Culture of Costa Rica
Encyclopedia
Costa Rica
n culture is heavily influenced by Spanish culture, with the exception of Limón
and the Cordillera de Talamanca
.
The official language of Costa Rica is Spanish
. Native languages include Bribrí and as well as others spoken by thousands of Costa Ricans. English is the first foreign language and the second most taught language in Costa Rica, followed by French, German, Italian and Chinese.
44.9 percent of the population identify themselves as practicing Roman Catholics, 25.6 percent non-practicing Roman Catholics, 13.8 percent evangelical Protestants, 11.3 percent report they do not have a religious affiliation, and 4.3 percent declare "another religion." http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108520.htm
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a membership of 35,000 members and has a temple in San Jose that served the country and Panama. The Lutheran Church estimates it has 5,000 members in 30 communities, and the Jewish Zionist Center of Costa Rica estimates there are 2,500 Orthodox Jews and 300 Reformed Jews.http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108520.htm
There are several other religious festivals in the country; Costa Rica has various religious denominations: Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Baha'i, Scientology, Rastafari, Taoism, Jehovah's Witness, and Neopaganism.
Primary (1st-6th grade) and secondary (7th-11th or 12th) are mandatory for all citizens. Public schools are free, and those who can afford it often opt to send their children to private institutions.
The country has six major public universities: the University of Costa Rica
(UCR), the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (ITCR), the Universidad Nacional (UNA), the Universidad Técnica Nacional, the Universidad para la Paz, and the Universidad de Educacion a Distancia (UNED).
Later, at the end of the 19th century, some local artists started to come out and became the basis of modern Costa Rican painting. Some of these painters are Ezequiel Jimenez, Wenceslao de la Guardia, and Enrique Echandi. Current renowned Costa Rican painters include Gonzalo Morales Sáurez
, Rafa Fernandez, and Fernando Carballo, and sculptors such as Ibo Bonilla
, Max Jimenez
, Jorge Jimenez Deredia, Domingo Ramos
and Mario Parra.
(Mayan culture) and the Atlantic coast (Afro-Caribbean culture). Costa Rican music
is marked by a rhythm known as tambito as well a distinctive musical genre known as punto. Two examples are the punto guanacasteco from Guanacaste Province
, and the sancarleño from San Carlos in Alajuela
Province. Modern music is usually influenced by north America though, and latin music.
One national dish is gallo pinto
("spotted rooster"), although the name has no relation to the ingredients. It is a combination of black beans and white rice and is spiced with cilantro, onions, garlic, salt, and a local condiment called Salsa Lizano. It is typically eaten at breakfast with eggs, and sometimes natilla (sour cream). Fried plantains and either corn tortillas or bread are also common. Gallo pinto is a common and typical dish in both Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
Other typical dishes are arroz con pollo
, olla de carne, and casado
s. Arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) consists of bite size chicken chunks mixed with rice and diced vegetables that include carrots, peas, corn, and garbanzo beans. Olla de carne is mainly prepared on weekends. It is a broth of corn prepared by boiling water, meat, and whole-to large sized vegetable pieces, with spices. The soup is eaten in a bowl with the broth and separate plates for the vegetables and rice. A casado is a one-plate meal that includes black beans, rice, a meat, fried plantains, and one or more side dishes. The meat can vary from chicken to beef to fish. Some examples of side dishes are pasta salad, vegetable salad, fried eggs, potatoes, spaghetti, or barbudos (green beans wrapped in egg batter).
There are some regional differences. For example, the Caribbean side of the country, because of its roots, has gallo pinto with coconut milk, while the north-western part of the country has a strong tendency towards corn products and for large, cheese filled tortillas, corn snacks, and other dishes.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
n culture is heavily influenced by Spanish culture, with the exception of Limón
Limón
Puerto Limón, commonly known as Limón , is the capital city and main hub of Limón province, as well as of the cantón of Limón in Costa Rica. It has a population of about 60,000 , and is home to a thriving Afro-Caribbean community...
and the Cordillera de Talamanca
Cordillera de Talamanca
The Cordillera de Talamanca is a mountain range that lies on the border between Costa Rica and Panama. Much of the range and the area around it is included in the La Amistad International Park, which also is shared between the two countries....
