COSTA RICA CULTURE

IN 1502 COLUMBUS STOPPED NEAR PRESENT DAY LIMON. NATIVES HAD GOLDEN MIRRORS AROUND THEIR NECKS AND TOLD OF MANY PLACES WITH GOLD MINES. COSTA RICANS ARE CALLED PICOS FROM SPANISH -ITO. THIS MEANS DIMINUTIVE.

THIS COUNTRY IS IN CENTRAL AMERICA WITH NICARGUA TO ITS NORTH. IT HAS 51,000 SQUARE KM. THE MOUNTAINS HAVE SPORADIC ERUPTIONS AND RUN NW TO SE, DIVIDING COSTA RICA INTO PACIFIC AND ALTIZONES. THEY HAVE FREQUENT EARTHQUAKES.

IN THE 1980'S THEY DEVELOPED PETROLEUM FACILITIES. THEY HAVE MANY MICROENVIRONMENTS - RAINFORESTS, SAVANNAHS, AND A DRY FOREST. BY 2000 THEY HAD 4 MILLION FOLKS WITH 32% UNDER THE AGE OF 14. THEY SPEAK SPANISH, THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE WITH VARIANTS. DESPITE CATHOLICS OPPOSITION TO CONCENTRATION TO CONTRACEPTION, 86% OF WOMEN IN CHILDBEARING AGE USE BIRTH CONTROL.

BACK IN 1821 COSTA RICA GAINED INDEPENDENCE FROM SPAIN AS PART OF THE MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE, AS PART OF MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE TO DEFEAT PRO-SLAVERY FOLKS. COSTA RICANS THINK THEY HAVE HIGH LEVELS OF EDUCATION AND COMPARED TO THE REST OF CENTRAL AMERICA. HOWEVER,THEY HAVE MANY SOCIAL, ECONOMICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS LIKE THEIR NEIGHBORS. ABOUT 95% OF COSTA RICANS CONSIDER THEMSELVES WHITE; HOWEVER THEY LOOK LIKE MEXICANS.

MUCH OF THE GUANACASTE POPULATION IS DESCENDED FROM INDIANS AND COLONIAL ERA SLAVES. IN LIMON, AFRO - COSTA RICANS ARE DESCENDED FROM JAMAICAN AND WEST BRITISH INDIANS WHO CAME IN THE 19TH CENTURY TO HELP WITH RAILROADS. THE BLACKS DENIED COSTA RICANS NATIONALITY UNTIL 1948.

ON THE ATLANTIC SIDE OF THE ISLAND THE BRIBRI AND CABECAR, THE LARGEST INDIGENOUS GROUP SHARES CULTURAL TRAITS. THEY HAVE CLAN MARRIAGE RULES AND RELIGION AROUND THE DIETY SIBO, THE CREATOR. THE SIX RESERVES ON THE PACIFIC SIDE ARE ALSO HOME TO BRIBRI AND CABECAR. SOME GROUPS ARE NOW PEASANTS GUAYMI INDIANS LACK IDENTITY, DOCUMENTS, AND HAVE A DISTINCT WAY OF LIFE.

AT THE END OF THE OF 1900'S, 500 INDIANS LIVED IN RIO FRIO. THE GUATAISOS VIOLENTLY REPULSED OUTSIDERS INCURSIONS UNTIL 1870 WHEN RUBBER TAPPERS KILLED INDIANS MEN AND KIDNAPPED WOMEN AND CHILDREN. THESE FOLKS WERE SOLD AS SLAVES IN NICARAGUA. THEIR POPULATION PLUMMETED TO LESS THAN 200, NEVER RECOVERING.

MALAMBIAN IS THE ONLY INDIGENOUS RESERVE IN THE NORTHERN PACIFIC OCEAN. POPULATED BY PEOPLES
WHOSE CULTURE RESEMBLED THAT OF CENTRAL MEXICO. THEY PRODUCED CERAMICS FOR TOURISTS.

