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People:
The population of Costa Rica is now
approximately 4,000,000 people,
which includes 40,000 natives who
belong to eight different cultural
groups. The official language is
Spanish, but many of the people
speak some English, a required
course in all schools. Costa Ricans
are affectionately known as Ticos
(TEA-coes) – and you would be hard
pressed to find a more friendly and
welcoming culture.
Education:
Costa Rica’s constitution requires
6% of its Gross Domestic Product be
dedicated to education – and as a
result it has a higher literacy rate
(95%) than the United States. Some
post offices have computers for
general use, and high speed Internet
connections are also available there.
Costa Rica also imports students
from overseas who come to the
Spanish-language schools that abound
throughout the country. Also, now
available are TEFL (Teaching English
as a Foreign Language) Courses for
adults wishing to travel and work in
foreign countires.
Religion:
Catholicism is the dominant religion,
as it is in most of Latin America.
Consequently, nearly all major
holidays are religious in nature.
The government and popular culture
is secular, though still
conservative.
Cities:
San José, population one million, is
the capital and cultural heart of
Costa Rica. Other major cities (by
population) are: Alajuela, Cartago,
Heredia, Liberia, Limón and
Puntarenas.
Entry
Requeriments:
To enter the country you now must
have a valid passport. Some
countries now require your passport
to be valid for at least 6 more
months in order to leave your
country to come here. Check with you
embassy and / or airline.
Electricity:
The voltage throughout the country
is 110, the same as in North America.
However, three-prong outlets are
scarce, so bring along an adapter if
you need one. Travelers with
appliances set for 220 will need an
adapter that changes the voltage and
allows for use of a different plug.
Time:
Costa Rica is on Central Standard
Time, six hours behind Greenwich
Mean Time and one hour behind EST in
the States. It does not currently
use daylight saving time, although
the idea has been considered.
Health:
No shots are required, but we always
suggest having a Hepatitis Ashot as
a precaution. The water in the major
cities of Costa Rica is safe and
most hotels and restaurants offer
purified tap water. You might prefer
to drink bottled water (agua
purificada) or seltzer (agua
mineral) to be sure. Costa Rica has
excellent, low-cost medical care and
well-qualified practitioners. Many
North Americans come to Costa Rica
for cosmetic surgery or dental work.
Safety and
crime:
Costa Rica is a safe destination for
99% of its tourists, but it’s always
a good idea to exercise caution
whenever one travels. In general,
the country has a low crime rate,
but in recent years there have been
increasing instances of tourists and
expatriates being robbed, as well as
several murders. In most cases,
crimes are simple thievery - non-violent
crimes of opportunity, so just
exercise caution, as anywhere in the
world. Additionally, most eco-adventures
involve some sort of danger, so be
sure to use less testosterone and
more common sense when deciding on
your level of participation in these
activities.
Surfing:
It rocks, ranked as on e of the best
surfing destinations in the world
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