Costa Rica: A Country of Stability
The economic, political and social stability in Costa Rica, are characteristics that have distinguished it through its entire contemporary history, and form part of its strengths that have enabled it to reach great success in alluring investments.

The Costa Rican government is ruled by a series of constitutional controls and balances. The executive responsibilities rest on the President of the Republic, who is the center of power, and is supported by two vice-presidents and his cabinet. The President and Vice-presidents of the executive power, plus 57 congressmen, which conform the Legislative Assembly, are directly elected every 4 years. The country has a strong legal system that manages the Judicial Power, which ensures law compliance, and covers nationals, as well as foreigners within the territory.

Costa Rica currently possesses a stable democracy, which is recognized worldwide, and has over 115 years of history. Such vocation of respect for political and peace processes, have been enriched by the abolition of the military in 1949, and acknowledged in 1987, when our then President of the Republic Oscar Arias Sanchez was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

The last World Bank’s survey for Political Stability sets up Costa Rica in the first place for Latin America and the 23rd place among 186 countries from all over the world. This measure includes several indicators among it includes a measure of perception of the likelihood that the government in power will be destabilized or overthrown by possibly unconstitutional and/or violent means, including domestic violence and terrorism. This index captures the idea that the quality of governance in a country is compromised by the likelihood of wrenching changes in government, which not only has a direct effect on the continuity of policies, but also at a deeper level undermines the ability of all citizens to peacefully select and replace those in power.

Costa Rica Climate and Weather
Enjoy the sun, but carefully
Going to the beach is a must when traveling to Costa Rica and a nice suntan is always possible. It is not advisable however, to try to tan in just one day because it takes 24 to 48 hours for the skin to produce melanin, a dark pigment that reduces the aging process caused by sunburn. The healthiest thing for you to do is to use a PABA-free suntan or UV sun blocking lotion.

Costa Rica is unequivocally a tropical country, situated between 8° and 11° North latitude, fairly close to the equator. Although in the mountains above 2000 meters you get much cooler temperatures, the average annual temperature for most of the country lies between 21.7°C (71°F) and 27°C (81°F). The coolest months are from November through January, and the warmest from March through May. San José, the capital, where over a third of the population lives, stands at approximately 1170 meters altitude and has a mean annual temperature of 20.6°C  (69°F).
The nation's climate is classically divided into two major seasons: rainy and dry. The dry season runs from January through May and the rainy season from May to November and December. Locally, the seasons were named by the early Spanish colonizers, calling the dry months "verano" or summer, and the rainy, grey and gloomy months "invierno" or winter. It is interesting to note that some of the coldest temperatures are registered during the early dry season or "summer". Climate is, of course, a complex phenomenon, and there are many aspects of the weather in Costa Rica that are worth examining in more detail, such as the influences of wind, rain, and topography

Weather in the tropics is essentially a phenomenon of solar radiation and air circulation. Intense heat at the equator puts air in motion, and a worldwide pattern of winds is established. The most famous of these, for Costa Rica, are the north-easterly trade winds, known locally as "alisios". These winds blow with considerable force from December to March and April. These winds, for example, are responsible for carrying moisture in the form of mists to the slopes of the Tilarán mountain range. These mists are what sustain the magnificent cloud forest ecosystem.

Rainfall patterns, although seasonal, vary greatly in intensity across geographical areas. Some locations receive over 6 mts (18 ft) of precipitation per year, while others receive under 1.5 mts (4 ft). Most of the total rainfall for any given site (about 70%) occurs on less than 15 days of a whole year, and will often be experienced as days of torrential downpour. Costa Rica may hold the world record for the amount of rainy days at one site. Hacienda Cedral registered 359 days of rain in 1968.

The topography of the country also has a great influence on the weather patterns of a given locality. As a result the timing of the dry and rainy seasons varies a bit on each slope of the mountain ranges that run from the north-west to the south-east and divide the nation into a Caribbean slope and a Pacific slope.

