Central America andThe Caribbean

Christina OrdoricaNFSC 429

Costa Rica“Pura Vida”

Guest: Ileana Gantt

Grecia, Alajuela

Grecia• Grecia is the capital city in the province of

Alajuela in Costa Rica• Was once titled “the cleanest city in Latin

America”• Known for it’s unique church, Iglesia de la Nuestra

Señora de las Mercedes• Made entirely of pre-fabricated steel plates and

painted red

Geography and Terrain•Central America, bordering Nicaragua and Panama

•Total 51,100 sq km, comparative size- slightly smaller than West Virginia

•Coastal plains separated by rugged mountains

•Over 100 volcanic cones, last erupted Arenal in 2010

•Occasional earthquakes and flooding

•At least 4 major volcanoes, 2 still active

•Known for it’s plant and wildlife diversity

Climate

•About 50% is covered by rainforests, and 30% is protected•Diverse tropical rainforests, mountain cloud forests, coastal lowlands, beaches and rivers•Coastal lowlands are hot and humid, averaging 81 F year-round•Central valley highlands average about 67 F year-round•Rainfall varies between wet season (May-November) and dry season (December-April)

Major Religions• Majority of people in the region are Roman Catholic

• Catholicism and indigenous religions formed a combination of the two religions over time

• Evangelical Protestant groups created challenges for the Catholic Church

Costa Rica• Roman Catholic 76.3% • Evangelical 13.7%• Jehovah’s Witnesses 1.3%• Other Protestant 0.7%• Other 4.8%• None 3.2%

Celebrations and Traditions• Virgen de los Angeles, August 2nd • Easter Week or Semana Santa • Christmas• Discovery of America (mid-October)• Fiesta de los Diablitos, December 30th

Origins and Migration Patterns• Central America includes: Guatemala, El Salvador,

Costa Rica, Honduras, and Nicaragua• Costa Rica Declared independence from Spain in

1821• Panama received independence in 1903 from

Colombia, but is still considered part of Central America due to its location

• Most people are mestizo (both indigenous and Spanish heritage) or ladino (Spanish heritage)

• Other small minorities include: Indian, European, African and Asian

• Majority of Central Americans speak Spanish

Social, Political and Historical Events• Central American countries became part of Mexican

Empire, but in 1823 they formed the United Provinces of Central America

• Since 1838, the United Provinces disintegrated but the 5 countries remained separate

• All 5 still try to unify economically• Costa Rica abolished their military in late 1940’s and

achieved an admirable economic system• President Oscar Arias Sanchez won the Nobel Peace

Prize for establishing the Central American Peace Accord• Costa Rica is aiming to be one of the world’s first

carbon-neutral nations by 2021

Panama Canal

Imports & Exports• Import : raw materials, consumer goods, capital

equipment, petroleum, construction materials• Export : bananas, pineapple, coffee, melons,

ornamental plants, sugar, beef, seafood, electronic components, medical equipment

• Traditional exports consist of bananas, coffee, sugar and beef. They are the backbone of Costa Rican economy

• Tourism is constantly bringing foreign exchange and it’s biodiversity makes it a key destination for ecotourism

Communication• Main source of communication is cell phones• Second ranked is internet • Multiple privately owned TV stations, and 1

publicly owned station• Spanish is official language, speak English too

Transportation• Use of airports with paved (47) and unpaved

runways (114)• Railways are available but not in use• Roads, both paved and unpaved• Waterways used by small boats and crafts• Merchant marines to carry passengers and cargo• 2 major ports and terminals, Atlantic and Pacific

Ocean• Public shuttles, buses and even horseback!

Food Patterns• Known for being flavorful, yet mild, and relies heavily

on fresh fruits and vegetables• Often served 3 times a day, with lunch traditionally

called a casado • Typical meals consist of rice, beans, some kind of

meat or fish, and a salad• Salsa Lizano is a common condiment when making

dishes, including gallo pinto • For special family gatherings, Arroz con Pollo is a

common dish to make• Zucchini, zapallo, chayote, ayote, potato, onion, and

sweet red pepper are frequently used ingredients

Plantains

Hearts of Palm

Fried Plantains

Pork and Mango Picadillos

Gallo Pinto

Tamales

Vegan in Costa Rica• Being vegan in Costa Rica is very easy to do, especially with the wide

variety of fruits and vegetables! Things such as palmito (heart of palm), pejibayes (fruit of palm), avocados, mangos, and lime water & coconut water (pipa) are all great foods to eat on a vegan diet. Tapas are very traditional in Costa Rica, and these were just a few of Ileana’s favorites to eat while visiting:

• Heart of Palm and Spiced Cashew Salad with Hoisin Balsamic Vinaigrette

• Patacones with Garlic Herb Mojito (Patacones are made from a type of plantain which is cooked, cut into rounds which are flattened and fried)

• Fried Yuca (Cassaba) with Roasted Garlic Aioli• Green Beans (very tender) with Garlic• Thick Cut Onion Rings with Spicy Dipping Sauce • Coconut Rice

Fruits in Costa Rica

Meal Sequence and Etiquette• 3 meals a day : breakfast, lunch and dinner• Meal in the middle of afternoon called “coffee time”• Considered rude to refuse food if offered, only

exception is a severe food allergy• Mealtimes are an occasion for lively conversation

and enthusiastic interaction• Both hands should be kept above table, not in lap…

eating with hands is acceptable depending on formality of occasion

• Drinking age is 18, beer is most consumed alcohol• Getting drunk in public is considered impolite

Rituals• During pregnancy, a te de canastilla (baby shower)

is thrown• A baptismal party is also thrown for the child• At age 15, Costa Rican girls have a party : could

range from a small party to a large one consisting of 100 people or more

• Following death, family and neighbors come for the velorio (wake) and person is buried the next day

• Tamales are usually served for Easter and Christmas

• Weddings typically have a seafood BBQ

References• http://gocentralamerica.about.com/od/costaricaweddings/p/CRWeddingTrad.htm

• http://www.paradisehunter.com/countryinformation/costa-rica/visiting-there/etiquette

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Rican_cuisine

• https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cs.html

• http://www.laparios.com/traditions.html

• http://www.cotf.edu/earthinfo/camerica/CApol.html

• http://education.uky.edu/OFE/sites/education.uky.edu.OFE/files/documents/CultureGram-CostaRica1.pdf

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grecia,_Costa_Rica