Like Castro, Gueverra, and Sandino, Jose Figueres Ferrer holds a place as one of the most important revolutionary and political forces in Latin American history. This so-called “father of modern Costa Rica'; led his country to revolution and eventual democracy. Known affectionately as “Don Pepe'; by his admirers, Figueres was both an enemy of communist and a thorn in the side of the United States. While putting down a communist regime and allying himself consistently with the U.S., Figueres
type of system has been transferred into how their politics is still set up today. Costa Rica shared these troubles like many other Latin American countries, but learned from their mistakes and counteracted it early on. By understanding that the system they had would not help them progress, the development of democracy helped to achieve the political stability their country has today. Due to historical conditions Costa Rica was not susceptible to a lot of issues that created a path for caudillos or
History of Costa Rica Human habitation can be traced back more than 10,000 years but it appears Costa Rica was sparsely populated and a relative backwater in the pre-Columbian era. There is little sign of major communities and none of the impressive stone architecture that characterized the more advanced civilizations of Mesoamerica to the north and the Andes to the south. When Columbus arrived near Lim¢¢n on September 18, 1502 on his third and last voyage to the Americas, there were probably
The Flag of Costa Rica So this is a flag of Costa Rica. As you can see, it has three solid colors and seal. The white stands for peace, the red for bloodshed for freedom, and the blue represents perseverance. It was originally designed by Pacifica Fernandez, the wife of former Costa Rican president Jose Maria Castro Madriz, in 1848. Geography Costa Rica is located and Central America. It lies between two bodies of water, the Pacific Ocean, and the Caribbean Sea. It’s also at that south of Nicaragua
1. How did Costa Rica earn its independence? -Costa Rica earned its independence like the rest of Central america. They never fought for their independence from Spain. Costa Rica then becomes part of the Independent Mexican Empire. On September 15, 1821, after the final Spanish defeat in the Mexican War of Independence which lasted through 1810–1821. Soon the authorities in Guatemala declared the independence of all of Central America including Costa Rica. 2. How does Costa Rica’s government system
United Fruit would get its start in Costa Rica, a small Central American country nestled between Nicaragua and Panama. The decision to attempt to modernize Costa Rica by General Tomás Guardia would prove to be a fateful one that forever altered the course of Central America. To understand the machinations of General Guardia, we must first look briefly at Costa Rica’s historical situation. As noted by innumerable books and articles on the subject, the term “Costa Rica” was something of a misnomer for
I have chosen to discuss the political culture of Costa Rica. Briefly defined, a political culture is the grouping of beliefs and values internalised within the general population that underscores their political activity as well as their attitude toward the government. Hereby it is mentionable that two things which immensely impact on the political culture of a country are its political histories and the cultural development of the country. These two conjoined factors largely formulate the political
Costa Rica is a small, democratic country, located in Central America. Nicaragua is to the north of Costa Rica and Panama to the south and it is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east. The country is very small, only about 32,000 square miles and is slightly smaller than the state of West Virginia (CIA, para. 2 2013). This beautiful country only covers about 0.03% of the earth’s surface, yet contains about 5% of the biodiversity in the world (Visit Costa
The Breakdown of Democracy: A Comparative Analysis of Chile and Costa Rica On September 11, 1973, within a matter of hours, the once proud and historic democracy of Chile gave way to a coup d’état orchestrated by the most senior and trusted leaders of the State's military. As explained by Pamela Constable and Arturo Valenzuela in A Nation of Enemies, “The coup shattered … the myth that Chile's 150 year old civilian constitutional government was invincible”(Constable, p.20). Looking for answers to
Title page The United States of America and Costa Rica’s constitutions have several similarities and differences. The United States and Costa Rica have two of the most successful constitutional republics in the history of the world. They are alike in several ways, however, there are some major differences that allows them to thrive in their own environments. There are many components that describe the two countries: physical structure, traditions and how the constitutions were established
Cost Rica Costa Rica lies in the tropics and originated as a land of peaceful people and lush ecosystems. The Costa Rica of today is much different than a simple ideal tourist location. It is a country that ranks among the world’s highest in biodiversity. In addition, there is no separation between church and state. It is a country with a woman president and no army. The economy of Costa Rica is challenged on a daily basis and the education of its residents is recognizable. The purpose of this paper
Big Fish in a Small Pond While living in Costa Rica last summer I was introduced to a new culture and way of life. The national slogan, “Puravida,” was the daily greeting while riding my bike down the dirt rode into town for Spanish class. The country’s belief in “Puravida” translated - ‘pure life’ is one component that makes Costa Rica distinct in this ever-globalizing world. In the small town I lived the people would work for a day, fishing or tour-guiding, and spend the next three days off
the separation of Church and State and the endorsement of secularization. While many countries are still working toward a separation of Church and State, Costa Rica, a long-time democratic country, has continued to recognize Roman Catholicism as the official religion of the country and to look to church and clergy for support. Though the Costa Rican Church is removed from the political spotlight, it has not backed down from its doctrine and goals, and the Church and State have created a unique relationship
century the Spanish explored Costa Rica, tried to colonize but were unsuccessful because they faced several issues, such as swampy landforms, disease from mosquitos, extreme heat, rebellious natives and pirates. These problems did not stop the Spaniards, in 1563 the settlement of Cartago was established in the central highlands. Then, in 1838 Costa Rica gain independence from the Spaniards and in 1949 Costa Rica established its own armed forces. Most of the people in Costa Rica are white or mestizo
Central America’s history, we are able to see two neighboring countries that have challenged the status quo. Costa Rica and Nicaragua, like many of the Central American countries face obstacles such as poverty, the fight for political stabilization and economic development. Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere and the poorest country in Central America. Costa Rica faces the highest percentage of immigrants entering the country, approximately 9% of its population totals
To what extent was the Nicaragua Civil War, also known as the Contra War, an example of a War that broke out due to the Cold War context? Introduction The Nicaraguan Civil War to a large extent can be seen as a war due to cold war context. The civil war was seen as the final proxy war of the cold war and it took place during 1979 and 1990. Before the civil war had started it was a violent revolution whereby the people of Nicaragua were attempting to overthrow the dictatorship at the time. In 1979
Panama is the southernmost country of Central America. It sits on the isthmus connecting north and South America. Panama remains bordered by Costa Rica to the west. Colombia is to the southeast. The Caribbean is to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. Panama City is the capital of Panama. Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821.Panama has the third largest economy in Central America and it is the fastest growing economy and the largest