelous ethnic diversity and a beautiful climate.

**FOUNDED:** November 29, 1777 (as Pueblo de San Jose)
San José was California's first civilian settlement.

**INCORPORATED:** MARCH 27, 1850 (as City of San Jose) San José was one of the first incorporated cities in California and site of the first state capital.

**INCORPORATED AREA:** 178.2 SQUARE MILES

**COUNTY:** SANTA CLARA

**Map:** San José is the largest city in the Bay Area, located roughly 50 miles south of San Francisco and 390 miles north of Los Angeles.

**POPULATION:** 958,789 persons* San José is the third largest city in California, following Los Angeles and San Diego. It is the 10th largest city in the U.S. (Note: Current population figure comes from the California Department of Finance. Population estimate as of January, 2011.)

This is a 1.4% increase over the Census 2010 figure of 945,942 persons.

**#1 IN TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE** The San José area is home to the largest concentration of technology expertise in the world--more than 6,600 technology companies employing more than 254,000 people.

**CLIMATE** San Jose, CA climate is warm during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 70's and cool during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 50's.

The warmest month of the year is July with an average maximum temperature of 84.30 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is December with an average minimum temperature of 41.00 degrees Fahrenheit.

Temperature variations between night and day tend to be moderate during summer with a difference that can reach 27 degrees Fahrenheit, and fairly limited during winter with an average difference of 18 degrees Fahrenheit.

San José boasts an average of more than 300 sunny days per year, and has an annual average precipitation at San Jose is 15.08 Inches. Rainfall in is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is January with an average rainfall of 3.03 Inches.

**ELEVATION** The highest elevation is 4,372 at Copernicus Peak, near Lick Observatory at Mt hamilton in the Diablo Range; the lowest elevation is sea level.

POPULATION :
4658887 people live in this country.

EDUCATION:
Costa Rica boasts a literacy rate of 96 percent making it the most literate population in Central America. Elementary and high schools are found in practically every community. The first president of Costa Rica, Jose Maria Castro (and many other early leaders), were former teachers who made educationin Costa Rica a priority. In 1869, Costa Rica became one of the first countries in the world to make education both free and obligatory. Costa Rica has continued throughout the twentieth century to make education a priority and especially in the last 20 years. President Figueres (elected in 1994) has promoted a computer in each of Costa Rica's 4000+ schools and has made English obligatory in the ciriculum.

Elementary school is divided in 6 year grades and kindergarten. Basics such as mathematics, language (Spanish and English), science, social studies, religion and physical education are covered in elementary school. Students are required to pass tests to move to the next level.

High school it Costa Ricaconsists of 5 year levels, finishing at 11th grade. High School students must pass the Bachillerato Tests to receive a high school diploma and to gain admission to universities.

There are private schools in [|Costa Rica]. Students attending the private schools have much the same curriculum as public school students but also have the chance to take SAT exams and can also receive the IB diploma through special studies in their Junior and Senior years.

There are also several private universities in [|Costa Rica] whose numbers are increasing rapidly due to the difficulty of getting into a state- funded university. The University of [|Costa Rica] (UCR) is the largest and oldest university and over 35,000 students attend this university � mostly all on scholarships. But even if no scholarship is available to the student, the tuition is only about 200 USD a semester. The main campus is in San Pedro, but there are regional campuses in [|Alajuela], [|Turrialba], [|Puntarenas], and Cartago.

Libraries offer adults a way to continue their education beyond sixth grade. [|Costa Rica] has over 100 libraries, but is in need of books and money to support the additional libraries needed by the country.

Costa Rica Education Statistics:

Years Compulsary:

9

Attendance:

Grades 1 - 6: 99 percent

Grades 7 - 9: 71 percent

Literacy:

96percent

Education expeditures:

4.9percent of GDP (2004)

Public Universities:

Instituto Tecnologico de [|Costa Rica](ITCR)

Universidad de [|Costa Rica](UCR)

Universidad Nacional(UNA)

Universidad Nacional Estatal a Distancia (UNED)

Universidad Tecnica Nacional(UTN)

Private Universities:

Universidad Americana (UAM): located in Los Yoses, Montes de Osa

Universidad de Ciencias Medicas (UCIMED): located in San Jose

Universidad EARTH: located in Pocora, Limon

Universidad Hispanoamerica: located in San Jose

Universidad Latina: located in San Pedro

University for Peace: located in Ciudad Colon

Currency in Costa Rica
Costa Rica's currency, the colón (colones plural) currently exchanges at around ¢520 per US dollar. If you think of a ¢5,000 note as ten, and ¢10,000 as twenty-dollar bills you'll be right on. The 5 colón note bears a beautiful mural depicting coffee harvesting and exporting on one face and the national flower of Costa Rica on the other. This denomination would only be worth about one cent and is no longer in circulation. However, you can still see the mural if you visit the National Theater.

Until September of 2006 the currency devalued against the dollar consistently for decades at a rate of about one colón per week. Since September of 2006 the exchange rate has been artificially locked at about ¢520 to the dollar Many prices for tourists are posted in US dollars.

Famous people in Costa Rica
Most of the famous people from Costa Rica are usually individuals who have made a difference on specific fields putting our nation’s name on the [|map] A celebrity from Costa Rica is not usually some big movie star. To be a celebrity in Costa Rica, you have to be outstanding and do something that brings pride to the nation of Costa Rica. Famous persons for Ticos are:

• **Francisco Amighetti:** Was a self-taught painter but influenced by Mexican, American, and European art, as well as Japanese prints. He portrayed bright and colorful every day situations of Costa Rican life in paintings with a touch of expressionism while referencing social problems.

• **Juan Santamaria:** Juan Santamaria was a joyful, humble and brave young man. He enlisted himself into de Alajuelan troops as a drummer. He became a hero in 1856, when, in the middle of the battle against William Walker and the filibusters, he took a torch and burned down the house where the enemy was hiding. Losing his life for his nation, he became one of the most famous people in Costa Rica; he is remembered by a huge memorial statue in the middle of [|alajuela] Park.

• **Jose Maria Castro Madriz:** Was once the president of the Congress and the Supreme Court of Costa Rica. He co-founded the Santo Tomas University and started one of the first newspapers of the country, “El Mentor Costarricense”. He was elected chief of state in 1847 and made Costa Rica an independent nation on 1848 and became the first president of the Independent Republic from 1848 to 1849. During his presidency he created a school for girls and established the actual Costa Rica flag.

• **Franklin Chang Diaz:** Born on April 5, 1950 in [|San Jose] Costa Rica. Famous people are not usually famous for what Franklin does: Dr. Chang-Dìaz became an astronaut in August 1981. While undergoing astronaut training he was also involved in flight software checkout at the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL), and participated in the early Space Station design studies. He has also been part of many missions into outer space including the Discovery expedition on 1998 and on the Endeavour on 2002. He has also received many prizes for his work on outstanding scientific research.

• **Claudia and Silvia Poll:** These nationalized Ticas have put Costa Rica’s name up by winning several Olympic medals in the swimming category. They both have participated and brought home several honors in this demanding sport. Although Silvia does not compete anymore, she will be remembered as a hero for many years to come and Claudia has managed to come out as a role model for many young people in Costa Rica.

