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Far, far away from city life, lost somewhere in the dense jungles and uneven terrain lies Costa Rica. A naturalist’s paradise… But its not all leafy and green, San Jose the capital of Costa Rica could be just another North American city with its departmental stores and streets lined with fast food restaurants. But the urban character of the city ends at its corners. Visit the interiors to get acquainted to the real Costa Rica.

There’s much to explore in this country with its dripping cloud forest, belching volcanoes and sprawling parks. A fair part of the country is inhabited by the Ticos (or locals) but it is also home to a variety of wildlife.

Bug-phobists look out! There are about 7, 50,000 species of insects that live in Costa Rica, including about 20,000 different types of spiders!

Driving is a jeopardizing task as the country’s roads record numerous accidents in a month. If you come across a big yellow heart with a crack in it painted on the road of Costa Rica- means someone has died in a road accident which are very common on the roads. So be extremely careful and drive cautiously.

Historically Speaking

Besides the odd monuments and artefacts, not much is known of the indigenous people who inhabited the region before the arrival of the Spanish. Research of the faded remnants reveals a close link between the Incas, Mayas and the people who inhabited the area. Their tremulous social organisation and small population could, however, not resist the Spanish colonisers and within a few years all traces of the indigenous population was wiped out by the colonisers.

Christopher Columbus arrived in 1502 AD but it wasn’t till the 1560’s that the Spanish established any settlements. Attracted by tales of gold, Cartago in the western highlands was the first to be colonised. But the Spanish were to be disappointed, there was no gold and Costa Rica was left to continue its slumber away from the interference of Europe. The lack of Indians at Cartago meant no slave labour and no emergence of mestizo culture. In 1723, the nearby Volcan Irazu erupted destroying much of the town. However, the surviving populace soon rebuilt the town.

The 18th century witnessed the revival of the Spaniards’ interest in Costa Rica and colonies were established in Heredia, San Jose and Alajuela. In 1808, coffee was introduced into the economy. This added a new dimension to the economic and political scene in Costa Rica.

The year 1856 is marked out in the history of Costa Rica. William Walker the US military renegade, who had established control over Nicaragua, invaded Costa Rica. However, the army was defeated under the leadership of Juan Rafeal Mora, the then President.

The late 19th century witnessed wide scale modernisation under the leadership of General Tomas Guardia who established the infrastructure for an economically stable Costa Rica but at the cost of civil liberties. A new constitution was introduced in 1871. New cash crops like banana and sugar were introduced. This economic advancement brought with it a different social and political structure.

As compared to its neighbouring Central American countries, Costa Rica’s history has been fairly dormant. However 1948 saw a flash of violence when the communist rebels did not allow Ulate, the winner in the elections to take up office and civil war broke out. As a result of the civil strife the army of the country was dismantled completely. Today only a police force comprising of 7000 members known as the Civil Guard is in operation. The new constitution formulated during this period, 1949, aimed for a more democratic country and finally all sections of the population – women and blacks – were given the right to vote.

Despite the huge blows from persistent natural disasters, the country’s economy has witnessed a steady growth with eco-tourism assuming an important position in its progress and driving the country’s GDP towards encouraging heights. Also known as the Switzerland of Central America, Ticos or Costa Rica is also maturing politically. In 2010, Laura Chinchilla was elected the president, the first woman to occupy this office in the country.

Habitat

Costa Rica shares international borders with two other Central American countries, Nicaragua in the north and Panama in the east. The country has two long coastlines; one washed by the Caribbean Sea and the other faces the Pacific Ocean. Craggy mountains run across in the interiors from the northwest to the southeast. The ranges gain height as one moves to the south east and the Mount Chirripo (12,533 ft) is located in this area.

An expanse of high altitude flat land, Valle Central, characterises the central portion enriched with fertile soil. The area supports over half the population if the country. This central area slopes in the east and west to form a narrow coastal plain. The western coast is 1016 km long with numerous gulfs, bays and peninsulas. The Caribbean coast in the east is shorter with mangrove swamps, dense jungles and numerous beaches.

One of the first countries to wake up to the disasters of deforestation, Costa Rica has preserved much of its natural vegetation. The initial damage of massive deforestation has been countered by a decade of protection. The northern highlands are covered with deciduous forests while evergreen forests thrive in the southern highlands. Lower altitudes are characterised by rainforests that transform into cloud forests as you ascend.

As in plant life, Costa Rica offers a variety of wildlife. Monkeys, jaguars, armadillos, tapirs inhabit the forests of Costs Rica. Bird life includes 850 species of birds.