Costa Rica

¿Dónde está? (Where is it at?)

La bandera (The flag)

On the coat of arms you will find… Three volcanoes (volcán), one for each of the three mountain (montaña) ranges in the country A valley (valle) between two oceans, the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean. A merchant ship in each ocean, representing the maritime history of the country. An arch of seven stars (estrellas) representing the seven provinces of the Costa Rica. All surrounded by a golden frame representing the golden bean, coffee (café).

La gente (The people) Costa Ricans, sometimes referred to as Ticos, are a mixture of races. Most of the country’s 4 million inhabitants descend from Spanish immigrants. However, there are a fair number of indigenous people still remaining in Costa Rica. Part of the population is mestizo, a mix of European and native people. Many people in Costa Rica work in tourism or agriculture, however, in recent years the electronics and pharmaceuticals industries have been growing.

Bananas (plátanos) and Coffee (café) are the main exports.

Plátano grande The plantain, a larger member of the banana family, is another commonly used fruit and can be served in a variety of ways. Ripe (maduro) plantains have a sweet flavor and can be fried in butter, baked in a honey or a sugar- based sauce, or put in soups. Unripe or green (verde) plantains can be boiled in soups or can be sliced and fried to make patacones.

Breakfast in Costa Rica: The main staple, known as gallo pinto, or painted rooster, consists of rice and black beans, often served with eggs, a fried “plátano” and coffee.gallo pinto

Pastel de Tres Leches Also called Three-Milk Cake, the national dessert of Costa Rica is a dense, moist cake topped with a cloud of vanilla whipped cream. What makes it unusual is that after baked, it is perforated and soaked in a mixture of three different milk products: evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk or heavy cream, hence the name Tres Leches. The three milks, when combined, create just the right sweetness, density and "mouth feel" for a rich cake, making it moist but not mushy. The cake is like one big giant sponge soaking up the delicious milk syrup.

Costa Rica has 5 active volcanos. The Arenal is perhaps the most famous of all Costa Rica’s volcanoes. This is because it is the most active volcano in the country, spewing hot gases and steam on a regular basis. Thanks to the Arenal Volcano’s geothermal activity, there is a number of natural hot springs throughout the area. Warm and soothing, these springs offer visitors an ideal way to relax after a day spent exploring Arenal Volcan Irazu is known for the astonishing green blue lake that sits in one of its craters, Poas Volcano contains a boiling acid lake in one of its craters. Aside from their natural beauty and fertility, the volcanoes of Costa Rica are also fabulous recreational grounds for hiking, viewing waterfalls (cascadas), white water rafting, sportfishing, surfing, boating, swimming, kayaking, horseback riding, camping, mountain biking & exploration. Volcanos

Las Tortugas (turtles) The beaches of Costa Rica are one of the world´s most active nesting sites for sea turtles. One species of sea turtle, the leatherback, can weigh 700 to 2000 lbs, and may grow between 4 and 8 feet long! Unfortunately, many of these amazing creatures are endangered.

What´s happening to the tortugas? The global populations of sea turtles are declining at an alarming rate. The most direct harm to the sea turtles is caused by poachers who kill adult turtles for their meat, fat, and shells, and dig up turtle eggs. Both meat and the eggs are considered delicacies and the shells are turned into souvenirs. The reproductive rates of the turtles are slow, so it is difficult for them to recover from slaughter by poachers and fisherman. In addition, baby turtles face another threat, natural predators who lay and wait for the turtle eggs to hatch. The survivors mature slowly—it can take up to 40 or 50 years before a sea turtle is ready to mate and reproduce. Between slow maturation and a high death rate, it is a very real possibility that these creatures in peligro (danger) will become extinct. Turtle documentary

What´s being done? Volunteers come from around the world to the playas (beaches) of Costa Rica to help save the sea turtles. As a volunteer you can expect to spend your nights on the beach, since that is when the adults swim to shore to lay their huevos (eggs). You'll monitor nesting leatherbacks, measure and tag them, record nest locations, and count eggs to help researchers. Depending on the season, you may relocate threatened nests to the hatchery, protect hatchlings as they crawl seaward, excavate nests to determine hatching success rates, and rescue stragglers. You may also help attach transmitters or data-loggers to adults to monitor their behavior and migrations, or help maintain the turtle hatchery.

Resumen (recap) What is the capital of Costa Rica? – Compare: What is the capital of the United States? What are Costa Rica´s two main exports? – Compare: What do you think the U.S.’s two main exports are? Much of Costa Rica´s population are descendents of what European country? – Compare: Where are American citizens descendent from? How many active Volcanos does Costa Rica have? What type of turtle can grow to over 1000 lbs? Why are the sea turtles endangered?