• **Oscar Arias Sanchez:** He won the Nobel Prize thanks to his efforts to find peace in Latin America. In May 1986, he met the Presidents of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua to discuss the proposals for a peaceful solution to the regions’ political disputes. After working on many other positions in the [|government] he became Costa Rica’s president in 1986, and is running for office for the next presidential elections.

As you can see in Costa Rica, famous people need to have guts and determination. There are many other amazing and outstanding citizens, everyday people who constantly leave a mark on our history. For Costa Rica’s famous: personality and looks are not everything, what is necessary is someone who makes the people proud and honored to be Costa Ricans.

Time line of Costa Rica
1502 Sep 18, Christopher Columbus landed at Costa Rica during his 4th and last voyage. Columbus left 52 Jewish families in Costa Rica. (MC, 9/18/01)(WSJ, 6/15/00, p.A1)

1821 Sep 15, A junta convened by the captain-general in Guatemala declared independence for its provinces Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua San Salvador and Chiappas. (AP, 9/15/97)(EWH, 1968, p.843)

1823 Jul 1, The United Provinces of Central America (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and San Salvador) gained independence from Mexico. The union dissolved by 1840. (PC, 1992, p.393)(ON, 12/99, p.5)

1839-1840 The Liberals of the United Provinces of Central America under leader Francisco Morazan were defeated in a civil war led by Rafael Carrera. The confederation dissolved into its 4 component states: El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. (EWH, 1968, p.857)

1856 Apr 11, Battle of Rivas; Costa Rica beat William Walker's invading Nicaraguans. (MC, 4/11/02)

1857 May 1, William Walker, conqueror of Nicaragua, surrendered to the US Navy. Cornelius Vanderbilt helped finance a Costa Rican army, which defeated Walker’s forces, and paid men under Walker’s command to defect. Walker later sought protection on a British naval vessel, whose captain turned him over to Hondurans, who executed him in 1860. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Walker_(soldier))(WSJ, 8/30/08, p.W7)

1871 Costa Rica hired Minor C. Keith (23), an engineer from Brooklyn, to build a rail line. Keith grew bananas on the right of way to help finance the project. His enterprise grew to become the United Fruit Company, later Chiquita. (WSJ, 8/9/99, p.A1)

1919 Jun 4, US marines invaded Costa Rica. (MC, 6/4/02)

1940s The US Navy acquired two-thirds of Vieques, Costa Rica, a 20-by-4-mile island for $1.4 million. (AP, 5/1/03)

1941 Dec 6, John Nelson, conductor (Les Troyens of Berlioz), was born in San Jose, Costa Rica. (MC, 12/6/01)

1943 A Vultee BT-13 Valiant disappeared on a flight from San Antonio, Texas, to Chile. Pilot Werner Martinez and Sgt. Tomas Ayala were on ill-fated flight, which crashed in Costa Rica. In 2008 police were led to the crash site after an anonymous caller reported seeing a local resident carrying plane parts in the town of San Isidro de El Guarco. (AP, 2/27/08)

1948 Feb 8, The National Republicans, who had held the majority of Costa Rica's political power for decades, were finally voted out of the presidency. The National Republicans used their strong influence in the Legislative Assembly to annul the presidential election of rival candidate Otilio Ulate of the Social Democratic Party. (www.elespiritudel48.org/docu/h_i01.htm)

1948 Apr 12, Cartago, Costa Rica, fell into the hands of Jose Figueres Ferrer, a vociferous adversary of the National Republicans. (www.elespiritudel48.org/docu/h_i01.htm)

1948 Apr 19, Teodoro Picado and Father Benjamin Nunez, an eminent labor leader within Costa Rica, signed The Pact of the Mexican Embassy, ending an armed uprising. (www.elespiritudel48.org/docu/h_i01.htm)

1948 Apr 24, The forces of Jose Figueres Ferrer entered San Jose, almost six weeks after beginning their revolt in southern Costa Rica. (www.elespiritudel48.org/docu/h_i01.htm)

1948 Dec 1, Costa Rica’s President José Figueres Ferrer abolished the military after victory in a civil war. (SFC, 3/16/02, p.A19)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_Costa_Rica)

1948-1949 Jose Figueres Ferrer fought for democracy in Costa Rica. The war arose in a dispute between dictator Rafael Angel Calderon, who had stolen an election, and the social democratic partisans of Figueres (WSJ, 12/12/97, p.A19)

1949 Feb 21, Nicaragua and Costa Rica signed a friendship treaty ending hostilities over their borders. (HN, 2/21/98)

1949 Nov 7, Costa Rica adopted a constitution that prohibited a standing army. (SFEC, 11/17/96, Z. 1 p.2)(http://tinyurl.com/7s7uc)

1953 Jose Figueres Ferrer gained power in Costa Rica. (WSJ, 12/12/97, p.A19)

1960 The Central American Common Market was set up by a treaty between El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and later Costa Rica. It fell apart by the end of the decade. (Econ, 5/14/05, p.41)(www.bartleby.com/65/ce/CentrACM.html)

1963 Mar 19, In Costa Rica, President John F. Kennedy and six Latin American presidents pledged to fight Communism. (HN, 3/19/98)

1966 Miguel Angel Rodriguez (b.1940) received his doctorate from UC Berkeley in California. Rodriguez later served as president of Costa Rica from 1998-2002. (SFC, 3/16/02, p.A19)

1968 Jun 29, The Arenal volcano, dormant for 450 years, burst into life and killed 95 people. The village of Tabacon was wiped out. (SFC, 5/9/98, p.A7)(SSFC, 4/1/01, p.T6)

1971 Robert Lee Vesco (1935-2007) fled the US to avoid charges of bilking mutual fund investors of $224 million. In 1972 the SEC charged him and others in a civil lawsuit, but Vesco had fled to the Bahamas and then to Costa Rica where he established a close friendship with Pres. Jose Figueres, plowing some 11 million into the country. (SFC, 8/21/96, p.A8)(SFC, 5/3/08, p.A6)

1972 Costa Rica created the 1,680-acre Manuel Antonio National Park. (SSFC, 6/1/03, p.C5)

1978 In Costa Rica Rodrigo Carazo Odio (1927-2009) began serving as president and continued to 1982. (AP, 12/9/09)

1981 Costa Rica under Pres. Rodrigo Carazo Odio broke off relations Cuba. Ties were restored in 2009. (AP, 12/9/09)

1982 Cocos Island was made a national park. It is 9-sq. miles and located 300 miles off the Coast of Central America. (SFC, 7/29/00, p.E3)

1983 Oct 5, Earl Tupper (b.1907), a Massachusetts tree surgeon, inventor and founder of Tupperware, died in Costa Rica [see 1938]. (WSJ, 2/18/04, p.A9)(www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/tupper.htm)

1984 Nov, The CIA told Congress in 1987 that it had concluded in Nov, 1984 that it could not resume aid to the Costa Rican-based Contras because “everybody around Pastora was involved in cocaine.” (SFC, 10/31/96, p.A7)

