https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx Core 4 Schwab, Lola en-us 2017-09-27 02:37:45 UTC 2023-04-05 17:21:44 UTC hello@padlet.com lolaschwab2023 https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191510202 Costa Rica is a Democratic Republic which is a government that is decided by the votes of the people.  The Costa Rican government  is run by a president who can hold two,  four year non-consecutive terms and a head of state elected by popular vote. Similar to the United States government, there is a group of legislators which is made up of 57 people. To support women in taking part in politics 50 percent of the legislators have to be women.  The government is protected by a guard titled the National Guard of Domestic Safety.  Although there is no military, there are still limits to the defense mechanisms that the National Guards can carry. ]]> 2017-09-27 02:41:13 UTC https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191510202 lolaschwab2023 https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191815590 The Costa Rican government has a few parties that its residents are affiliated with. The two major parties is the  ruling center right PUSC (social christian unity party)  and the  ruling the center left PLN (National Libertarian party). These two parties have been major parties since 1949. Two minor parties are the PML (libertarian movement party )and PAC (Citizen action party). These two minor parties have been playing a larger role since the 2002 election. The parties are the main parties that many Costa Ricans are affiliated with. ]]> 2017-09-27 18:19:36 UTC https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191815590 lolaschwab2023 https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191816469 Costa Rica has a very unstable economy. Costa Rica had a prosperous economy.  A large majority of the money earned in Costa Rica was from timber, agriculture and tourism. Many of the tourism sites are very well developed which brings lots of money into the Costa Rican economy. In 2008 the economy was hurt in a global economic crisis. The economy began to grow again in 2010. The crisis caused high levels of unemployment and large amounts of debt. One quarter of the Costa Rican population faces poverty because the country's once working social safety net has weakened over the years. This happened because the economy has been suffering more severely.]]> 2017-09-27 18:21:12 UTC https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191816469 lolaschwab2023 https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191817237 Costa Rican currency called the colon. It is worth much less the dollar in the United States. One U.S. dollar is worth 577. 38 colones; $5 is equal to 2876.28 colones; and $10 is equal 5773.80 colones. ]]> 2017-09-27 18:22:28 UTC https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191817237 lolaschwab2023 https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191818658 In the 1990s presidents worked to decrease the country's deficit by cutting spending and increasing taxes. There was plenty of re-elections of presidents which led to some of the country's worst strikes, demonstrations and unrests. Presidents continued to change because they each kept promising to restore Costa Rica to its fullest potential. In the 1970s and 80s due to the high cost of oil and foreign debt levels, Oscar Arias played a very important role in lowering the economic troubles. 

Oscar Arias brought peace to his country and was awarded the nobel peace prize in 1987 for his work with the esquipulas peace agreement. In the colonial period, Christopher Columbus arrived in Costa Rica. In 1502 he fled thousands of Spaniards there because of the false rumors about gold sightings. No gold was ever found but people stayed to become farmers in this central spot. The first settlement was founded by governor Juan Vasquez de Coronado in 1564. There were many helpful historical figures in Costa Rica's history. 

]]> 2017-09-27 18:25:20 UTC https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191818658 lolaschwab2023 https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191819438 In Costa Rica's history there were many important events. A few of the most important years in Costa Rica was when they were fighting to gain their independence from Spain. Costa Rica was a Spanish Colony until 1821 when it broke away from Spain's rule along with a few other Central American colonies. After gaining its independence, they joined the Mexican Empire in 1822. In 1823 Costa Rica formed the United Provinces of Central America. Finally, in 1838 the Union collapsed  and Costa Rica declared its sole independence. Another historical event was when Juan Rafael Mora became President because weak leaders governed the country until 1849. Juan Rafael Mora served for 10 years and throughout his term he established the first bank, street lighting systems, and many public schools. His work as president made Costa Rica a much more prosperous country. Lastly, an important historical event was when General Tomas Guardia overthrew the government in 1870 and served a 12 year term. He encountered lots of farming and exported coffee which is now one of the most popular drinks in Costa Rica. He improved the educational system in Costa Rica by making the public school system stronger. Guardia also made travel more accessible to locals and tourist by building a railroad.

]]> 2017-09-27 18:26:45 UTC https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191819438 lolaschwab2023 https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191821988 Costa Rica follows many religious practices. ninety-two percent of the people who live in Costa Rica are Spanish seventy- six and three tenths percent of those people belong to the Roman Catholic Church. Religion plays a huge role in the Costa Rican society. Although it states that Catholicism is the main religion there is religious freedom for all.

15.7%  of Costa Rica residents are other types of christians 

Three and two tenths percent have no religion and the remaining 4.8 percent are other religions such as judaism islam and mormonism. Some individuals say that they are non practicing because they are catholic by default but others describe themselves as practicing. 45 percent of people  describe themselves as practicing. Others say that they are Catholic by default. Non-practicing Catholics usually take part in the high holidays such as christmas and easter. Although people may take part in different religions most people take part in the same practices.  