On the Caribbean slope the rainy season begins from mid to late April and continues through December and sometimes January. The wettest months are July and November, with a dry spell that occurs around August or September. Major storms, called "temporales del Atlantico" occasionally buffet this slope between September and February, when it will rain continuously for several days; but an average rainy season day will begin clear with a few hours of sunshine that will give way to clouds and rain by the afternoon. In contrast, the driest months of February and March, might be almost entirely without rainfall.

On the Pacific slope the rainy season begins in May and runs its course until November. Here again, days often begin sunny and pleasant, with rains coming later in the day. This is a period in which the trade winds coming from the north-east are much reduced in intensity, and as a result storms often come in from the Pacific Ocean in September and October. In the northern half of the country the Pacific slope experiences an intense dry season, in which no rain may fall for several months. The forests of the North-West are to a large extent deciduous, letting their leaves fall in order to conserve water. Winds can be very strong, occasionally reaching speeds of 90 km/hr in the lowlands, although they average more around 20 km/hr. The whole Central Valley, in which the capital is situated, experiences a mild, pleasant dry season that is matched by moderate temperatures for most of the year, and a lower than average amount of rainfall. Early settlers prized the area for both its mild climate and fertile soils. The southern half of the Pacific slope is much wetter than its northern counterpart, with a shorter dry season and longer and heavier afternoon rains in the wet season.

In a discussion of the climate in Costa Rica one cannot omit El Niño, "The Child". It is a poorly understood weather phenomenon that occurs every two to seven years. It is originally detectable as an unusual warming of a section of the Pacific Ocean. In 1997 El Niño struck Costa Rica once again, disrupting normal weather patterns considerably. Some scientists have postulated that this phenomenon might have been partially responsible for the disappearance of several species of frogs in the late 80's, which are extremely dependent on water. Each time it occurs analysts across the world hold their breaths waiting to see the effects it has on different regions, because they can often be disastrous.

Written by Marc Eggar

Costa Rican People (Ticos)
Ethnically Costa Rica has one of the most homogeneous populations in all of Latin America. Ninety-seven percent is mestizo (of mixed blood, generally Spanish with Native American) or of direct European descent. Of the mestizos, the vast majority have a much higher percentage of European blood and thus are considerably fair skinned. Afro-Caribbean natives represent approximately 2% of the population. They did not arrive in Costa Rica as slaves, as in most other regions of the New World, but as migrant labor in the 1870's. They had been hired from a host of Caribbean islands in order to help construct a railroad that would run from San José down to the Atlantic coast near Limon. Of the original denizens of this land, the Native Americans, only about 30,000 remain. They represent less than 1% of the total.

The indigenous population exists in the present as eight separate communities. Six native languages have survived the ravages of time, and are now encouraged by government legislation that allows for bilingual education. The majority of the indigenous groups are located in the south of the country; the two largest groups being the Cabecares and the Bribris. A 1977 Indigenous Bill established the right to land reserves as well as creating programs to preserve and stimulate native culture. The government has actually followed through with these initiatives, but has simultaneously failed to help protect the land rights versus the incursions of mining and squatting interests. The indigenous people only earned their right to vote in 1994.

International standards would rank Costa Rica amongst those nations with high literacy rates. Although the government's claim of a 95% literacy rate is considered to be inflated, the great majority of its people can read and write. Education up to the sixth grade is obligatory and the network of public schools is dispersed into the far corners of the land. The country is now home to a handful of well regarded Universities such as the National University and the University of Costa Rica.

The country's population is believed to have surpassed the 3 million mark in the last couple of years. Family size is declining steadily with parents who are now in their thirties having only 2 or 3 children, whereas they themselves come from families of 8 or 9. It would not be at all uncommon for their grandparents to have 12 or 14 siblings. The annual population growth rate is now at 2.3 percent. Another major factor adding to the steady increase of the population has been a regular stream of illegal immigrants from Nicaragua, which has extremely high unemployment.