1984 May 30, There was an assassination attempt on Eden Pastora Gomez, a Nicaraguan anticommunist revolutionary, by Sandinistas. The Costa Rica government of Luis Alberto Monge Alvarez failed to make a serious investigation. Two Costa Ricans, four Nicaraguan rebels and US journalist Linda Frazier were killed and more than 20 other people were wounded in the attack at the village of La Penca, near the Nicaraguan border. In 2011 a former Nicaraguan official confirmed that Vital Gaguine (d.1989), a leftist Argentine guerrilla, had been hired by the Sandinistas to kill Pastora. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Penca_bombing)(WSJ, 12/12/97, p.A19)(AP, 8/26/11)

1986 May 8, In Costa Rica Oscar Arias (b.1940) began serving as president and continued to 1990. In 2006 he began serving a 2nd term as president. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%93scar_Arias)

1987 Oct 13, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias was named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts on behalf of a Central American peace plan to end the war in Nicaragua. (AP, 10/13/97)(WSJ, 12/12/97, p.A19)

1988 Bill Graham produced a worldwide tour on behalf of Amnesty Int’l. featuring Bruce Springsteen, Sting and Peter Gabriel. They toured Costa Rica, India and Zimbabwe. (SFC,12/13/97, p.A15)

1990-1994 Rafael angel Calderon served as president of Costa Rica. (Econ, 11/27/04, p.38)

1991 Apr 22, Sixty people were killed when a strong earthquake shook Costa Rica and neighboring Panama, causing millions of dollars’ worth of damage. (AP, 4/22/01)

1993 Sep 9-1993 Sep 14, Hurricane Gert caused 76 deaths. It affected Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. (AP, 9/11/04)(www.wunderground.com)

1995 Fresh Del Monte launched its "Gold" pineapple, grown in the volcanic soils of Costa Rica, and secured a patent for it. (WSJ, 10/7/03, p.A1)

1996 Jul 7-1996 Jul 28, Hurricane Cesar caused 51 deaths in Caribbean and Central America. The storm hit Costa Rica, Curacao, Aruba, San Andres and Nicaragua. (AP, 9/11/04)(www.wunderground.com)

1996 Aug, Maria Felix Bejarano escaped from the Buen Pastor prison. She gave the guards $4,700 for their kindness. This was the 7th escape of her career in which she applies for a job as a maid and then cleans out the houses in which she works. (SFC, 8/30/96, p.A14)

1997 Nov 13, In Costa Rica Max Dalton (78), an American-born rancher, was killed in a confrontation with squatters on his 10-acre ranch in Golfito. Squatters in the region have “confiscated” the holdings of more than 2 dozen Americans in the region. (WSJ, 12/12/97, p.A19)

1998 Feb 1, In Costa Rica Miguel Angel Rodriguez of the Social Christian Unity Party won the presidential elections by a narrow margin over Jose Miguel Corrales of the National Liberation party. Also elected were 2 vice-presidents, 57 members of the Legislative Assembly and 571 mayors. (SFC, 2/2/98, p.A8)

1998 May 8, In Costa Rica Miguel Angel Rodriguez of the Social Christian Unity Party began serving as president. (http://tinyurl.com/7s7uc)

1998 Oct 22-1998 Nov 9, Hurricane Mitch was one of the Caribbean's deadliest storms ever causing at least at least 9,000 deaths in Central America. The storm hit Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Jamaica, and Costa Rica. Later reports put the death toll in Honduras to 6,076. In Nicaragua the deaths reached 4,000, in Guatemala it was157, and in El Salvador it was 222. The storm parked over Honduras and rain poured for 6 days straight. Aid of $66 mil was ordered from the US, $8 mil from the EU, $11.6 mil from Spain along with pledges from other countries and private organizations. (SFC, 11/4/98, p.A9)(SFC, 11/6/98, p.A14)(AP, 9/11/04)(www.wunderground.com)

2000 Jan 15, In San Jose, Costa Rica, a Czech-built Let 410 Taxi Aereo Centroamericano flight crashed and 4 people were killed with 17 injured. (SFC, 1/17/00, p.A11)

2000 Mar 13, In Costa Rica 2 American women were found shot to death near Cabhuita. Emily Howell of Kentucky and Emily Eagen of Michigan were attacked while driving an SUV. A 16-year-old boy was later arrested and 2 other suspects were sought. Jorge Alberto Urbina (19) was arrested Mar 28. The 16-year-old was sentenced to 14 ½ years in prison. (SFC, 3/15/00, p.A10)(SFC, 3/28/00, p.A12)(SFC, 3/29/00, p.A15)(SFC, 7/28/00, p.A12)

2000 Jul 19, In Tilaran, Costa Rica, a nursing-home fire killed 17 elderly people. (WSJ, 7/20/00, p.A1)

2000 Aug 1, Costa Rica planned to begin offering free e-mail access to all its citizens through the government owned commercial Internet monopoly, RACSA. (SFEC, 6/18/00, p.A15)

2000 Aug 27, Ten people were killed when a small plane crashed into a volcano in northern Costa Rica. (SFC, 8/28/00, p.A12)

2001 Mar 13, In Costa Rica Shannon Martin (23), a student from Topeka, Kan., was stabbed to death, after she left a nightclub in Golfito, 100 miles south of San Jose. In 2003 Kattia Cruz, 28, and Luis Alberto Castro, 38, were found guilty of murder and sentenced to 15 years in prison for the killing. (AP, 11/25/03)

2001 Jul 7, In Puerto Rico Parmenio Medina (62), a Colombian-born journalist, was gunned down in his car. He ran a radio program called "La Patada," or "The Kick," which denounced fraud at a religious radio station. In 2007 a court convicted Omar Chaves, a businessman, of ordering the murder of the journalist. Chaves also got a 12-year prison sentence on a fraud count. His partner, Father Minor de Jesus Calvo, was acquitted of the killing, but was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 15 years in jail. (AP, 12/19/07)

2001 The French firm Alcatel won a contract from Costa Rica telecoms and electricity firm ICE. In 2004 Pres. Rodriguez was charged with accepting a share of a $2.4 million payment made by Alcatel for the contract. (Econ, 11/27/04, p.38)

2002 Jan 6, It was reported that Costa Rica required medical professionals to serve a year treating disadvantaged communities. Mandatory community service programs were in place for high school students. (SSFC, 1/6/02, p.A3)

2002 Feb 3, In presidential elections Abel Pacheco, of the ruling Social Christian Unity Party, won 38.5% of the vote and Rolando Araya, national Liberation Party, won 30.9%. A runoff was scheduled for Apr 7. (SFC, 2/5/02, p.A7)

2002 Mar 15, Pres. Rodriguez spoke at UC Berkeley on its Charter Day. (SFC, 3/16/02, p.A19)

2002 Apr 7, Abel Pacheco (68), psychiatrist, poet and former TV commentator, was elected president in a runoff against Rolando Araya. (WSJ, 4/8/02, p.A1)

2002 Oct 14, A Costa Rica investment operation called The Brothers Fund (Ofinter Foreign Exchange SA) collapsed and siblings Luis Enrique (63) and Osvaldo Villalobos (58) were held responsible. (WSJ, 12/13/02, p.A1)