.
The official language of Costa Rica is Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. Native languages include Bribrí and as well as others spoken by thousands of Costa Ricans. English is the first foreign language and the second most taught language in Costa Rica, followed by French, German, Italian and Chinese.
Pura Vida
Pura vida literally means Pura = pure and vida = life, but "Pure life" in Spanish would be "Vida pura" instead, so the real meaning is closer to "plenty of life", "full of life", "this is living!", "going great", "real living","Awesome!" or "cool!" It can be used both as a greeting and a farewell, to express satisfaction, to politely express indifference when describing something or even to say "thank you" or "you're welcome". The phrase has become universally known in Costa Rica and it has been used by many Costa Ricans (and expatriates) since 1956.Religion
Roman Catholicism is recognized as the most popular religion in Costa Rica with 76.3% of the population.44.9 percent of the population identify themselves as practicing Roman Catholics, 25.6 percent non-practicing Roman Catholics, 13.8 percent evangelical Protestants, 11.3 percent report they do not have a religious affiliation, and 4.3 percent declare "another religion." http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108520.htm
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a membership of 35,000 members and has a temple in San Jose that served the country and Panama. The Lutheran Church estimates it has 5,000 members in 30 communities, and the Jewish Zionist Center of Costa Rica estimates there are 2,500 Orthodox Jews and 300 Reformed Jews.http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108520.htm
There are several other religious festivals in the country; Costa Rica has various religious denominations: Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Baha'i, Scientology, Rastafari, Taoism, Jehovah's Witness, and Neopaganism.
Education
Education is highly regarded in Costa Rica by most of the population. 6% of the country's gross domestic product is dedicated to education, which has had positive results as 96% of the population is literate.Primary (1st-6th grade) and secondary (7th-11th or 12th) are mandatory for all citizens. Public schools are free, and those who can afford it often opt to send their children to private institutions.
The country has six major public universities: the University of Costa Rica
University of Costa Rica
The University of Costa Rica is a public university in the Republic of Costa Rica, in Central America. Its main campus, Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio, is located in San Pedro, in the province of San José. It is the oldest, largest, and most prestigious institution of higher learning in...
(UCR), the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (ITCR), the Universidad Nacional (UNA), the Universidad Técnica Nacional, the Universidad para la Paz, and the Universidad de Educacion a Distancia (UNED).
Painting and sculpture
During the beginning of the 19th century, wealthy Costa Ricans used to have their portraits painted by famous foreigners, usually European, who went to the country for holidays. It was not until some of these painters, like Bigot, Henry Etheridge, or Santiago Paramo settled in the country that Costa Ricans were taught techniques for drawing, oil painting, and sculpture. These teachers directly influenced artists who lived in Costa Rica, such as Jose Maria Figueroa, Faustino Montes de Oca, or Felipe Valentini.Later, at the end of the 19th century, some local artists started to come out and became the basis of modern Costa Rican painting. Some of these painters are Ezequiel Jimenez, Wenceslao de la Guardia, and Enrique Echandi. Current renowned Costa Rican painters include Gonzalo Morales Sáurez
Gonzalo Morales Sáurez
Gonzalo Morales Sáurez is a Costa Rican painter. He studied in The San Fernando Academy in Madrid, Spain from 1970 to 1974. He is best known for his hyper-realistic works, and has exhibited his art in many museums and art galleries in Europe and the Americas.- Biography :Gonzalo Morales Sáurez was...
, Rafa Fernandez, and Fernando Carballo, and sculptors such as Ibo Bonilla
Ibo Bonilla
Ibo Bonilla Oconitrillo is an architect and sculptor of Costa Rica. He has Costa Rican and Spanish nationality.He is known mainly because of the creation of Bioclimatic Buildings and his Monuments in Public Square.-Biography:...
