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88-610: The history of the company started with Charlotte Diedrich inheriting a coffee plantation in Costa Rica in 1916. Her son, Carl Diedrich joined the business in 1946 and purchased a coffee plantation in Antigua, Guatemala , in 1966. The first coffeehouse, a roastery, opened in Newport Beach in 1972. Diedrich Coffee, a neighborhood coffeehouse, was founded by Martin Diedrich in 1983. He took over

176-569: A social democratic intelligentsia which sought to strengthen the new welfare state while ensuring democratic transparency. After their victory this alliance quickly fell apart. The right-wing faction, led by the junta's Minister of Public Safety, Édgar Cardona, attempted to overthrow Figueres and was excluded from the government thereafter. Figueres himself became closely identified with the social democratic faction, which later dominated his own National Liberation Party (PLN). The economically conservative groups under Ulate ended up allying themselves in

264-464: A welfare state . Mora's communist militias provided important armed support for the government, both during the tense years of Picado's administration (1944–48) and during the Civil War itself. The rebel forces led by Figueres were a mix of anti-communist right-wingers, economically conservative elements weary of the welfare state (represented by the winner of the 1948 election himself, Otilio Ulate), and

352-480: A 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 4.65/10, ranking it 118th globally out of 172 countries. The country has been considered economically stable with moderate inflation, estimated at 2.6% in 2017, and moderately high growth in GDP, which increased from US$ 41.3 billion in 2011 to US$ 52.6 billion in 2015. The estimated GDP for 2018 is US$ 59.0 billion and the estimated GDP per capita (purchasing power parity)

440-648: A few sovereign nations without a standing army . The country has consistently performed favorably in the Human Development Index (HDI), placing 58th in the world as of 2022 , and fifth in Latin America. It has also been cited by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as having attained much higher human development than other countries at the same income levels, with a better record on human development and inequality than

528-479: A key role in Costa Rica's history and in 2006, was the third cash crop export. As a small country, Costa Rica now provides under 1% of the world's coffee production. In 2015, the value of coffee exports was US$ 305.9 million, a small part of the total agricultural exports of US$ 2.7 billion. Coffee production increased by 13.7% percent in 2015–16, declined by 17.5% in 2016–17, but was expected to increase by about 15% in

616-718: A major role in the national economy and eventually became a symbol of the exploitative export economy. The major labor dispute between the peasants and the United Fruit Company (The Great Banana Strike) was a major event in the country's history and was an important step that would eventually lead to the formation of effective trade unions in Costa Rica , as the company was required to sign a collective agreement with its workers in 1938. Historically, Costa Rica has generally enjoyed greater peace and more consistent political stability than many of its fellow Latin American nations. Since

704-433: A match between the national teams of Costa Rica and China . Costa Rican Civil War Rebel victory [REDACTED] National Liberation Army [REDACTED] Ulatista Forces Caribbean Legion Supported by: The Costa Rican Civil War took place from 12 March to 24 April 1948. The conflict followed the presidential elections of 8 February 1948 , in which opposition candidate Otilio Ulate defeated

792-439: A new constitution by a democratically elected assembly. Having enacted these reforms, the junta transferred power to Ulate on 8 November 1949. After the coup d'état , Figueres became a national hero, winning the country's first democratic election under the new constitution in 1953 . Since then, Costa Rica has held 15 additional presidential elections, the latest in 2022 . With uninterrupted democracy dating back to at least 1948,

880-669: A result of which is that the country has one of the highest literacy rates in Latin America, 97%. General Basic Education is mandatory and provided without cost to the user. A US government report confirms that the country has "historically placed a high priority on education and the creation of a skilled workforce" but notes that the high school drop-out rate is increasing. As well, Costa Rica would benefit from more courses in languages such as English, Portuguese, Mandarin, and French and also in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Costa Rica sources much of its energy from renewables and

968-453: A second plebiscite was called in the city of Nicoya. After deliberation, the incorporation into Costa Rica was decided in an open town hall meeting, preparing a record in which the main reasons for it were noted, pointing out the advantages in terms of trade, the desire to participate in the advances that are palpable in Costa Rica, the economic, administrative and public service benefits, the creation of schools, security and quiet, referring to