]]> 2017-09-27 18:31:20 UTC https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191821988 lolaschwab2023 https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191823178 Most people in Costa Rica take part in the same celebrations. Although some families and people are non practicing Catholics they still take part in large celebrations or sacraments. Some of these celebrations are Baptism, First Communions and marriage. One important religious week in Costa Rica is Holy Week or Semana Santa. Holy week is the week leading up to easter which includes Good Friday. Over the course of the week there are very elaborate celebrations that take place. Another important religious celebration is Christmas. The entire month of December is used to prepare for this holiday which is one of the most important holidays in Costa Rica. The holiday is celebrated with fireworks, family meals, and gifts. More religious families may also attend Christmas Masses. Most holidays are celebrated in Costa Rica but the way each is observed may vary depending on how religious a family or individual is.]]> 2017-09-27 18:33:18 UTC https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191823178 lolaschwab2023 https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191824048 Costa Rica does not have a wide variety of cultural food options. Two of the main foods served in Costa Rica are rice and beans. These two foods are commonly offered in different variations at almost every meal. Many fruits are grown in Costa Rica. Fruits include bananas, pineapples, mangoes, papayas and watermelons. A popular drink among Costa Ricans is coffee. Adults may take up to two to three coffee breaks a day. If an adult does not like coffee they drink agua dulce or sweet water, a drink made from sugarcane mixed with water or milk.]]> 2017-09-27 18:34:43 UTC https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191824048 lolaschwab2023 https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191825336 Families in Costa Rica all have a very similar structure. Families have an average of two to three children, while rural families are normally larger. Similar to the United States, family members all have individual activities. Most families in Costa Rica spend time together on Sundays. Children in Costa Rica start learning household jobs at a very young age. Young boys often start to help their fathers on work outside of the home at the age of six or seven. At the same age, girls start with housework such as cleaning their rooms and washing their dishes after meals. Instead of just parents raising their children, grandparents take a big role in raising their grandchildren. Depending on your gender, all individuals in a house have a job. Husband's most likely make most of the financial decisions with some help from their wives. The average household income in United States dollars is $6,810. While the men usually handle the finances in the home, women take control of housework and caring for the children. Today, a growing number of women are seeking higher education and entering labor forces to help support their families.]]> 2017-09-27 18:36:54 UTC https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191825336 lolaschwab2023 https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191826537 Costa Rica has many national dances. Some traditional Latin dances include salsa, meringue, and cumbia. Costa Ricans also have folk and national dances including punto guanacaste, cambute, and maypole. Most dances are performed to live music and played by instruments such as trumpet, clarinet, guitar, xylophone, accordion, quijano, and guiro.]]> 2017-09-27 18:38:46 UTC https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191826537 lolaschwab2023 https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191827637 Costa Rica also creates beautiful pieces of visual art. People create wooden masks inspired by the indigenous group called the Borca. These masked were originally made from cedar trees and represented devils or diablos which in the olden days were used to scare off Spanish invaders. In the present times these masks represent things in nature usually animals with some human characteristics.  Another form of visual arts is Carretas. Carretas or oxcarts are one of the most familiar brightly painted objects. Although carretas are a Costa Rican tradition, their popularity have spread all over the world.]]> 2017-09-27 18:40:41 UTC https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191827637 lolaschwab2023 https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191828415 Costa Rica has a diverse size and landscape. Costa Rica is 19,730 square miles and 51,100 square kilometers. Costa Rica is relatively half the size of Iceland and just smaller than the State of West Virginia. Lasty, the landscape of Costa Rica is very diverse. Costa Rica has tropical rainforests, tropical dry forests, mountain cloud forests, volcanoes and coastal lowlands. Beaches and rivers in Costa Rica take up about 700 miles of the land, but half of Costa Rica is covered by forests.   ]]> 2017-09-27 18:41:59 UTC https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191828415 lolaschwab2023 https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191829128 Costa Rica's weather pattern has a relatively small range of temperatures throughout the year. Although Costa Rica is surrounded by tropical climates, elevation changes allow for cooler temperatures in central highlands. Unlike cooler temperatures in coastal highlands, coastal lowlands are hot and humid with the average temperature of 81 degrees fahrenheit year round. The months with the most rainfall are between May and November with a dry season between December and April. Due to Costa Rica's diverse landscape there are frequent earthquakes and occasional volcanic eruptions. ]]> 2017-09-27 18:43:29 UTC https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191829128 lolaschwab2023 https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191830252 Costa Rica's official language is Spanish. Although Spanish is the main language of Costa Rica, English is understood and sometimes spoken. The reason for Costa Ricans using English is for tourists that come through their country. African Americans in Costa Rica do not speak Spanish but instead they speak the language Patua. Patua can also be known as Creole English. African Americans also speak Jamaican. Most people in Costa Rica speak the same language. 

]]> 2017-09-27 18:45:31 UTC https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191830252 lolaschwab2023 https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191830661 Although most people speak the same language there is a number of indigenous groups who each have their own language. Many people do not speak these languages because the tribes have very few people. These groups include, Gutatusos/Malekus, Chorotegas, Huetares, Cabecares, Bribri, Terrabas (Teribes), Borucas (Bruncas),  and Guaymies. The Bribri tribe is a group of people who have been trying to maintain their ancient language. To create their words, the tribe uses the latin alphabet and their own phonic letters. They also use both types of lettering to write. The Guaymi tribe also uses their own language which is called guaymi. Although this is their ancient language the tribe's chiefs and officers may also speak Spanish as a second language. To inspire others to learn this indigenous language they have created a literacy program to develop their language for little kids. ]]> 2017-09-27 18:46:16 UTC https://padlet.com/lolaschwab2023/gtf7avjaagrx/wish/191830661