Costa Rica Explained in 11 Minutes (History, Geography, Culture)

[Music]

Costa Rica regarded as one of the

happiest places in the world is a

delight to study join me as we explore

the history geography and culture of

this wonderful country and see what

makes Costa Rica stand

out in 1502 Christopher Columbus landed

in what is now Costa Rica where natives

brought him gold lending the country its

name of Rich Coast or Costa Rica but

Spain's settlement of the area occurred

much later in

1546 when they established the village

of

cartago the native population eventually

diminished when the Spanish continued

conquering more and more areas some fled

to the jungles to evade the

encomenda for most of the Spanish

Colonial period

Costa Rica became the southernmost

province of the captain SE general of

Guatemala which was part of the vice

royalty of New Spain however due to its

distance from Guatemala its legal

prohibition from Trading with its

neighbors under Spanish law the lack of

resources particularly in gold and

silver did no favors in attracting new

settlers to the

territory as such Costa Rica became a

Backwater colony the poorest and most

miserable Spanish colony in all America

many of the settlers had to work their

own lands as there was a severe lack of

forced labor as most of the Native

inhabitants were able to evade Spanish

rule or were so severely

diminished this prevented large

haciendas from being

established because of this Costa Rica

was left to grow on its own without the

interference of the Spanish Crown due to

its lack of importance the failure to

build a colonial society based on

indigenous and slave labor led to a

peasant economy in the

1700s by

1821 Costa Rica joined the Mexican

Empire in its bid to free itself from

the Reigns of the Spanish Empire other

parts of Central America joined too they

eventually decided to create a singular

State called the United provinces of

Central America

however it was short-lived and Costa

Rica opted for

isolationism the sudden interest in

coffee cultivation amongst many leaders

in Costa Rica initiated a trade boom

where British Traders invested in coffee

plantations which gave Costa Rica an

advantage against other Latin American

countries when it came to Coffee

cultivation Costa Rica was not

particularly safe from trouble against

its neighbors as secession and outside

involvement plagued the country during

the 19th century this is very apparent

with Nicaragua which began in 1825 and

only ended in 1896 through a treaty the

19th century allowed for the expansion

of Education in the country the creation

of additional infrastructure and the

growth of the economy largely propelled

by an increase in the export of coffee

and sugar the Catholic Church's

influence Ence also gradually declined

during this time and many institutions

were

secularized this helped to strengthen

democracy as the backbone of Costa

Rica's politics and government by the

20th century Costa Rica suffered

immensely

economically conflicts within Central

America discouraged tourism one of Costa

Rica's leading Industries furthermore

refugees and victims of these said

conflicts fled to the country straining

the economy of Costa Rica even more

unemployment Rose the price of oil

skyrocketed the inflation rate Rose

sharply but after a few decades the

situation in Central America appeared to

have stabilized and by the 1990s Costa

Rica was once again continuing its

Journey towards becoming a stable

Democratic country tourism was at an

all-time high and the economy was on the

rise again and by the 21st century Costa

Rica would become one of the leading

Democratic countries in Central America

no wonder people are

[Music]

happy the name of Costa Rica is an

ironic name as it is not really a rich

country but it isn't as poor as other

countries in Central America too with a

GDP of $69 billion it can be considered

one of the Richer Central America

American countries Costa Rica's

agricultural industry involves the

cultivation of sugar cane pineapples

bananas milk oil palm fruit fruit

oranges watermelons cassava and rice

heavy and light Industries include

medical equipment food processing

textiles and clothing construction

materials fertilizer and Plastic

Products there is also a booming tourism

industry present in the country mostly

due to the natural landscapes present in

the country it is connected to several

Cruise Lines within Central America and

the

Caribbean the flag is made of horizontal

stripes of blue white red white and blue

the version flown by the government

incorporates the national code of arms

the code of arms is made up of three

volcanoes which represent the three

mountain ranges of the country a valley

between two bodies of water which are

the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea

and a merchant ship which signifies the

country's Maritime

past being in Central America Costa Rica

is known for its jungles Costa Rica has

a land area of

51,100 square km with the capital being

in San Jose it is a hot and humid place

with a yearr round tropical climate the

only two seasons the country experiences

are the wet and dry seasons the maximum

average temperature is 31° C or 89° F

while the minimum average temperature is

23° C or 73°

F not only is it full of jungles Costa

Rica is also also known as a mountainous

country one of the most distinct

features of the country is also its

highest point Mount chero which stands

at approximately 3,800 M or 13,000 ft

many flora and fauna inhabit the jungles

of the country these include but are not

limited to tapers tree frogs wild cats

and 10,000 species of

plants finally Costa Rica is bordered to

the north by Nicaragua and Panama to the

south Costa Rica's culture is shaped by

its history and diverse

population with a population of around

5.3 million people the country is home

to mesos people with Spanish and Native

ancestry as well as native minorities

and individuals with black African

descent nearly half of Costa Ricans are

Catholic but there are also other

Christian denominations present Costa

Rica's culture is influenced by its

natural surroundings with a focus on

Environmental Conservation and

biodiversity traditional music dance and

Cuisine are important aspects of Costa

Rican culture providing insight into its

Heritage and

traditions let's delve into some popular

food s from Costa Rica first on our list

is Gallop Pinto a beloved dish that is a

staple of Costa Rican Cuisine

originating from the country's Rich

agricultural Heritage Gallop Pinto is a

flavorful combination of rice and beans

seasoned with a variety of spices it is

commonly enjoyed as a hearty breakfast

or as a side dish with other meals

throughout the day next up we have

patitos refreshing fruit juices made

from a medley of tropical fruits such as

guava pineapple and mango these thirst

quenching beverages are a favorite among

locals and visitors alike enjoyed as a

refreshing treat on hot days or as a

compliment to

meals another traditional Delight is

choras corn pancakes that have been a

part of Costa Rican Cuisine for

Generations made from fresh corn and

cooked on a grill

cadas are often enjoyed as a Savory

snack or as a side dish with main meals

for a unique culinary experience try

pedi Bay a fruit native to Costa Rica

that is cooked in salt water and served

as a Savory snack or side dish with its

rich flavor and creamy texture P Bay

offers a taste of Costa Rica's diverse

tropical Bounty and let's not forget

about Chi Freo a simple yet satisfying

fing dish consisting of fried pork and

beans this Savory Delight is a popular

choice for casual dining and is often

enjoyed with friends and family during

social Gatherings we also have Rondon a

seafood stew bursting with flavors from

coconut milk herbs and spices this

hearty dish reflects Costa Rica's

Coastal culinary traditions and is often

enjoyed as a comforting meal on cooler

evenings or during ing special

occasions let's not forget the

influential people from Costa Rica too

here are some of

them one Santa Maria considered the

national hero of the country Paulo

wancho Watson former football player and

now football coach who played for

Manchester City Francisco ametti the

famous Costa Rican painter cloo picato

white who is famous for his work on

snake venom and the development of

various anti-venom medicine and finally

Jose Maria Castro madri a former

president known for being prevented from

completing both his terms by the

military if you enjoyed this video on

Costa Rica you'll love this next one