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1056-499: A trade deficit of US$ 2.39 billion in 2015. Pharmaceuticals, financial outsourcing, software development, and ecotourism have become the prime industries in Costa Rica's economy. High levels of education among its residents make the country an attractive investing location. Since 1999, tourism earns more foreign exchange than the combined exports of the country's three main cash crops : bananas and pineapples especially, but also other crops, including coffee. Coffee production played

1144-633: A war. Unlike Ulate, former president León Cortés , and the other members of the Costa Rican opposition, Figueres believed that Calderón would never allow a fair election to take place. Figueres began training the Caribbean Legion , an irregular force of 700. Hoping to use Costa Rica as a base, the Legion planned to move against other authoritarian governments in Middle America . U.S. officials followed

1232-843: A way to secure stability and growth. Costa Rica is a member of the International Criminal Court , without a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the United States military (as covered under Article 98 ). Costa Rica is an observer of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie . On 10 September 1961, some months after Fidel Castro declared Cuba a socialist state, Costa Rican President Mario Echandi ended diplomatic relations with Cuba through Executive Decree Number 2 . This freeze lasted 47 years until President Óscar Arias Sánchez re-established normal relations on 18 March 2009, saying, "If we have been able to turn

1320-408: Is Lake Arenal . There are 14 known volcanoes in Costa Rica, and six of them have been active in the last 75 years. Costa Rica experiences a tropical climate year-round. There are two seasons. The dry season is December to April, and the rainy season is May to November. March and April are the hottest months in the country, while December and January are the coldest. However, there are rainy days in

1408-601: Is Intl$ 17,559.1. The growing debt and budget deficit are the country's primary concerns. A 2017 study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development warned that reducing the foreign debt must be a very high priority for the government. Other fiscal reforms were also recommended to moderate the budget deficit. Many foreign companies (manufacturing and services) operate in Costa Rica's Free Trade Zones (FTZ) where they benefit from investment and tax incentives. Well over half of that type of investment has come from

1496-675: Is an active member of the United Nations and the Organization of American States . The Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the United Nations University of Peace are based in Costa Rica. It is also a member of many other international organizations related to human rights and democracy, such as the Community of Democracies . The main foreign policy objective of Costa Rica is to foster human rights and sustainable development as

1584-511: Is moderately high (8.2% in 2016, according to the IMF). Although 20.5% of the population lives below the poverty line (2017), Costa Rica has one of the highest standards of living in Central America. High-quality health care is provided by the government at a low cost to the users. Housing is also very affordable. Costa Rica is recognized in Latin America for the quality of its educational system,

1672-562: Is the one park in Costa Rica where all four Costa Rican monkey species can be found. These include the white-headed capuchin , the mantled howler , the endangered Geoffroy's spider monkey , and the Central American squirrel monkey , found only on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and a small part of Panama , and considered endangered until 2008, when its status was upgraded to vulnerable. Deforestation , illegal pet-trading, and hunting are

1760-468: Is undertaking reforestation projects to reduce its overall greenhouse gas emissions. In 2007, the Costa Rican government announced the commitment for Costa Rica to become the first carbon neutral country by 2021. Costa Rica would be, according to its leaders, the first country in the world to have launched in 2019 a comprehensive decarbonization plan ( net zero carbon emissions by 2050). Costa Rica has free trade agreements with many countries, including

1848-618: The Mexican Empire , and the Republicans, represented by the cities of San José and Alajuela who defended full independence. Because of the lack of agreement on these two possible outcomes, the first civil war of Costa Rica occurred. The Battle of Ochomogo took place on the Hill of Ochomogo , located in the Central Valley in 1823. The conflict was won by the Republicans and, as a consequence,

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1936-681: The Republic of Costa Rica , is a country in the Central American region of North America . It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as maritime border with Ecuador to the south of Cocos Island . It has a population of around five million in a land area of nearly 51,180 km (19,760 sq mi). An estimated 352,381 people live in