2003 May 1, The US Navy withdrew from Vieques Island. (AP, 5/1/03)

2003 Sep 5, Costa Rica's Arenal Volcano spewed lava, rocks and ash in its strongest eruption in more than two years. (AP, 9/5/03)

2003 Dec 25, A strong earthquake shook the border of Costa Rica and Panama, killing an infant and leaving dozens of others with mainly minor injuries. (AP, 12/26/03)

2003 Costa Rica changed its constitution to allow former presidents to stand again. (Econ, 2/4/06, p.34)

2004 May 28, US officials and 5 Central American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua) signed a free trade pact (CAFTA), to be later approved by Congress. The Dominican Republic would be included later. (SFC, 5/29/04, p.A4)

2004 Apr, In Costa Rica some 80 families began staying at the Metropolitan Cathedral, when police removed them from the Bambuzal plantation, owned by Standard Fruit Co. in Rio Frio de Sarapiqui, about 30 miles north of the Costa Rican capital. The families say that the land should be divided among the landless under laws that require companies to work large tracts of land in order to keep it. Standard says it is working the land to produce bamboo. (AP, 7/19/04)

2004 Jul 27, A Costa Rican policeman apparently distraught over an impending job transfer killed himself and three of the 10 hostages he had taken at the Chilean embassy. (AP, 7/28/04)

2004 Oct 21, Former Costa Rica Pres. Rafael Angel Calderon was detained in connection with a corruption investigation. He was charged with distributing and taking a share of a commission of some $9 million connected to the supply of medical equipment. He was under investigation for allegedly receiving nearly $500,000 from a Finnish government loan to Costa Rica for the purchase of medicines. (AP, 10/21/04)(Econ, 11/27/04, p.38)(AP, 2/5/06)

2004 Nov 20, An early morning 6.2 earthquake jolted San Jose, Costa Rica, and killed 8 people. Leaders of 21 nations were gathered there for the Ibero-American Summit. (AP, 11/20/04)

2004 The US government removed Costa Rica from the list of the so-called "coalition of the willing" in regards to the war in Iraq. However Costa Rica still appeared in archive documents and on related Internet Web sites that haven't been updated as supporting the coalition. (AP, 6/22/06)

2005 Jan 11, Costa Rica Pres. Abel Pacheco signed a decree of national emergency after 3 days of heavy rains forced nearly 13,000 people from their homes and killed at least one person. Panama reported 2 dead. (AP, 1/11/05)

2005 Mar 3, The seven Central American nations (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama) agreed to create a rapid-response force to combat drug trafficking, terrorism and other regional threats. (AP, 3/3/05)

2005 Mar 9, In Costa Rica police stormed a bank in a hail of gunfire following a thwarted robbery that turned into a 30-hour hostage standoff in the tourist town of Santa Elena de Monteverde. Officials said nine people were killed, including five bank customers. (AP, 3/10/05)

2005 Jun 30, In Honduras Central American leaders agreed to create a regional special forces unit to fight drug trafficking, gang violence and terrorism within their borders. The 2-day regional meeting included the presidents of Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. (AP, 6/30/05)

2005 Jul 12, In Costa Rica a fire at the Calderon Guardia Hospital killed 19 people. 2 more people died later from complications. The building lacked proper fire exits. On Oct 7 the country's top investigator said died the fire was set deliberately. (WSJ, 7/13/05, p.A1)(AP, 10/8/05)

2005 Jul 16, A small plane from Costa Rica, piloted by the son of a former owner of the San Jose Sharks hockey team, crashed off the Pacific Coast, killing six people. (AP, 7/17/05)

2005 Sep 6, Dominican Republic legislators overwhelmingly approved a free-trade agreement with the US and five Central American countries, rejecting arguments that the pact would devastate the domestic sugar industry. The other five countries are Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Costa Rica and Nicaragua had not yet ratified the pact. (AP, 9/6/05)

2005 Oct 12, In Costa Rica the InterAmerican Human Rights court, announced that it has ordered Colombia to pay damages in the 1997 massacre of dozens of Mapiripan villagers by right-wing paramilitary fighters. (AP, 10/12/05)

2005 Nov 24, In Costa Rica thousands of supporters of a free trade pact for Central America marched through San Jose. The group of about 5,000 mainly workers and business owners urged Congress to approve the pact known as CAFTA. (AP, 11/24/05)

2006 Feb 5, Costa Rica held elections and former pres. Oscar Arias was expected to win. (SSFC, 2/5/06, p.A19)

2006 Feb 6, In Costa Rica with 78% of the votes counted, former president Arias had 40.7% compared to 40 percent for opposition figure Otton Solis of the Citizens' Action Party. (AP, 2/6/06)

2006 Feb 7, Costa Rican electoral officials began counting votes by hand in a laborious effort to determine the winner of one of the country's closest presidential races in history. (AP, 2/7/06)

2006 Feb 22, In Costa Rica results from the Feb 5 elections indicated that Oscar Arias, a free trade proponent, had won Costa Rica's presidential election by 18,167 votes, one of the country's closest races ever. (AP, 2/22/06)(WSJ, 2/23/06, p.A1)

2006 Mar 7, Nobel Peace laureate Oscar Arias was declared Costa Rica's president-elect. (AP, 3/7/07)

2006 May 8, Oscar Arias (65), Nobel Peace Prize winner (1987), returned to the Costa Rican presidency, hoping to use his skills as a mediator to unite a country sharply divided over free trade with the United States. (AP, 5/8/06)

2006 Jun 10, In Costa Rica a Kansas high school student and teacher disappeared in the in the waters off Palo Seco beach. The bodies of 2 other students were recovered. (AP, 6/12/06)

2006 Jul 11, Central American presidents agreed on a plan to ease border controls and install a common customs system on the way to negotiating an eventual free-trade agreement with the EU. The agreement signed by Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and Belize would allow residents to cross borders without passports or visas. (AP, 7/11/06)

2006 Jul 24, Costa Rica relaxed visa requirements for visitors from 102 nations, in the Central American country's most sweeping migration reform in decades. (AP, 7/24/06)

2006 Aug 10, Hector Orlando Martinez Quinto (38) was captured in Costa Rica. He was accused of participating in a 2002 rebel (FARQ) attack that killed 119 civilians in Boyaya, in one of the worst tragedies in Colombia's four-decade-old guerrilla war. (AP, 8/11/06)

2006 Oct 16, In Costa Rica several operators of Internet gambling sites known as "sportsbooks" say their businesses will not be significantly affected by a new US law prohibiting bank and credit card payments to the sites. (AP, 10/16/06)

2006 Nov 20, Authorities seized a 50-foot homemade submarine with 3 tons of cocaine off the coast of Costa Rica. (SFC, 11/21/06, p.A2)

2007 Feb 21, In Costa Rica an American senior citizen (70) killed an alleged mugger with his bare hands. His traveling companions aboard a tour bus fended off two other assailants in the Atlantic coast city of Limon. The tourists left on their Carnival cruise ship after the incident and authorities did not plan to press charges against them. (AP, 2/23/07)

