Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica: is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama

to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Costa Rica was the first country in the world to constitutionally abolish its army. Among Latin American countries, Costa Rica ranks 4th in terms of the 2007 Human Development Index. The country is ranked 5th in the world, and 1st among the Americas, in terms of the 2008 Environmental Performance Index. In 2007 the government of Costa Rica stated that they want Costa Rica to be the first country to become carbon neutral by 2021. Costa Rica can offer a visitor so much in the way of natural environment and recreational activities. But to truly enjoy it, a basic knowledge of this small country's history, resources and culture is essential. Costa Rica is a nation developed from ideals like peace and pacifism. It is the only country in the Western Hemisphere that lacks a national army and maintains a diplomatically neutral stance. Without defense spending, the government has been able to bolster social programs with its excess tax revenue. Universalized health care, social security, and free, mandatory education are just a few of the successful programs that are subsidized by the State. Due to its geographical location, Costa Rica forms the land bridge between the two American continents. This isthmus is the point of convergence of a variety of cultures, and a corridor for the migrating fauna of the region. And the protection of this great resource is paramount. Costa Rica is among the world's countries with the highest amount of protected land in the world. Approximately 25% of the national territory is allotted for the National Park system; biological, marine and land reserves; as well as other natural wildlife areas. Costa Rica Coffee Costa Rican coffee has been recognized as among the world's finest for over 150 years. It is not, however, native to Costa Rica. The aromatic product was introduced to the country when arabica seeds were brought over by the Spanish from Africa and the Middle East in 1808. Land was free and the seeds provided for anyone who would cultivate the new crop. The temperate climate and fruitful volcanic soil of the Central Valley proved to be the perfect environment for coffee's infant stages in Costa Rica, and it swiftly became the country's main export. About 30 years after its introduction, the emergence of coffee barons brought for the first time a new class of prosperity. An interruption in the powerful reign of coffee occurred when bananas overtook the export market in 1878. An American company, "United Fruit", arrived on the scene and took advantage of the abundance of bananas in Costa Rica. The

massive banana export surge resulted in severe worker exploitation and environmental devastation. The best coffee in Costa Rica is said to hail from the Central Valley, though equally great coffee can be found in Cartago. When the plants are in bloom, one can look out over the fields and observe a massive blanket of glorious fluffy white, often referred to as "snow". Harvesting takes place from December to February. The reddest berries are hand-picked and taken to a receiver who pays the coffee pickers. From there, the berries are taken to a mill, where they are washed, sun-dried, filtered and separated. The product is then roasted and distributed.

COSTA RICAN CURRENCY Costa Rican currency is the COLON (named after Cristobal Colon Christopher Columbus is Spanish). They currently have four bill denominations: 1000, 2000, 5000, and 10,000. Please be familiarized with these. There is a conversion chart attached as well for your convenience. You may exchange your money at the airport upon arrival or you may do so in any bank or money exchange house in San Jose. ATM machines do dispense money in colones. Please be advised that there is up to a 6% charge on top of your own bank fees for any transaction. The colons exchange rate is about $500 to $1 US Dollar. You may need a calculator or divide the price by 500 to get a ball park figure. For example, if something costs $25,000 colones, if you divide this by 500 youd come up with $50. If something costs $10,000 colones, dividing this by 500 gives you $20 USD. USD 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 COLON 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 USD 8 9 10 15 20 25 30 COLON 4000 4500 5000 7500 10,000 12,500 15,000 USD 35 40 45 50 75 100 150 COLON 17,500 20,000 22,500 25,000 37,500 50,000 75,000

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