, Max Jimenez
Max Jiménez
Max Jiménez, one of Costa Rica's important early writers, was born in San José, Costa Rica in 1900. His literary works include novels, short stories, essays and poetry, but he is best known for his novel El Jaul , which tells a series of events in an agricultural community in Costa Rica, though the...
, Jorge Jimenez Deredia, Domingo Ramos
Domingo Ramos
Domingo Antonio Ramos , is a former professional baseball player who was an infielder in the Major Leagues from 1978-1990.-External links:...
and Mario Parra.
Music
Most of the music and representative folklore comes from the north of the country, including the Nicoya PeninsulaNicoya Peninsula
The Nicoya Peninsula is a peninsula on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and lies in the Guanacaste Province in the north, and the Puntarenas Province in the south. It is located at . It varies from 19 to wide and is approximately long, and forms the largest peninsula in the country. It is known...
(Mayan culture) and the Atlantic coast (Afro-Caribbean culture). Costa Rican music
Music of Costa Rica
The country of Costa Rica has many kinds of music.Though its music has achieved little international credit, Costa Rican popular music genres include: an indigenous calypso scene which is distinct from the more widely-known Trinidadian calypso sound, as well as a thriving disco audience that...
is marked by a rhythm known as tambito as well a distinctive musical genre known as punto. Two examples are the punto guanacasteco from Guanacaste Province
Guanacaste Province
Guanacaste is a province of Costa Rica located in the northwestern part of the country, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. To the north it borders Nicaragua. To the east is the Alajuela Province, and to the southeast is the Puntarenas Province. It is the most sparsely populated of all the...
, and the sancarleño from San Carlos in Alajuela
Alajuela
Alajuela is the second largest city in Costa Rica after the capital, San José. It is also the capital of the namesake province. Because of its location in the Costa Rican Central Valley, Alajuela is nowadays englobed in the conurbation of Great Metropolitan Area...
Province. Modern music is usually influenced by north America though, and latin music.
Cuisine
Costa Rican cuisine is a combination of Spanish, American, Caribbean and Southern American influences. This style of cuisine is shared by most of Central America, although local variations have appeared in each of the countries.One national dish is gallo pinto
Gallo pinto
Gallo pinto is a traditional dish of Costa Rica that was introduced by nicaraguan immigrants. During the 1980's many nicaraguans immigrated to Costa Rica influencing their food and music. Though many variations exist, the dish at its most basic is composed of pre-cooked rice and beans fried together...
("spotted rooster"), although the name has no relation to the ingredients. It is a combination of black beans and white rice and is spiced with cilantro, onions, garlic, salt, and a local condiment called Salsa Lizano. It is typically eaten at breakfast with eggs, and sometimes natilla (sour cream). Fried plantains and either corn tortillas or bread are also common. Gallo pinto is a common and typical dish in both Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
Other typical dishes are arroz con pollo
Arroz con pollo
Arroz con pollo is a traditional dish of Latin America and the Caribbean, especially in Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Honduras and the Dominican Republic....
, olla de carne, and casado
Casado
A casado is a Costa Rican meal consisting of rice, black beans, plantains, salad, a tortilla, and an optional entrée that may include chicken, beef, pork, and so on....
s. Arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) consists of bite size chicken chunks mixed with rice and diced vegetables that include carrots, peas, corn, and garbanzo beans. Olla de carne is mainly prepared on weekends. It is a broth of corn prepared by boiling water, meat, and whole-to large sized vegetable pieces, with spices. The soup is eaten in a bowl with the broth and separate plates for the vegetables and rice. A casado is a one-plate meal that includes black beans, rice, a meat, fried plantains, and one or more side dishes. The meat can vary from chicken to beef to fish. Some examples of side dishes are pasta salad, vegetable salad, fried eggs, potatoes, spaghetti, or barbudos (green beans wrapped in egg batter).
There are some regional differences. For example, the Caribbean side of the country, because of its roots, has gallo pinto with coconut milk, while the north-western part of the country has a strong tendency towards corn products and for large, cheese filled tortillas, corn snacks, and other dishes.