2007 Feb 26, In Costa Rica tens of thousands of union members, farmers and political activists marched through San Jose to protest a free-trade pact with the US they say will be harmful to local businesses. (AP, 2/26/07)

2007 May 25, Costa Rica health officials said they have seized more than 350 tubes of Chinese-made toothpaste tainted with a deadly chemical reportedly found in tubes sold elsewhere in the world. (AP, 5/25/07)

2007 Jun 6, President Oscar Arias announced that Costa Rica has broken diplomatic ties with Taiwan and established relations with China, delivering a blow to the Asian island's fragile international standing. (AP, 6/7/07) 2007 Jun 6, The United States said it has canceled the visas of 22 Costa Rican immigration officials suspected of selling visa stamps so that Costa Ricans could stay illegally in the US without getting caught. (AP, 6/6/07)

2007 Oct 7, Costa Ricans appeared to narrowly vote in favor of joining the Central American Free Trade Agreement with the US, and President Oscar Arias declared victory for the pact. (AP, 10/8/07)

2007 Oct 12, In Costa Rica heavy rains caused a landslide that killed 10 people. (WSJ, 10/13/07, p.A1)

2007 Oct 17, In Costa Rica and agreement was reached by which the US government and environmental groups will trim $26 million off Costa Rica's debt rolls in exchange for the country spending the same amount on tropical forest conservation. (AP, 10/17/07)

2007 Oct 24, In Beijing Costa Rican president Oscar Arias signed several accords with his Chinese counterpart, months after the Central American nation established diplomatic relations with the Asian giant. (AP, 10/24/07)

2007 Nov 21, Costa Rica's president signed into law a free trade agreement (CAFTA) with its Central American neighbors, the United States and the Dominican Republic. Costa Ricans voted for the trade deal in a national referendum, moving it forward. But then it became stalled again as congress squabbled over the enabling legislation dealing with 13 different aspects of the deal. In late 2008 lawmakers overcame the final intellectual-property hurdle by allowing schools and universities to copy some materials and by reducing prison time for those guilty of selling pirated goods. (AP, 11/22/07)(AP, 11/11/08)

2007 Dec 21, Costa Rican agents made the largest marijuana bust in the Central American nation's history, seizing 4.85 tons of the drug found in an abandoned boat. (AP, 12/22/07)

2008 Mar 4, Costa Rican police detained 14 people, including a family court judge and a lawyer, on suspicion of participating in a scheme in which mothers allegedly were paid to give up their babies. (AP, 3/4/08)

2008 Jul 25, Texas nurse Chere Lyn Tomayko, wanted by the FBI for international parental kidnapping, was awarded refugee status in Costa Rica and cannot be extradited to the US. In December 1996, a US judge gave joint custody of a daughter, Alexandria Camille Cyprian, to Tomayko and her ex-boyfriend Robert Cyprian, with the condition that Alexandria live in Tarrant County, Texas. Tomayko said she moved to Costa Rica because she had been physically abused by Cyprian. (AP, 7/26/08)

2008 Sep 16, Costa Rica Security Minister Janina del Vecchio said that a 70-foot (20-meter) submarine-type vessel was intercepted by the US Navy in international waters near Costa Rica. (AP, 9/17/08)

2009 Jan 8, A magnitude 6.1 earthquake rocked Costa Rica killing at least 20 people with dozens still missing. (AP, 1/9/09)(AP, 1/14/09)

2009 Mar 18, Costa Rica said it will re-establish diplomatic ties with Cuba, and El Salvador's new president-elect, Mauricio Funes, promised to do the same after he takes office. (AP, 3/19/09)

2009 May 9, Costa Rica reported the first swine flu death outside North America and the US announced its third death from the virus, while Mexico delayed the reopening of primary schools in some states. (AP, 5/9/09)

2009 Jun 28, In Honduras more than a dozen soldiers arrested President Manuel Zelaya and disarmed his security guards after surrounding his residence before dawn. Protesters called it a coup and flocked to the presidential palace as local news media reported that Zelaya was sent into exile in Costa Rica. He was detained shortly before voting was to begin on a constitutional referendum the president had insisted on holding even though the Supreme Court ruled it illegal and everyone from the military to Congress and members of his own party opposed it. The nonbinding referendum was to ask voters if they want to hold a vote during the November presidential election on whether to convoke an assembly to rewrite the constitution. (AP, 6/28/09)

2009 Jul 13, The UN’s highest court set travel rules for the Nicaraguan river that borders Costa Rica, affirming freedom for Costa Rican boats while upholding Nicaragua's right to regulate traffic. (AP, 7/13/09)

2009 Aug 25, Nicaragua said it will reroute the San Juan River on the border with Costa Rica. The river has been at the center of a lengthy dispute between the two Central American countries. The UN’s highest court last month set travel rules for the San Juan River, affirming freedom for Costa Rican boats to navigate the waterway while upholding Nicaragua's right to regulate traffic. The judgment ended a four-year legal battle. Under an 1858 treaty, the entire river belongs to Nicaragua up to the Costa Rican bank, but Costa Rican ships have freedom of navigation for commerce. (AP, 8/26/09)

2009 Sep 12, Costa Rican authorities detained 54 US-bound migrants from Africa and Nepal after their boat arrived on the country's coast. Authorities also took into custody three suspected Colombian smugglers who were traveling with them. (AP, 9/13/09)

2009 Oct 5, Rafael Calderon, former Costa Rican president (1990-1994), was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for embezzling funds from a Finnish loan intended for medical equipment for public hospitals. (AP, 10/5/09)

2009 Oct 19, In Costa Rica Michael Dixon (33), a British journalist, was last spotted leaving the Villas Macondo hotel in the popular surfers' resort of Playa Tamarindo, having traveled there on his own. (AFP, 11/5/09)

2009 Dec 9, In Costa Rica former President Rodrigo Carazo Odio (82) died of complications from open-heart surgery. Odio governed Costa Rica from 1978 to 1982. (AP, 12/9/09)

2010 Feb 7, Costa Rica held elections and elected its first woman president. Laura Chinchilla (50), a mother and a social conservative, who opposed abortion and gay marriage, won 47% of the vote after campaigning to continue free market policies. She served as vice president under current Pres. Oscar Arias. Otton Solis of the Citizens Action Party, got 25% of the votes. He and the other main rival, Libertarian Otto Guevara, quickly conceded defeat. Chinchilla’s National Liberation Party was the largest in congress, but held only 24 of 57 seats. (AP, 2/7/10)(AP, 2/8/10)(Econ, 2/13/10, p.41)(Econ, 5/8/10, p.40)

2010 Mar 4, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, on the sidelines of a meeting of regional officials in Costa Rica, said the Obama administration will resume aid to Honduras that was suspended after a coup last year and urged Latin American nations to recognize the new Honduran government. (AP, 3/4/10)

