"Coastal plains stretch inland from the shores of the Pacific and Caribbean, and rise steeply to the central highlands with their towering volcanic peaks. The coastal plain alongside the Caribbean is wide and makes up 30% of Costa Rica. It has swampy soils and thick hardwood forests. Fewer than 10% of the people live here because it is hot and humid. On an average it rains for 300 days in every year and this is the reason that most people live on the Pacific coast or in the highlands." Geologists call this region the backarc basin.
"The Pacific coastal plain has a rainy season from May to November. Farmers raise a variety of grain as well as cattle in the north. Further south are the large banana plantations that produce millions of bananas each year, many of which are exported to the United States. The Pacific coastal plain is much smaller than the Caribbean coastal plain, but it has twice the population. "In reality there hardly is any plain here. This is an area marked by peninsulas, namely, Santa Elena, Nicoya, Quepos, Oso, and Brurica (Fig. 1). The western part of the peninsular belt is marked by low ridges that geologists call the froearc ridge. The ridges are 1200 to 1800 feet high. Landward from the ridges is a broad lowland, which is penetrated by the Pacific Ocean to form gulfs (Figures 2 & 3). This low land region is what geologists call forearc basin. Rivers flow toward the axis of the forearc ridge, to the Tempisque river and Golfo de Nicoya (Fig. 3)
"The mountains crossing central Costa Rica from northwest to southeast have three "cordilleras" or ranges. They are the Guanacaste, the Central and the Talamanca. These mountains rise more than 12,000 feet, forming walls around level basins and tablelands with elevations of between 3,000 and 4,000 feet. The largest of these tablelands, the Meseta Central, covers about 3,500 square miles and is the principal coffee producing area. Approximately 70% of the people live here. "The 'cordilleras' mark what geologists call a volcanic arc. Active volcanoes are found in Northern Costa Rica, northwest of the fracture zone called ENFZ (Fig. 2). We will have an opportunity to visit the active volcanoes of Arenal (1633 meters), Poas (2704 meters), or Irazu (3432 meters).
"The fertile, volcanic soil of the Central Plateau ranks as Costa Rica's
principal natural resource. Dense hardwood forests, including rosewood,
mahogany, cedrela and ebony are grown throughout the country. The cinchona
tree from whose bark quinine is made, is native to Costa Rica. Gold and
salt are the chief minerals, although copper and silver are also present.
HISTORY OF THE PEOPLE:
The Indian period:
The territory was sparsely populated but its mountain valleys served as a point of contact between Mesoamerican cultures of the north and the Andean cultures of the south. Tribes fought constantly among themselves for control of the territory. The largest and most advanced tribe of Indians were the Chorotegas who were intensely militarized. The Caribs were smaller in number and led a nomadic existence on the east coast. The Rorucas lived in well-fortified settlements on the Pacific coast. The smallest tribe was the Nahuas whose customs were related to those of the Aztecs. Little is known of the Corobicis, the oldest indigenous tribe.
The Colonial period:
In 1502 Christopher Columbus, on his fourth and final voyage, anchored on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. He name the country "rich coast", after trading with the Carib Indians for the large gold disks they were wearing. This experience led him to believe that there was lot more gold. The Spaniards were not able to conquer and colonize Costa Rica easily. There was no centralized Indian empire to subdue as was the case in Mexico and Peru. The hundreds of fiercely independent chiefdoms had to be dealt with separately. In addition, the climate and terrane also discouraged settlement.
It took sixty years before the Spanish succeeded in colonizing the east coast. The next governor relocated his capital farther inland on the Meseta Central and was able to provide an agricultural base for the colony. The diseases which the Spaniards brought with them decimated large number of the Indian population. Even diseases like measles, mumps and chicken pox proved to be fatal for the Indians. With the resulting lack of exploitable labor, the settlers were forced to work their own land to obtain a meager living.
The colony was relatively isolated from the other Spanish colonial centers in Mexico and Peru, and so an autonomous and individualistic agrarian society developed. From these early experiences cam a democratic tradition, egalitarianism and a land holding system based on interdependency rather than on patronage.
Independence:
Costa Rica joined other Central American countries in declaring independence from Spain in 1821. They formed the United Provinces of Central America in 1823 and withdrew from the Mexican empire. In 1838 this union began to disintegrate and Costa Rica became completely independent. Independence brought about the search for economic expansion. Coffee and banana cultivation lead to a situation of concentrated wealth. Class differences started to emerge but society's high degree of ethnic and linguistic homogeneity contributed to a relatively egalitarian structure in society. Politically Costa Rica has remained stable, except for two short periods. The first was in 1917-1918 and the second was in 1948.
THE PEOPLE AND THEIR CULTURE:
Historically, all Costa Ricans had to cultivate their own farms. It was easy and cheap to acquire land and so the image of Costa Ricans as yeoman farmers emerged. This was a leveling process, although the Spanish families dominated society for a long time. The rich coffee barons are direct descendants of the early elite Spanish families. Although the Costa Rican society is diverse with respect to the distribution of wealth, status, power and lifestyle; it is ethnically and linguistically much more homogenous than any other Central American society. Rural and urban populations differ, but the spread of education and health care into the countryside, lessen the tensions that might otherwise arise.
Costa Rican call themselves "Ticos", derived from the colonial saying, "We are all hermaniticos (little brothers)". About 95% inherited varying amounts of Spanish blood that has been mixed with the Indian. In some cases there is an African heritage as well.. Their cultural homogeneity is apparent in their religion, with 95% being Catholics. They all speak Spanish and have many other shared values and customs.
Ticos proudly share a very deep sense of national identity. They feel set apart from their Central American neighbors. They are lighter of skin color and are sharply different in culture and personality. They are peace loving, conformists, conservative and have a tendency to localism. Democracy is a cherished value. Their deep-rooted belief in a free press and fair elections with individual liberty is often counted as their greatest blessing.
The family is still considered to be the cornerstone of society. The
extended family group often functions as a unit in politics and business.
In the family the masculine and feminine roles are still clearly defined.
Formal education is highly valued as a means of upward mobility. Good
manners and good behavior are acclaimed as being an indication that a person
is "well educated". Costa Rica has the highest standard of living and
the highest literacy rate (90%) in all of Central America.
TRANSPORTATION:
Costa Rica has more than 700 miles of narrow gauge railroad track.
Four railroads connect the Caribbean coast with the Pacific coast via San
Jose. Several airlines serve Costa Rica and use the airport located at
the capital, San Jose. Small, single-engine planes serve the rest of the
country and often use small, home-made landing strips. Shipping lines
call at Puntarenas on the Pacific coast and at Limon on the Caribbean coast.
These vessels are not usually passenger liners, but are coastal freighters.
They carry coffee, bananas and hardwoods to overseas markets. Public roads
cover a distance of about 5,000 miles. The most important of these is
the Pan-American Highway that runs through Costa Rica from the northeast
to the southeast. This highway has been an important link in unifying
the country. Besides the Pan American highway, only a few other main roads
are paved. The majority are gravel roads, while in the rural areas they
are often just dirt roads."
Back to contents