2024-603: The Viceroyalty of New Granada (i.e. Colombia ), and lack of resources such as gold and silver, made Costa Rica into a poor, isolated, and sparsely-inhabited region within the Spanish Empire. Costa Rica was described as "the poorest and most miserable Spanish colony in all America" by a Spanish governor in 1719. Another important factor behind Costa Rica's poverty was the lack of a significant indigenous population available for encomienda (forced labor), which meant most of

2112-483: The flag of Nicaragua but may not charge them for departure clearance from its ports. These were all specific items of contention brought to the court in the 2005 filing. In 2010, there was also a dispute around Isla Calero , and the effects of Nicaraguan dredging of the river in that area. On 1 June 2007, Costa Rica broke diplomatic ties with Taiwan , switching recognition to the People's Republic of China. Costa Rica

2200-548: The 1870s, the Costa Rican government contracted with U.S. businessman Minor C. Keith to build a railroad from San José to the Caribbean port of Limón . Despite enormous difficulties with construction, disease, and financing, the railroad was completed in 1890. Most Afro-Costa Ricans descend from Jamaican immigrants who worked in the construction of that railway and now make up about 3% of Costa Rica's population. U.S. convicts, Italians, and Chinese immigrants also participated in

2288-537: The 1950s with Calderón's supporters to form a broad anti-PLN coalition. This lack of ideological consistency is further underscored by the fact that during the Civil War, the government forces, despite being allied to the Costa Rican communists, enjoyed the support of right-wing Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza , while Figueres's rebels, who as anti-communists were tacitly supported by the United States , received significant aid from leftist Guatemalan president Juan José Arévalo . The National Liberation Army, as

2376-939: The Australian-owned Gloria Jean’s Coffees International . As part of the deal, Diedrich retained the rights to use the Gloria Jean's brand in North America for wholesaling and Keurig coffee pods. On November 3, 2009, California-based Peet's Coffee announced that it was buying Diedrich. On December 8, 2009, Vermont-based Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. trumped the offer from Peet's Coffee and agreed to buy Diedrich for $ 290 million. Costa Rica Costa Rica ( UK : / ˌ k ɒ s t ə ˈ r iː k ə / , US : / ˌ k oʊ s t ə -/ ; Spanish: [ˈkosta ˈrika] ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially

2464-472: The Costa Rican settlers had to work on their land, preventing the establishment of large haciendas (plantations). For all these reasons, Costa Rica was, by and large, unappreciated and overlooked by the Spanish Crown and left to develop on its own. The circumstances during this period are believed to have led to many of the idiosyncrasies for which Costa Rica has become known, while concomitantly setting

2552-555: The Diedrich and Coffee People brands, with 40 locations being sold to rival Starbucks and reopened under that brand. The company continued as a roaster and wholesaler of coffee beans and as the franchisor of the Coffee People and Gloria Jean's brands. The company also retained ownership of Coffee People stores inside the Portland International Airport . In 2009, Diedrich Coffee sold its US Gloria Jean's franchises to

2640-440: The Legion's activities with concern, especially after Figueres carried out terrorist attacks inside Costa Rica during 1945 and 1946 that were meant to incite a general strike. The people did not respond. After a highly contentious electoral process plagued by violence and irregularities concluded on February 8, 1948, the independent electoral tribunal, by a split vote of 2 to 1, declared that opposition candidate Otilio Ulate of

2728-566: The National Union Party, had been elected president. The ruling party's Calderón claimed that this result had been obtained by fraud and petitioned Congress, where the coalition of his own party and the Popular Vanguard Party held a majority, to void the results and call for a new election. When Congress granted this request, the country erupted in chaos, as both sides accused the other of vote tampering and electoral fraud . On

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2816-533: The Party's population in favor of incorporation, and 23% against it. The town of Guanacaste was the only one that declined annexation, due to the ties its residents had with the city of Rivas, Nicaragua . Upon independence, Costa Rican authorities faced the issue of officially deciding the future of the country. Two bands formed: the Imperialists, defended by Cartago and Heredia cities , which were in favor of joining