2010 Apr 19, Winners of the 2010 Goldman Environmental Prizes, known as the "green Nobels," were honored in San Francisco. Sereivathana Tuy of Cambodia won for his efforts in stopping farmers from killing elephants. Randall Arauz of Costa Rica won for his campaign to halt the maiming and killing of sharks for their fins. Humberto Rios Labrada (47) of Cuba won for his campaign to shift farming practices toward increasing diversity and reducing chemical use. Malgorzata Gorska of Poland won for her fight to stop a highway through the Rospuda Valley, one of Poland’s last vestiges of untouched wilderness. Thuli Makama of Swaziland won for her efforts in getting citizen participation on the Swaziland board in charge of the environment. She helped prompt investigations into allegations of private park rangers killing suspected poachers in sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarchy. Lynn Henning of the USA won for exposing polluting practices of livestock ranches in Michigan. (AP, 4/19/10)(SFC, 4/19/10, p.A1)

2010 May 8, Costa Rica inaugurated Laura Chinchilla as its first woman leader, replacing Nobel laureate Oscar Arias with his former vice president and protege. (AP, 5/8/10)

2010 May 24, Costa Rica's unicameral congress voted itself a 60 percent pay raise less than a month after legislators took office. The next day President Laura Chinchilla said she will veto the pay bill unless congress finds days to offset the cost in other areas. Costa Rica's congress shelved a final vote on the pay raise after Pres. Chinchilla promised to veto the measure. (AP, 5/26/10)(AP, 5/26/10)

2010 Oct 15, The Costa Rican government said it is receiving nearly $56 million in donations and debt write-offs to expand its forest and marine conservation programs and has become the first developing country to meet UN goals on protected areas. Under the plan, the US agreed to buy back $27 million of Costa Rica's foreign debt, money that will be used instead to invest conservation programs. The US already trimmed $26 million of Costa Rican debt in 2007 as part of the US Tropical Forest Conservation Act. The debt now stands at $77 million. (AP, 10/15/10)

2010 Oct 22, Costa Rica sent some 70 police reinforcements to the border area after receiving reports of Nicaraguan soldiers on its soil. This was one day after Costa Rica formally complained to Nicaragua's ambassador about the dredging in the San Juan River. Nicaragua's army chief of staff, Gen. Julio Aviles, later said the soldiers were on the Nicaraguan side of the border as part of an anti-drug operation. (AP, 11/2/10)

2010 Nov 4, In Costa Rica a rain-sodden hillside collapsed on homes in the suburb of San Antonio de Escazu, killing at least 20 people, many as they slept. At least 14 people were missing. (AP, 11/5/10)

2010 Nov 13, Costa Rica boasted of a "diplomatic victory" in its border spat with Nicaragua after the Organization of American States approved a resolution calling for removal of soldiers and security forces from a disputed area along the San Juan River. (AP, 11/13/10)

2011 Jan 11, Costa Rica accused Nicaragua of flagrantly breaching international law by putting troops on disputed land along the river that forms the two nations' border and asked the highest U.N. court to order their immediate withdrawal. (AP, 1/11/11)

2011 Jan 29, In Costa Rica raids were carried out in San Jose and in the Pacific coast city of Puntarenas. Five Colombians and a Costa Rican national were arrested. The Security Ministry says in a June 30 statement that a Colombian-run network paid fishermen to haul cocaine to Guatemala and Mexico. (AP, 1/30/11)

2011 Mar 8, The International Court of Justice ordered both Costa Rica and Nicaragua to keep all military, police and civilian personnel out of a disputed border region along the San Juan river that separates them. (AP, 3/8/11)

2011 Apr 27, In Costa Rica former Pres. Miguel Angel Rodriguez (b.1940) was sentenced to 5 years in prison on corruption charges. Rodriguez served from 1998-2002 and was briefly Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) in 2004. (SFC, 4/28/11, p.A2)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_%C3%81ngel_Rodr%C3%ADguez)

2011 May 4, In Costa Rica Ohio teenager Caity Jones died in the Pacific Ocean when she was pulled by an undertow current. Two other students, on a school mission trip, were swept out with her. The body of James Smith was recovered the next day. The body of Kai Lamar was recovered on May 6. (AP, 5/5/11)(AP, 5/6/11) 2011 May 4, A Gervais beaked whale washed up on the southeastern coast of Puerto Rico. A necropsy of the whale found more than 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of twisted plastic inside its stomach. (AP, 5/7/11)

2011 Jun 2, In Costa Rica US high school student Justin Johnston (16), of McLouth, Kansas, was shot and killed at a hotel by a security guard who mistook him for a thief. (AP, 6/2/11)

2011 Jun 22, In Guatemala the World Bank unveiled a billion-dollar plan to fund security measures in Central America, amid other hundred-million-dollar pledges from donors bidding to cut a wave of drug gang-related violence sweeping the region. The announcement came as leaders of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama attended the Central American Security Conference aiming to curb crime fueled by a spillover from Mexico's war on drug cartels.

Travelling
=Caribbean Lowlands= Water, palms, and reggae music abound in the coastal lowlands along Costa Rica’s Caribbean shore. From the turtle-filled wetlands of Tortuguero and Parismina to the seaside-wildlife and reefs of Cahuita to the reggae and surfing hotspot Puerto Viejo, the Caribbean has almost every type of sandy shore imaginable. Though tourism on the coast is on the rise, the region’s most famous visitors are the nesting sea turtles that fill the beaches of Barra del Colorado, Tortuguero, Parismina, and Manzanillo. Puerto Viejo is becoming a surfing and party mecca as Cahuita and Manzanillo are defining themselves as more low-key beachside towns. Just south of the border in Panamanian archipelago Bocas del Toro, travelers can island-hop their way through scuba diving, sea kayaking, and sunbathing trips. Lacking the dramatic peninsulas and higher prices of the Pacific Coast, the Caribbean offers budget travelers a haven of volunteer opportunities, endless sandy beaches, and low-priced options of reasonable quality. Though under-touristed until recent years, the Caribbean Coast has long been a hot spot for immigrants from around the world. The most prominent cultural groups in the area are the indigenous Cabécar and Bribrí tribes and the Afro-Caribs and Chinese, who immigrated in the 1800s to work on banana plantations and railroads. Though Spanish is still spoken by most residents, the local dialect, especially in the south, is a Jamaican-influenced Spanglish, almost indecipherable to everyone but locals. The most delicious result of the Afro-Caribbean influence here is the twist on //típica// food; instead of the traditional //casados,// enjoy rice and beans simmered in coconut milk, gumbo-style //rondón// soup, Jamaican, jerk-flavored meats, and an abundance of curries.

=Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica= The Central Pacific shore is Costa Rica’s poster child: snapshots of its sunsets grace the covers of travel brochures and postcards, man-sized marlin lure sportfishermen from all over the world, and rugged rainforests sprawl just steps from the region’s soft, sandy beaches. From vacationing //ticos// and foreign backpackers to resort-hopping honeymooners, a diverse group of travelers flocks to costal towns where they can take advantage of a well-developed tourist infrastructure. Popularity brings inevitable drawbacks, and major beach towns like Jacó, Quepos, and Manuel Antonio are invariably more crowded and more expensive than Costa Rica’s more-remote Caribbean side. Diehard peace-seekers, however, need only move on to Playa Esterillos Oeste or Uvita for unspoiled, magnificent scenery and long stretches of deserted beach. 

