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Costa Rica

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Costa Rica

    Costa Rica is officially known as the Republic of Costa Rica. It is

19,575 square miles in size and has a population of approximately 3,342,000

people. It is bordered by Panama and Nicaragua. The capital of Costa Rica

is San Jose. Its coastal areas are hot and humid and heavily forested. It has a

large chain of volcanoes rising over 12,000 feet. The official language of

Costa Rica is Spanish. It is a democratic nation and has no military. Costa

Rica has only 3 national newspapers.

History

    Christopher Columbus discovered Costa Rica in 1502. In 1563 Spain

began its conquest of the Costa Rican area. In 1821 Costa Rica gained

independence and was successfully part of the Mexican empire. Coffee

growing started in the early 1800's and banana cultivation began in 1874.

Costa Rica's democratic government began in 1889. Its president from 1986

to 1990 worked for peace in Central America. Economically, Costa Rica has

a history of payment problems.

    Government

    Costa Rica has a democratic government. Its current constitution was

adopted in 1949. In Costa Rica, the president serves as the chief executive

and head of state. The president is elected to a four year term. The

legislative assembly has fifty-seven deputies that are elected for a four year

term. The supreme court has seventeen justices appointed by the legislature.

Costa Rica's army was abolished in 1948. However, they do have a national

guard that can fight in a ...

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Submitted by: 123student
Date Submitted: 10-16-2002
Category: Social Issues
Words: 931
Pages: 3.72