2904-526: The Spanish language, was in some accounts first applied by Christopher Columbus , who sailed to the eastern shores of Costa Rica during his final voyage in 1502, and reported vast quantities of gold jewelry worn by natives. The name may also have come from conquistador Gil González Dávila , who landed on the west coast in 1522, encountered natives, and obtained some of their gold, sometimes by violent theft and sometimes as gifts from local leaders. During most of

2992-510: The U.S. According to the government, the zones supported over 82,000 direct jobs and 43,000 indirect jobs in 2015. Companies with facilities in the America Free Zone in Heredia, for example, include Intel, Dell, HP, Bayer, Bosch, DHL, IBM and Okay Industries. Of the 2016 GDP, 5.5% was generated by agriculture, 18.6% by industry and 75.9% by services. For the region, its unemployment level

3080-555: The US (and probably from other countries). The major concerns identified were as follows: Costa Rica had 2.9 million foreign visitors in 2016, up 10% from 2015. In 2015, the tourism sector was responsible for 5.8% of the country's GDP, or $ 3.4 billion. In 2016, the highest number of tourists came from the United States, with 1,000,000 visitors, followed by Europe with 434,884 arrivals. According to Costa Rica Vacations, once tourists arrive in

3168-473: The US. There are no significant trade barriers that would affect imports and the country has been lowering its tariffs by other Central American countries. The country's Free Trade Zones provide incentives for manufacturing and service industries to operate in Costa Rica. In 2015, the zones supported over 82 thousand direct jobs and 43 thousand indirect jobs in 2015 and average wages in the FTZ were 1.8 times greater than

3256-480: The World Travel & Tourism Council's estimates indicated a direct contribution to the GDP of 5.1% and 110,000 direct jobs in Costa Rica; the total number of jobs indirectly supported by tourism was 271,000. A pioneer of ecotourism , Costa Rica draws many tourists to its extensive series of national parks and other protected areas. The trail Camino de Costa Rica supports this by allowing travelers to walk across

3344-465: The arrival of various groups of hunter-gatherers about 10,000 to 7,000 years BCE in the Turrialba Valley . The presence of Clovis culture type spearheads and arrows from South America opens the possibility that, in this area, two different cultures coexisted. Agriculture became evident in the populations that lived in Costa Rica about 5,000 years ago. They mainly grew tubers and roots. For

3432-750: The average for private enterprise work in the rest of the country. In 2016, Amazon.com for example, had some 3,500 employees in Costa Rica and planned to increase that by 1,500 in 2017, making it an important employer. The central location provides access to American markets and direct ocean access to Europe and Asia. The most important exports in 2015 (in order of dollar value) were medical instruments, bananas, tropical fruits, integrated circuits and orthopedic appliances. Total imports in that year were US$ 15 billion. The most significant products imported in 2015 (in order of dollar value) were refined petroleum, automobiles, packaged medications, broadcasting equipment, and computers. The total exports were US$ 12.6 billion for

3520-513: The border between the two countries, and Costa Rica's rights of navigation on the river. On 14 July 2009, the International Court of Justice in the Hague upheld Costa Rica's navigation rights for commercial purposes to subsistence fishing on their side of the river. An 1858 treaty extended navigation rights to Costa Rica, but Nicaragua denied passenger travel and fishing were part of the deal;

3608-715: The capital and largest city, San José , with around two million people in the surrounding metropolitan area. The sovereign state is a presidential republic . It has a long-standing and stable constitutional democracy and a highly educated workforce. The country spends roughly 6.9% of its budget (2016) on education, compared to a global average of 4.4%. Its economy, once heavily dependent on agriculture, has diversified to include sectors such as finance, corporate services for foreign companies, pharmaceuticals, and ecotourism . Many foreign manufacturing and services companies operate in Costa Rica's Free Trade Zones (FTZ) where they benefit from investment and tax incentives. Costa Rica

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3696-542: The city of Cartago lost its status as the capital, which moved to San José . In 1838, long after the Federal Republic of Central America ceased to function in practice, Costa Rica formally withdrew and proclaimed itself sovereign. The considerable distance and poor communication routes between Guatemala City and the Central Plateau, where most of the Costa Rican population lived then and still lives now, meant

