Costa Rica

1. Costa Rica San José

2. Costa Rica: La bandera de Costa Rica: • As the above picture of the Costa Rica Flag indicates the background is tri-color: • Five horizontal bands with the coat of arms of Costa Rica in a White disk on the hoist side of the red band. • Azul • Blanco • Rojo • Blanco • Azul • The colors on the Costa Rican Flag represent the following: • Azul– Vigilance, truth and loyalty, perseverance and justice. • Blanco – Peace and honesty • Rojo – Hardiness, bravery, strength and valour

3. Costa Rica: • Much of the symbolism of the Costa Rica coat of arms is quite straightforward. • The green land mass flanked by two oceans is the isthmus that houses the nation, with the Caribbean & the Pacific Ocean on either side of it. • The three volcanoes represent the three, largely volcanic, mountain ranges which traverse the country, • The two vessels depict Costa Rica’s maritime history. • The rising sun has obvious connotations for a newly founded republic. • The seven stars are the seven states which make up this Central American republic. • The coffee beans in the enfolding scrollwork are the source of the country’s commerce prior to the rise of the banana.

4. Costa-Rica History Humans have lived the rain forests of Costa Rica for 10,000 years. The region long served as a path for America’s native cultures. About 500 years ago, on the eve of European discovery, it is estimated that as many as 400,000 people lived in today’s Costa Rica. The region hosted roughly 20 small tribes, organized into chiefdoms, indicating a permanent leader, or cacique, who sat atop a hierarchical society that included shaman, warriors, toilers and slaves. The language of the Central Valley Huetar Indians was known throughout all regions. The Central Valley contains the only major archaeological site uncovered in Costa Rica at Guayabo. Thought to be an ancient ceremonial center, it featured paved streets, an aqueduct and decorative gold. Still a puzzle are the hundreds of hand-sculpted, monolithic stone spheres that dot the landscape of the southwest’s Diquis Valley, as well as the Isla del Caño. Weighing up to 16 tons and ranging in size from a baseball to a Volkswagen, the spheres have inspired many theories: an ancient calendar, immigration meddling, or a game of bocce gone terribly bad.