COSTA RICA This is the Costa Rica Flag!

The capital of Costa Rica is San Jose. Costa Rica Map The capital of Costa Rica is San Jose.

Costa Rica Tourist Attractions Costa Rica Tourist Attractions .The one onthe left is Arenal National Park, there is a huge volcano residing there. . The one on the right is Corcovado National Park, it’s very relaxing and pretty .The one in the middle is one of the many creatures of Costa Rica, some people go to Costa Rica to see these lil rascals, along with other animals.

Costa Rica Religions The main religion in Costa Rica is Roman Catholic, but you can find a bunch of different other ones including: Protestant, Islamic Religion, Jewish Religion, and Buddhist.

Major Historical Events In 1838 Costa Rica became fully independent. In 1808 coffee is introduced in to Costa Rica. In 1948 there was a civil war lasting six weeks because of the election.

Costa Rica Holidays Ano Nuevo- New Years Day, there are fun activities on this day including a shnazzy dance. Dia de Juan Santamaria- this is celebrated with some parades in Alajuela. Christmas Week- They celebrate with fireworks, and they wait for Santa to come with their gifts, because Santa is kind and jolly fellow.

The Costa Rican Government The type of government used in Costa Rica is democratic republic. This means that pretty much all of the power rests in the hands of the citizens. The citizens can then vote for officers and representives that are responsible for them.

Climate/Weather of Costa Rica To the Costa Ricans, the climate consistsof two main seasons. These two seasons are Verano y Invierno. Verano lasts from Deciembre-Mayo, this season is mostly dry, with hardly any rain. Invierno lasts from Mayo-Noviembre, this season is very rainy.

Currency of Costa Rica People in Costa Rica use colones as money.

Government Leader Today The current leader of Costa Rica is Laura Chinchilla. She was elected 2010, and she is the sixth woman to be elected in Costa Rica. She was born in San Jose, in 1959.

Laura Chinchilla

Major Exports One major export of Costa Rica is computer software, like microchips. Another is coffee, many people today like Costa Rican coffee. Also, the United States has been a principle trading partner for a long time. They trade about 50 percent of all of the imports and exports.

Famous Individual A famous person from Costa Rica was Juan Santamaria. During the Battle of Riveras in 1856, he set fire to one of the enemy forts. Although, he was killed in action. What he did made the enemy troops retreat from the battle, and from then on he was a national hero.

Juan Santamaria

Traditional Music The traditional dance of Costa Rica is the Punto Guanacasteo . This dance is very happy and upbeat. Although, the people of Costa Rica enjoy the classic music, they also enjoy American and British rock, and modern music.

Sources http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1166638.stm http://www.tropical-island-vacation.net/costa-rica-tourist-attractions.html http://www.govisitcostarica.com/travelInfo/climate.asp

FUN FACTS

Costa Rica means “rich coast”, Christopher Colombus named it that when he traveled there.

The youngest age that the military recruits is 16 The youngest age that the military recruits is 16. While the oldest is 49.

Costa Rica Animals

Costa Rica is home to over 500,000 animal species.