3784-600: The colonial period, Costa Rica was the southernmost province of the Captaincy General of Guatemala , nominally part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain . In practice, the captaincy general was a largely autonomous entity within the Spanish Empire . Costa Rica's distance from the capital of the captaincy in Guatemala , its legal prohibition under mercantilist Spanish law from trade with its southern neighbor Panama, then part of

3872-466: The construction project. In exchange for completing the railroad, the Costa Rican government granted Keith large tracts of land and a lease on the train route, which he used to produce bananas and export them to the United States. As a result, bananas came to rival coffee as the principal Costa Rican export, while foreign-owned corporations (including the United Fruit Company later) began to hold

3960-580: The continent. Historians have classified the indigenous people of Costa Rica as belonging to the Intermediate Area , where the peripheries of the Mesoamerican and Andean native cultures overlapped. More recently, pre-Columbian Costa Rica has also been described as part of the Isthmo-Colombian Area . Stone tools, the oldest evidence of human occupation in Costa Rica, are associated with

4048-541: The country from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast. In the 2011 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index , Costa Rica ranked 44th in the world and second among Latin American countries after Mexico in 2011. By the time of the 2017 report, the country had reached 38th place, slightly behind Panama. The Ethical Traveler group's ten countries on their 2017 list of The World's Ten Best Ethical Destinations includes Costa Rica. The country scored highest in environmental protection among

4136-464: The country is the region's most stable. Costa Rica borders the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Costa Rica also borders Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. The highest point in the country is Cerro Chirripó , at 3,819 metres (12,530 ft). The highest volcano in the country is the Irazú Volcano (3,431 m or 11,257 ft) and the largest lake

4224-629: The country lacked a strong native civilization to begin with. Most of the native population was absorbed into the Spanish-speaking colonial society through inter-marriage, except for some small remnants, the most significant of which are the Bribri and Boruca tribes who still inhabit the mountains of the Cordillera de Talamanca , in the southeastern part of Costa Rica, near the frontier with Panama . The name la costa rica , meaning "rich coast" in

4312-476: The country's electricity came from renewable sources . In 2019, the country produced 99.62% of its electricity from renewable sources and ran completely on renewable sources for 300 continuous days. In 1996, the Forest Law was enacted to provide direct financial incentives to landowners for the provision of environmental services. This helped reorient the forestry sector away from commercial timber production and

4400-505: The country, 22% go to Tamarindo , 18% go to Arenal , 17% pass through Liberia (where the Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport is located), 16% go to San José , the country's capital (passing through Juan Santamaría International Airport ), while 18% choose Manuel Antonio and 7% Monteverde. By 2004, tourism was generating more revenue and foreign exchange than bananas and coffee combined. In 2016,

4488-535: The country. Most of the coffee exported was grown around the main centers of population in the Central Plateau and then transported by oxcart to the Pacific port of Puntarenas after the main road was built in 1846. By the mid-1850s the main market for coffee was Britain. It soon became a high priority to develop an effective transportation route from the Central Plateau to the Atlantic Ocean. For this purpose, in

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4576-487: The court ruled Costa Ricans on the river were not required to have Nicaraguan tourist cards or visas as Nicaragua argued, but, in a nod to the Nicaraguans, ruled that Costa Rican boats and passengers must stop at the first and last Nicaraguan port along their route. They must also have an identity document or passport. Nicaragua can also impose timetables on Costa Rican traffic. Nicaragua may require Costa Rican boats to display

4664-424: The day that the government annulled the elections, police surrounded the home of Dr. Carlos Luis Valverde, the acting campaign manager for Union National, where Ulate was and Figueres had been only moments before. Shots rang out, and Valverde fell dead on his doorstep. Ulate escaped but was later captured and imprisoned, all of which helped to paint an especially distasteful image of the military. The annulment of

4752-526: The dry season, as well as weeks without rain in the wet season. Despite its size, Costa Rica is one of the countries with the greatest biodiversity in all of Latin America . One national park, the Corcovado National Park , is internationally renowned among ecologists for its biodiversity (including big cats and tapirs ) and is where visitors can expect to see an abundance of wildlife. Corcovado