SOME OF THE FIRST SPANISH COLONISTS IN COSTA RICA MAY HAVE BEEN JEWISH CONVERTS TO CHRISTIANITY AND WERE EXPELLED FROM SPAIN AND FLED TO HIDE AWAY PLACES. IN 1870'S THE RAILROAD IMPORTED 650CHINESE LABORERS TO COMPLETE RAIL PROJECTS IN COSTA RICA, PERU, CUBA, AND THE U.S. BY 1890 THEY BANNED CHINESE IMMIGRANTS.

OTHER CENTRAL AMERICANS CAME TO COSTA RICA TO WORK IN AGRICULTURE ESPECIALLY IN THE BANANA ZONE. IN THE 1980'S, NICARAGUANS AND SALVADORANS FLED VIOLENCE AND ECONOMIC CRISES TO WORK AS FARMHANDS, LABORERS, SERVANTS AND STREET VENDORS.

ALMOST ALL TOWNS HAVE A CENTRAL PLAZA WITH A CATHOLIC CHURCH, BANDSTAND AND BENCHES. RURAL HOMES HAVE GRASSY SQUARES FOR SOCCER FIELDS. SOME CITIES SUFFER FROM SEVERE AIR, WATER, AND NOISE, POLLUTION. MAIZE IS EATEN DAILY WITH WITH RICE AND BEANS, SOMETIMES THREE TIMES A DAY. EGGS, CHEESE, CHICKEN OR STEW OR SALAD AT SUPPER. THE MIDDAY MEAL IS THE LARGEST. TODAY THEY LIKE THE FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS. ALCOHOL DRINKING IS HIGH.

UNTIL THE 1960'S, COSTA RICA DEPENDED ON COFFEE AND BANANAS FOR EXPORT EARNINGS. AFTER 1948 THE CIVIL WAR NATIONALIZED BANKS CHANNELED SUBSIDIZED LOANS TO NEGLECT REGIONS. IN EARLY
1980'S THE STATE EDUCED ITS ROLE IN THE ECONOMY AND PROMOTED AND EXPORTED ORIENTAL AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRIES. SINCE 1996 TOURISM HAS BEEN SECOND LARGEST ECONOMY. MANY UPPER CLASS FAMILIES ARE DESCENDED FROM A FEW SPANISH CONQUISTADORS. THEY HAVE POVERTY YET HERE PROVIDED NEW OPPORTUNITIES UPWARD MOBILE YOUNG PEOPLE. THE ECONOMIC CRISIS IN THE 80'S, HAD STREET CRIME SKYROCKETED. COSTA RICA IS A SHIPPING PORT FOR COLUMBIAN COCAINE. THEY HAVE MANY NON GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE PUBLIC.

EMPLOYEE SPONSORED ASSOCIATIONS PROVIDE LOANS AND OTHER BENEFITS.

WOMEN ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FOOD PREP, CHILD CARE, AND CLEANING. MEN RELY ON MOTHERS OR WIVES. SOME UPPER CLASSES EMPLOY SERVANTS. HEAVY AGRICULTURE IS PERFORMED BY MEN AND BOYS.

THERE IS MUCH GENDER DISCRIMINATION SUCH AS FLIRTATIOUS REMARKS ON THE STREET AND PHYSICAL VIOLENCE IS HOME. IN 1994 THE WOMEN'S SOCIAL EQUALITY PASSED A LAW TO STOP DISCRIMINATION.

THE COSTA RICANS MARRY AT ABOUT 21. DIVORCE AND SEPARATION ARE FREQUENT. UPPER CLASS MEN MAINTAIN MISTRESSES.

ONE FOURTH OF THE POPULATION ENROLLS IN HIGHER EDUCATION. THE DATING AND COURTSHIP IS SIMILAR TO U.S. PATTERNS. IT IS USED TO BE HIGHLY RITUALIZED. CONVERTS AND CATHOLICISM ABSTAIN FROM ALCOHOL AND ABIDE BY STERN CODES OF CONDUCT. THEY HAVE FREE HEALTH CARE!


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