SAN JOSE

food
Black beans, white rice, and chicken are staples, though American culture has left a mark, and fast food joints abound. Vegetarian and international cuisines are popular, offering respite from the monotony of chain-dining and //comida típica//. Authentic //tico// fare like //casados// and //gallo pinto// are in //sodas// across the city. Most have cheap lunch and dinner specials (¢1400-2200).

Sights
Teatro Nacional. Small but exquisite, the National Theater is a must-see. In 1897, the construction of the theater was inspired (and funded) by Costa Rican citizens clamoring for more cultural venues. Because it was originally a product of their interest and money, //ticos// still take a great deal of pride in this site. The theater is graced with sculpted banisters overlaid in 22.5-carat gold, marble floors, and frescoes. Made by sculptor Pitro Bulgarelli, statues representing Dance, Music, and Fame adorn its facade. The lobby features Costa Rica’s most famous mural, a collage of the crops that brought the country its prosperity—bananas and coffee. A grand staircase inspired by the Paris Opera ascends toward bright overhead reliefs. Performances include ballet, drama, classical music, and opera. (Av. 2, C. 3, SW corner of the Plaza de la Cultura. ☎2221 1329; www.teatronacional.go.cr. Open M-Sa 9am-4pm. 30min. tours available in English or Spanish on the hour, except at noon; US$5. Ask about performances and ticket prices at the ticket window.) Museo Nacional. This museum offers an overview of Costa Rican history and early Costa Rican life. The building has been transformed from a military headquarters (the Cuarto Bellarista) into a home for a collection of artifacts. Though the front is still riddled with bullet-marks from the 1948 Revolution, the interior is full of pre-Columbian art, along with exhibits on Costa Rican history, archaeology, and geology. Don’t miss the view of San José from the fort’s high position and the butterfly garden on the lowest level. (Av. Central/2, C. 17. ☎2257 1433 or 2256 4139. Open M-Sa 8:30am-5pm, Su 9am-4:30pm. US$4, students US$2.) Museo De Oro. Founded in 1950 by the Central Bank of Costa Rica to better preserve Costa Rican cultural heritage, the Museo de Oro houses a three-part exploration of Costa Rican culture underneath the Plaza de Cultura. The museum’s most impressive exhibit is its huge collection of pre-Columbian gold from AD 500. Another exhibit houses 16th century bills, coins, and //boletos de café// (coffee tokens), while the final hall displays temporary arts and archaeological exhibits. (Av. Central, C. 5. ☎2243 4202. Open daily 9:30am-5pm. US$7, students US$4.) Museo De Jade. Costa Rica’s Social Security building is an unlikely location for, reportedly, the world’s largest collection of American jade (HA-deh in Spanish), the draw of the museum. The emerald-colored mineral was of particular importance to Costa Rica’s indigenous groups, who used it for jewelry and talismans. The museum also has a small collection of tools and weapons dating back to pre-Columbian times. The exhibits have English and Spanish explanations. (Av. 7, C. 9/1. ☎2287 6034. Open M-F 8:30am-3pm, Sa 9am-1pm. US$2. MC/V.) Parque De España And Parque Morazán. Complete with well-manicured lawns, benches, and a majestic dome that appears to have been taken straight from a Shakespearean play, but whose steps are popular with young rollerbladers, these neighboring parks are a tranquil place to rest aching feet. Sudden downpours draw crowds of students, couples, and businessmen looking to stay dry under Morazán’s dome. (Av. 3/7, C. 5/13. Free.) Museo De Arte Costarricense. Housed in a terminal of San José’s old airport, this small museum is filled with temporary exhibitions of modern art and a permanent collection of Costa Rican nationalist art from the 19th and 20th centuries. Those with time on their hands can explore the walls of the Salón Dorado, carved and painted to look like gold, with the history of Costa Rica depicted across all four walls. Check out the sculpture garden behind the museum. For a better view of the stone courtyard and Parque La Sabana, visit the terrace. (Paseo //Colón//, C. 42, on the eastern edge of Parque La Sabana. ☎2222 7155; www.musarco.go.cr. Open M-F 9am-5pm, Sa-Su 10am-4pm. US$5, students US$3, free Su.) Centro Nacional De Arte Y Cultura. This impressive fortress of the arts, between Parque de España and the National Library, offers cultural events in some of Costa Rica’s oldest edifices—buildings that have survived earthquakes and civil unrest. Two active theaters share space with the Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporaneo, which hosts rotating exhibits by contemporary artists in a warehouse-like space. Stop by to see if a performance is running; schedules are on the lowest level near the press office and at the airport. (Av. 3, C. 15/17. Enter from the SE corner for the museum and the west side for performances. ☎2257 7202; www.mad.ac.cr. Open M-F 10:30am-5:30pm. US$2, students ¢300, free M. Performance prices vary.) Shopping San José’s sheer size and tourist following make buying anything from basic necessities to souvenirs easier—and sometimes cheaper—than in other Costa Rican towns. You’ll find the best selection of Costa Rican art, woodwork, jewelry, clothing, hammocks, and other souvenirs in a strip of vendors on Av. Central/2, C. 13/15 near the **Plaza de la Democracia.** (Most vendors open M-Sa 8am-6pm, some open Su.) Another option is **La Casona,** C. Central, Av. Central/1, which offers a collection of many souvenir stores under one roof. (Most stores open daily M-Sa 9:30am-6:30pm, some open Su.) Serious art collectors should check out San José’s wonderful art galleries, many along Av. 1 between C. 5 and 13. **Las Arcadas,** with an entrance on C. 3 between Av. Central/2, and on Av. 2 between C. 3/5, houses clothing stores, beauty salons, an ICT office, and Internet/laundry facilities in a two-story plaza. For a standard Western selection of clothing and sportswear (not to mention food courts), take a San Pedro-bound bus to **Mall San Pedro** or **Outlet Mall.** (Both open daily 10am-8pm.)
 * Sneak Peak.  The **Centro Nacional** houses the national Companies of Dance and Theater. Even if there are no performances scheduled during your visit, you will likely see the dancers, actors, or gymnasts practicing if you quietly and unobtrusively enter the building from the **Parque de España**.

=Parque Internacional La Amistad=

Transportation
To get to Puesto Altamira, you must first travel through Las Tablas and the small town of Altamira. Departing from San Vito, head to the TRACOPA station and take any **bus** headed for San José or San Isidro and get off at Las Tablas (45min.; 5, 6:45, 7:30, 10am, 1:30, 3pm; ¢1200). Another option is to take the GAFESO bus from San Isidro to Buenos Aires and then switch to a bus for Las Tablas (1½hr.; noon and 4pm, ¢850). From Las Tablas, buses run directly to Altamira (45min.; 2 and 5pm, ¢900).

Accommodations

 * Estación Biológica Altamira** is well-equipped with bathrooms, potable water, 24hr. electrical outlets, and a picnic area. There are tents with beds set up. Bring your own food or restock in the town of Altamira, 2km down the hill. Even in the dry season, reservations are usually unnecessary, though visitors should call ahead to the station. (☎2200 5355 or 2200 5675. Open M-F 8am-4pm. US$6 per person.) Campground facilities also available at the base of Cerro Kámuk with potable water and toilets (US$5).