4840-456: The election results in 1948 and the killing of Valverde on the same day seemed to give Figueres the evidence that he needed that the government had no intention of peacefully accepting the popular will, thus justifying a violent insurrection. On March 11, Figueres made the call that brought in the arms and military leaders he needed for a successful military campaign. On March 12, his National Liberation Army exchanged fire with government forces, and

4928-411: The fall of Cartago, Picado—low on supplies and without any other source of support—sent a letter to Mora and Calderón stating that "the attempt to hold San José would be futile and catastrophic." Mora, facing the reality that now the United States was ready to act against him as well, gave in to Picado's plea. On April 19, Picado and Father Benjamín Núñez, an eminent labor leader within Costa Rica, signed

5016-644: The final Spanish defeat in the Mexican War of Independence (1810–1821), the authorities in Guatemala declared the independence of all of Central America. That date is still celebrated as Independence Day in Costa Rica even though, technically, under the Spanish Constitution of 1812 that had been readopted in 1820, Nicaragua and Costa Rica had become an autonomous province with its capital in León . On March 3, 1824,

5104-607: The first and second millennia BCE there were already settled farming communities. These were small and scattered, although the timing of the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture as the main livelihood in the territory is still unknown. The earliest use of pottery appears around 2,000 to 3,000 BCE. Shards of pots, cylindrical vases, platters, gourds, and other forms of vases decorated with grooves, prints, and some modeled after animals have been found. The influence of indigenous peoples on modern Costa Rican culture has been relatively small compared to other nations since

5192-522: The first time in Costa Rican history placed the election under the control of an independent electoral tribunal. José Figueres , a Costa Rican businessman, had been forced into exile in Mexico on April 12, 1942, after he strongly criticized the Calderón regime during a radio broadcast. Figueres returned to Costa Rica after the election of Picado. Before the elections of 1948, Figueres had already been planning for

5280-547: The government of the State of Costa Rica officially proposed to the municipality of Nicoya its voluntary incorporation into the country, through a document in which it invited it "if it was convenient to join its Province without going against its will." On July 4, an open town hall was convened in Nicoya to discuss the matter, but attendees declined the invitation under the argument "that this Party... cannot be dissident." On July 25, 1824,

5368-410: The government retain power. In Cartago, Costa Rica 's second-largest city, located only 12 miles from the capital, Figueres' forces met considerable military opposition; however, the limited forces and supplies of the governmental forces quickly ran out, and Cartago was captured by the rebels on April 12. Costa Rican President Picado, realizing that defeat was inevitable, sent notice to Figueres that he

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5456-447: The late 19th century, however, Costa Rica has experienced two significant periods of violence. In 1917–1919, General Federico Tinoco Granados ruled as a military dictator until he was overthrown and forced into exile. The unpopularity of Tinoco's regime led, after he was overthrown, to a considerable decline in the size, wealth, and political influence of the Costa Rican military. In 1948, José Figueres Ferrer led an armed uprising in

5544-425: The local population had little allegiance to the federal government in Guatemala. Since colonial times, Costa Rica has been reluctant to become economically tied with the rest of Central America. Even today, despite most of its neighbors' efforts to increase regional integration, Costa Rica has remained more independent. Until 1849, when it became part of Panama , Chiriquí was part of Costa Rica. Costa Rican pride

5632-540: The main reasons for its threatened status. La Amistad and Chirripó present the climate of the páramo , at a height of more than 3000 meters above sea level, providing other types of flora and fauna, such as the white-nosed coati , the sooty thrush and Rogiera amoena . Costa Rica is the first tropical country to have stopped and reversed deforestation; it has successfully restored its forestry and developed an ecosystem service to teach biologists and ecologists about its environmental protection measures. The country had

5720-586: The median of the region. It also performs well in comparisons of democratic governance , press freedom, subjective happiness and sustainable wellbeing . It has the 8th freest press according to the Press Freedom Index , it is the 35th most democratic country according to the Freedom in the World index, and it is the 23rd happiest country in the 2023 World Happiness Report . It is also a major tourist destination in

5808-556: The page with regimes as profoundly different to our reality as occurred with the USSR or, more recently, with the Republic of China, how would we not do it with a country that is geographically and culturally much nearer to Costa Rica?" Arias announced that both countries would exchange ambassadors. Costa Rica has a long-term disagreement with Nicaragua over the San Juan River , which defines

