3. Costa Rica - Area and Population
Area about equal to southern California
south of Los Angeles
Costa Rica U.S.
Population 4.1 million million
5.8% over %
Median Age
Life expectancy
European ancestry 94% 82%
Catholics 76% 24%

4. Costa Rica Democratic Republic Voting age 18, mandatory voting
President – Oscar Arias
Legislative Assembly, elected
No army
No oil, no gold
Agricultural products: bananas, pineapples, coffee, nursery stock, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes, beef, timber
Manufacturing: electronic products, textiles

5. A Little History 1562 Spanish landed on Caribbean coast near Limon
families in Cartago
1641 Slave ship wrecks on Caribbean coast (Miskitos)
1821 Independence from Spain (mailed in)
United Provinces of Central America
1824 Nicoya joins Costa Rica
1838 Independent Costa Rica
1855 William Walker takes control of Nicaragua
1858 Walker defeated in Costa Rica
1832 First coffee exports
1880 First banana exports
1917, Dictators take over and are removed
1934 Strike against the United Fruit Company

6. Surrounding Countries
Nicaragua to the north
1979 Sandanistas topple dictator
Opposed by the U.S.
U.S. fought governments of Nicaragua and San Salvador
Panama to the south
1903 Seceded from Columbia with U.S. help
Ceded Panama Zone to U.S.
1989 U.S. invaded Panama to remove Noriega
2000 U.S. ceded Panama Zone to Panama

7. Medical Recommendations
We (and the Centers for Disease Control) recommend:
Vaccination for Hepatitis A
Vaccination for Hepatitis B
Vaccination for Typhoid
Taking Chloroquine for malaria prevention