The Spanish Conquist
At the time of the Spaniard’s arrival to Costa Rica, there wasn’t an Indian empire, making life easy for these “colonists.” In reality, the Spaniards brought with them diseases against which the indigineous peoples
had no defense and which caused asmany victims as through fighting.
The indigineous population tried to fight the Spanish but there weren’t enough of them to stop
the groups arriving from Spain every couple of years looking to colonize the land.
The first explorer to set foot in Costa Rica was Christopher Columbus
(Cristoforo Colombo Italiano nato a Genova nel 1451)


who, in honor of his fourth (and last) trip to the Americas,
landed on isola Uvida, in front of Puerto Limon, September 18, 1502.
During his visit – which lasted 17 days – he was warmly welcomed by the indians of the coast,
and noted that many of the inhabitants wore gold jewelry. It was because of this that the
Spanish called this area “costa rica” (rich coast), imagining that inland there was great wealth.
The Spanish King Ferdinand, named Diego de Nicuesa Governor of the region,
and in 1506 he invited him to colonize it, but this time the Indians didn’t welcome the Europeans
like they had before, in part because they brought new, deadly diseases with them.
Small bands of Indians rebelled and fought against the intruders, and together with the hazards
of the jungle and unknown tropical diseases, almost half of the invaders died.
The survivors, by now worn down, returned home.


Independence
Central American gained its independence from Spain September 15, 1821, but Costa Rica
only became aware of this situation one month later. For short periods they were part of the Mexican
empire then became a state in the United Province of Central America.
The first elected head of state was Juan Mora Fernandez, who governed from 1824 to 1833 and,
during the period in which he was in charge, began the exportation of the first quantities
of coffee, introduced from Cuba in 1808.
The 19th century saw a constant growth of the exportation of coffee and this phenomenon transformed
Costa Rica from an extremely poor country to a prosperous nation, blessed with many raw materials.
Inevitably, some coffee cultivators became very rich, and the difference between
socio-economic classes was born.

Repùblica de Costa Rica - Official site


San Jose
San Jose is a bit of a surprise. Compared to other capitals of the region, it is more cosmopolitan:
there are large department stores, commercial centres, fast food chains and blue jeans.
The city however, was founded in 1737 and remained Colonial for a short time.
Today, the city offers a wide variety of museums, national monuments, good restaurants and urban parks.
Among the museums to note are the Museum of Pre-Columbian Gold, the National Museum,
and the Museum of Costa Rican Art. Must sees include the Plaza de la Cultura,
the National Theatre, and the Plaza della Democrazia, which leads to the urban parks.
The centre of San Jose includes three green areas:
Sabana Metropolitan Park, the Park of the East, and the Park of Peace.
Other places of interest include the Zoological Park of
Simon Bolivar, the Entomology Museum and the Reptile House.

Ministerio de Planificación Nacional y Política Económica - Costa Rica
(Official site)



Democracy
In 1869 obligatory elementary school instruction was implemented, even if the families
that lived in the most remote area weren’t able to send their children to school.
The first democratic elections were held in 1889; it was the first time that rich and poor alike were able to vote,
but this right wasn’t extended to women or to people of color until 1949 when the constitution was revised.

Gobierno de la Republica de Costa Rica
(Official site)


Climate
Like many tropical regions, Costa Rica only has two seasons; a dry one and a humid one.
The dry season lasts from December to April and the Costa Ricans call it summer (verano),
while the rest of the year it is rainy and winter (invierno).
The temperature doesn’t vary so much according to the seasons, as it does because of the altitude.
San Jose, located 1150 meters above sea level, has a climate which its inhabitants
call “eternal spring” and ranges from 15˚ C to 26˚ C year round.
The coastal zones are much better.


Official Language
The official language of Costa Rica is Spanish.
English is also widely used.
There is no problem for Italian tourists however;
the Costa Ricans understand Italian like they understand English, even if they can’t speak them.

Grupoice.com
(Official site)


Electricity
The electrical current is 110 volts.
An American plug – the kind with long, flat prongs - is indespensible for travel through Costa Rica.


Currency
The only local currency is the colon, which is divided into 100 cents.
It is recommended that tourists carry US dollars in cash and traveller’s checques.
Major credit cards are accepted almost everywhere.


Hygiene, Health, Vaccines
No vaccinations are required for entering Costa Rica. However,
it’s always a good idea to pack intestinal disinfectants, antibiotics, insect repellants and sun tan lotion.

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