5896-480: The peace, and pro-Calderón elements within the military institution often become involved in street violence, which helped to sully the image of the military in the minds of the people. The Costa Rican communist movement, organized in the Popular Vanguard Party led by congressman Manuel Mora , was allied to Picado's government and contributed to the unrest by deploying its militia against the opposition. As

5984-527: The rebel army called itself, slowly worked their way up the Pan American Highway , capturing small but important cities and ports with relative ease. The official army, which was then led by Picado's brother, was unable to organize an effective resistance to Figueres' National Liberation Army. Figueres also contended against the communist militias commanded by congressman Carlos Luis Fallas and against Nicaraguan soldiers who had been sent by Somoza to help

6072-417: The resulting deforestation and helped create awareness of the services it provides for the economy and society (i.e., carbon fixation , hydrological services such as producing fresh drinking water, biodiversity protection, and provision of scenic beauty). A 2016 report by the U.S. government report identifies other challenges facing Costa Rica as it works to expand its economy by working with companies from

6160-499: The retail, roasting and importing facets of the family business from retiring Carl. In September 1996, Diedrich Coffee went public. The company bought rival chain Coffee People, which also held the franchise rights to Gloria Jean's Coffees in the United States, in July 1999. In June 2004, Martin Diedrich resigned his position at Diedrich Coffee. In September 2006, Diedrich Coffee announced plans to close its company-owned retail stores under

6248-428: The rich and influential German community in Costa Rica, caused that elite to withdraw its support for him. Calderón then created a different political base by allying himself with the Costa Rican communists (the Popular Vanguard Party), led by Manuel Mora , and with the socially progressive Catholic Archbishop of San José, Víctor Manuel Sanabria, in order to pass legislation guaranteeing labor rights and establishing

6336-508: The ruling party's Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia . The pro-government representatives who dominated the Legislative Assembly alleged that that Ulate's victory was fraudulent , and on 1 March, the legislature voted to annul the results of the election. This triggered an armed uprising led by José Figueres Ferrer , a businessman who had not participated in the elections, against the government of President Teodoro Picado . The uprising

6424-497: The severity of the civil war. In the 1940s, the Costa Rican political scene came to be dominated by Rafael Ángel Calderón, a medical doctor who served as President of Costa Rica from 1940 to 1944. The Constitution forbade consecutive reelection, so for the 1944 elections , Calderón's National Republican Party nominated Teodoro Picado , a law professor who was perceived as a weak figure controlled by Calderón. The Picado administration resorted several times to military force to keep

6512-526: The so-called Pact of the Mexican Embassy, ending the armed uprising. Picado resigned the next day, leaving Santos León Herrera as interim president. Picado and former president Calderón Guardia went into exile in Nicaragua . On 24 April, Figueres' forces entered San José, almost six weeks after beginning their revolt in southern Costa Rica. On 8 May the provisional junta presided by Figueres formally took over

6600-452: The stage for Costa Rica's development as a more egalitarian society than the rest of its neighbors. Costa Rica became a "rural democracy" with no oppressed mestizo or indigenous class. It was not long before Spanish settlers turned to the hills, where they found rich volcanic soil and a milder climate than that of the lowlands. Like the rest of Central America , Costa Rica never fought for independence from Spain. On 15 September 1821, after

6688-505: The state of war that Nicaragua was experiencing at that time and the fear that it would spread to the Partido populations, in addition to point out the poverty in which its towns find themselves and the geography of the territory as justifications for the union. Three days later, another similar plebiscite was held in Santa Cruz , with the same result. The election was by majority vote, with 77% of

6776-534: The strike; Picado's government intimidated participating merchants and professionals and threatened workers with dismissal and military service. By the end of the strike, police and military forces patrolled the streets, and San José appeared as if under siege. Calderón returned as the ruling party's candidate for the election of 1948 and there were widespread fears that the government would intervene to ensure his triumph against his main opponent, journalist Otilio Ulate . To assuage these fears, Picado's government for

