Costa Rica
Costa Rica - American Wildlife Park
The Republic of Costa Rica is located in southern Central America,
and means "rich coast" in Spanish. Covering an area of 51,100 square
kilometers, it has a population of 14.09 million, 95% of whom are
white or mestizo. Residents are Catholic and the official language
is Spanish. The currency is the Crown and San Jose is the capital.
National Flag
The Costa Rican flag contains five horizontal strips of blue, white,
and red, with an emblem in the middle left. Blue and white represent
the original Central American Federation flag, with red symbolic of
the country’s republic status, achieved in 1848.
History
Originally inhabited by Indians, Costa Rica was colonized by Spain
in 1564. On September 15, 1821, independence was declared, and in
1823 it joined the Central American Federation. On August 30, 1848,
the country was established as a Republic. In recent years, there
have been power swings between the National Liberation Party and the
Christian Social Unity Party.
Economy and Cultural Customs
Costa Rica has many active volcanoes and is rich in forest
resources. It also has a variety of wild animals and plants, causing
Yu to refer to it as the "American Wildlife Park." At the same time,
because of the beautiful natural landscape and the colorful flowers,
it has also been hailed as the "American Garden."
Coffee, cocoa, bananas, and sugar cane dominate the economic sector,
with industrial food processing, textiles, and leather also
important. Costa Rica’s main trade partner is the United States,
exporting coffee and bananas and importing machinery, equipment, and
chemical products. The development of tourism is Costa Rica's main
source of foreign income.
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