A people may best be understood by values they hold dear. Foremost amongst Costa Rican sources of pride are its democratic tradition and its peace ethic. In a region plagued by civil wars, human rights abuses, and until recently dictatorships, Costa Rica stands out as an exception. Since 1949, when the army was abolished, the country has had a fairly stable democracy. The new Constitution of 1949 included a progressive labor code, upheld a system of social security, and contained a set of social guarantees( such as a minimum wage), that gave the average citizen rights that were ahead of their time. In many ways this diminished the disparity between the upper and lower classes and thus was conducive to cooperation and the resolution of conflicts in a democratic forum. The government, albeit plagued by problems over the decades, has shown a commitment to broad social welfare. This commitment coupled with a strong support of public education and public health has helped create a mature populace that has learned how to solve problems without resorting to armed conflict.

Children are exposed to the "rights" that they have as citizens in the public school system. The National Anthem includes the line, "let work and peace always live." In 1987 the country's president, Oscar Arias, won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on Esquipulas II, a plan to bring peace to Central America. Internationally the country receives much praise for its abolishment of the army and its comparative political stability for almost half a century. The average Costa Rican, if questioned about his/her opinion, will most often concur that peace is a noble and worthwhile aspiration, as well as a condition to be treasured. Their closest neighbor, Nicaragua, stands as a clear reminder of the hardships of a people living in a state of war, since this nation experienced a revolution in 1979, and continued armed struggle well into the 1980's.

A second, younger ethic that grows in the nation's citizenry is environmental protection. Costa Rica stands out in the world with over 20% of its national territory in national parks, wildlife refuges, and forest reserves. Another 10% is also bound by various restrictions in land use, and ecotourism has become the nation's largest source of economic revenue. Conservation organizations worldwide look upon Costa Rica as a model to be emulated. Even in the 1990's the conservation frontier expands, despite illegal logging, squatting, and bureaucratic corruption. Government sponsored advertisements on television espousing the protection of natural resources are fairly common, and a new generation of Costa Rican biologists have emerged as staunch supporters of conservation. Some statistics have claimed that the country may hold over 5 percent of the world's species. The present generation of teenagers cannot help but become aware of environmental issues. A growing sense of pride is developing amongst Costa Ricans, in that they stand in the forefront of the conservation movement. Once again international acclaim only serves to further entrench this environmental ethic. This nation stands as a shining example of what can be done to preserve the world's biodiversity.

A third aspect of Costa Rica is simply the hospitality of its people. Despite a growth in crime and drug problems, on average, the country is a remarkably friendly environment. In the countryside there is always a warm pot of coffee on the wood stove, ready to be served to the unexpected visitor. The people are polite, curious, and inclined to smile. The tourism of the last decade has brought with it an assortment of con-artists, hustlers, and entrepreneurs, but nonetheless almost all travelers are made to feel welcome.

Of course one cannot describe the people of a nation without mentioning their religion. Costa Rica is a Catholic land, like most of Latin America. A host of evangelical churches emerged in the 1970's and have become well established, but nearly 80% of the population remains Catholic. However, only about 20% of the Catholics attend mass regularly. Holy Week is the time of year when there is the most pronounced expression of the faith and the nation comes to a standstill during this holiday.

Costa Ricans are also a people in the making. As the world becomes more interconnected, the Ticos, as they call themselves, will be exposed to new ideas, cultures, and technologies, and will thus have to forge a new and dynamic identity.

Written by Marc Egger

Northern Guanacaste Province
North Guanacaste harbors an important portion of the costa rican cultural and natural patrimony. Not in vain there is a significant number of protected areas, including coastal, mountainous, terrestrial, and aquatic ecosystems, where life develops with exuberance.

It is situated in the northern part of the country, and covers the pacific coast of Costa Rica, since the limit with Nicaragua to Punta Cerritos, located 22 km. west from the city of Santa Cruz. It covers an extension of approximately 100 km. of the Pacific Coast. In the past, this region has had its natural vocation in the cattle raising and in the agriculture. Currently, nevertheless, the incomparable beauty of its landscapes, that go from the tropical dry forest to the forest montano low and its hot climate, as well as its fertile nature, have done of Guanacaste one of the most concurred places by the local and international tourism. Besides an important backup in the Pole of Tourist Development of the Papagayo’s Gulf, there is the Daniel Oduber International, where a large quantity of flights arrives charter and regular flights from the United States.