Hiking
If you think the views from the station are gorgeous, just wait until you get on the trails. It’s important to note that some trails are more difficult to follow than others, and some become impassable in the rainy season. **Sendero Gigantes del Bosque** is the only trail for solo hikers, as guides must accompany visitors on all other trails. Park rangers can arrange a guide from a group of 30 locals who have undergone extensive training from the park for ¢5000 per person. Sendero Gigantes Del Bosque. The Sendero Gigantes del Bosque, named for its towering 40m trees, is a well-marked 3km stroll through primary and secondary forest and the only hike possible without a guide. The trail generally hovers around 1300m and never reaches more than 1500m. At the end of the trail, the birdwatching observatory on the border of the primary forest is a great place to spot feathers early in the morning. The hike out to the observatory and back takes about 2hr., and along the way you’ll see strangler figs, numerous species of butterflies, and maybe even a toucan or a quetzal. Wear long pants; the grass is scratchy and hip-deep on the second half of the route. Sendero Valle Del Silencio. This hike is an 8hr. 20km round-trip journey through the “Valley of Silence.” This beauty is the best-known and most highly recommended trail in La Amistad. Hikers attest to the cloud forest’s eerie tranquility, claiming even the nearby rivers are silent. As the trail climbs, unique //páramo// ecosystems dominate the land above 2700m, where trees are stunted by the high elevation and the panoramic view becomes unobstructed. Guides are required for visitors wishing to undertake this hike. Call ahead. (¢5000 per person. Discounts available for large groups.) Sendero Altamura-Sabanas Esperanzas. This trail takes you past an indigenous cemetery to natural savannahs that are 1808m above sea level and have dizzying views of the towns below. Keep an eye out for the birds, including quetzals. To reach the trail, turn left at the fork in the road next to the church in Altamira. This road leads to the town of **Biolley** (5km), which has a ranger station where you can get directions to the trailhead. A guide is required. 

Poas Volcan Botos Lagoon is a filled-up crater in the Parque Nacional Volcan Poas. Its deep blue waters contrast with the dense tropical forest that surround it, making it the perfect spot for the stereotypical Indian sacrifice- throwing a young maiden into the mouth of a crater or a lagoon. Volcan Poas is one of the most visited volcanoes in Costa Rica, because of its proximity to San Jose and because of the luxuriant forest that surrounds the two craters. The park measures 5600 hectares, and this basaltic volcano stands at an altitude of 2708 meters (8,200 feet) above sea level.

One of the craters measures 1.5 kilometers in diameter (0.9 miles) and is 300 meters deep (900 feet). At the bottom of this prehistoric-looking hole, there is a medium sized lagoon, that spews boiling sulphurous gases. The other crater is the one mentioned above, called Botos Lagoon, which unlike the other lake, contains cold water that connects to the Rio Angel, and later to the large Rio Sarapiqui. The volcano has had a long history of eruptions, going back as much as 11 million years ! On January 25, 1910, the volcano spewed out 640,000 tons of ash, and in the period of 1952-1954, it bombarded nearby areas with ash and rocks. Since then, the Poas has maintained a low profile, but as recently as 1989, the park was closed because of dangerous sulphurous gas emissions. Its geyser-like eruptions of muddy water and steam, have given it the reputation as the world’s largest geyser. Apart from its volcanic activity, this national park offers four different habitats; this, in a relatively small area, is evidence of Costa Rica’s incredible biodiversity. The four habitats are the following: areas with scarce vegetation, a stunted forest, a cloud forest, and an area of arrayans. There are 79 species of birds in this park, including the robin, the hummingbird and the spectacular quetzal. Among the mammals found here, are the coyotes, long-tailed weasels, skunks and some small felines. If you see a green-yellow squirrel, take a good look at it, because it’s the Poas green-yellow squirrel, and as its name suggests, it’s only found in this park, and nowhere else in the whole world! One of the most interesting ecosystems present at the park, is the dwarf or stunted forest, where the tough ferns and bonsai-type trees aren’t allowed to grow much because of the acid rain that’s emanated from the volcano.

There are well-kept but short trails around the craters and into the forest. The “Crater overlook trail” is 750 meters long, and it’s a paved road that winds around and right to the crater. The side trail, which takes 20 or 30 minutes to cover, leads to the interesting Botos Lake, mentioned above. The “Escalonia Trail” (named after a tree of the same name), also takes about thirty minutes to walk, and it takes you through the forest. It’s important to keep in mind that the weather here is extremely humid, and that even if it doesn’t rain, you’ll need good shoes for muddy paths, as well as a raincoat and sweater. There are numerous ways to reach this national park. Getting there by public bus can be both complicated and lengthy, since the bus from San Jose stops in San Pedro de Poas, which is still far (28 kms) from the volcano. Most tourists rent a car or pay a cab from San Jose, which isn’t that bad if split into four or five people. Before embarking on this trip, though, make sure that you pack a lunch, water and a hot thermos or coffee or chocolate, since there’s nowhere to eat inside the park. It’s a good idea to reach the volcano before 10 a.m., since the clouds come in and cover the natural show- the main crater. If you don’t want to arrive too late for the show, then you might consider accommodations near the volcano. There are three mountain lodges which don’t offer very “rustic” prices: Juanbo Mountain Resort (482-20-99), Poas Volcano Lodge (441-91-02), and La Providencia Ecological Reserve (232-24-98). These are all quaint lodgings, set on working dairy farms and with views of pretty, rolling hills. The most economical choice is the Lo que tu quieras (whatever you want) cabins, which offer three small cabinas with hot water and a restaurant (482-20-92). The Volcan Poas National Park is one of the most visited protected areas in the country. The ride there is scenic and pleasant, and since it’s only 47 kilometers away from San Jose, many local and foreign visitors flock to the park, especially on weekends. The La Paz waterfall, which is only twenty minutes away from the park, is the most photographed waterfall in all of Costa Rica. Visitors to the park won’t want to miss out on it. The video on the top of the page shows the sights in the Poas volcano. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35v_tdpMsPQ

Credit:
"Timeline Costa Rica." //Timeline Costa Rica//. Web. 18 May 2012. . "Costa Rica Education." //- Costa Rica//. Web. 18 May 2012. . "City of San Jose." //City of San Jose//. Web. 18 May 2012. . "Costa Rica Flag." //And Flag in Costa Rica//. Web. 18 May 2012. . "Encyclopedia of the Nations." //Costa Rica//. Web. 18 May 2012. . "Costa Rica Famous People." //Famous People from Costa Rica//. Web. 25 May 2012. . "Caribbean Lowlands Overview." //Caribbean Lowlands Travel Guide//. Web. 25 May 2012. . "Costa Rica - Volcan Poas National Park." //Costa Rica - Volcan Poas National Park//. Web. 25 May 2012. . All images come from Google Images. All vidoes come from www.youtube.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35v_tdpMsPQ