6864-401: The subsequent year. Costa Rica has developed a system of payments for environmental services . Similarly, Costa Rica has a tax on water pollution to penalize businesses and homeowners that dump sewage, agricultural chemicals , and other pollutants into waterways. In May 2007, the Costa Rican government announced its intentions to become 100% carbon neutral by 2021. By 2015, 93 percent of

6952-472: The violence grew, supporters of the opposition began to carry guns, and the police began to threaten the use of firearms rather than just beating demonstrators. Disgust with the government's violent reprisals against the opposition led to the Huelga de Brazos Caídos, a strike that stalled commerce in Costa Rica for seven days. Pro-Calderón and communist demonstrators began to sack businesses that participated in

7040-413: The wake of a disputed presidential election between Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia (who had been president between 1940 and 1944) and Otilio Ulate Blanco . With more than 2,000 dead, the resulting 44-day Costa Rican Civil War was the bloodiest event in Costa Rica during the 20th century. The victorious rebels formed a government junta that abolished the military altogether and oversaw the drafting of

7128-575: The war began. Costa Rican politics have traditionally been guided by personal allegiances far more than by ideological consistency, and the Civil War of 1948 provides a striking example of this. Calderón had been elected president in 1940 as the candidate of the right, closely allied with the Roman Catholic Church and with the business elite, but his enthusiastic support for the Allies during World War II , and especially his punitive measures against

7216-561: The war, making it the bloodiest event in 20th-century Costa Rican history. After the war, Figueres toppled the army and ruled the country for 18 months as head of a provisional government junta , which oversaw the election of a Constitutional Assembly in December. That Assembly adopted the new 1949 constitution , after which the junta was dissolved and power was handed to Ulate as the new constitutional president. Costa Rica has since experienced some riots, but no political violence reaching

7304-530: The winners. Costa Rica began reversing deforestation in the 1990s, and they are moving towards using only renewable energy , with 93% of all its energy being renewable. Costa Rica is composed of seven provinces, which in turn are divided into 82 cantons (Spanish: cantón , plural cantones ), each of which is directed by a mayor. Mayors are chosen democratically every four years by each canton. There are no provincial legislatures. The cantons are further divided into 488 districts ( distritos ). Costa Rica

7392-450: Was assuaged for the loss of this eastern (or southern) territory with the acquisition of Guanacaste , in the north. Coffee was first planted in Costa Rica in 1808, and by the 1820s, it surpassed tobacco , sugar , and cacao as a primary export . Coffee production remained Costa Rica's principal source of wealth well into the 20th century, creating a wealthy class of growers, the so-called Coffee Barons. The revenue helped to modernize

7480-501: Was inhabited by indigenous peoples before coming under Spanish rule in the 16th century. It remained a peripheral colony of the empire until independence as part of the First Mexican Empire , followed by membership in the Federal Republic of Central America , from which it formally declared independence in 1847. Following the brief Costa Rican Civil War in 1948, it permanently abolished its army in 1949, becoming one of only

7568-627: Was resisted by the small, ill-equipped Costa Rican army and, more significantly, by the militias of the Communist People's Vanguard Party , which was part of the governing coalition in the Legislative Assembly and had voted to annul the presidential elections. Figueres' rebels rapidly defeated the government forces and their Communist allies, forcing President Picado to step down and leave the country along with former president Calderón Guardia. About 2,000 people are believed to have died during

7656-543: Was the first of the Central American nations to do so. President Óscar Arias Sánchez admitted the action was a response to economic exigency. In response, the PRC built a new, $ 100 million, state-of-the-art football stadium in Parque la Sabana , in the province of San José. Approximately 600 Chinese engineers and laborers took part in this project, and it was inaugurated in March 2011, with

7744-485: Was willing to compromise. Picado's long-time political ally, Manuel Mora of the communist Popular Vanguard Party, had no intention of negotiating with Figueres. Mora's forces had sealed themselves up inside the capital of San José, and were determined not to capitulate as quickly as Picado. As the target of many of Figueres' criticisms about Costa Rica, Mora and his party were worried that a Figueres-led takeover might well lead to their expulsion from politics. The day after

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