In 2002, Costa Rica was a small Central American country with a population of around 4.2 million people. According to computerannals, it was led by President Miguel Angel Rodriguez and the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica. The economy was largely based on agriculture and tourism, with the service sector growing rapidly in recent years. In addition to services, Costa Rica had begun to diversify its economy in recent years and had experienced some growth in the mining and oil sectors. Education was highly valued in Costa Rica and primary school enrollment had increased significantly since democracy was restored in 1948. Healthcare services were provided by both public and private institutions, though access to healthcare remained limited due to lack of infrastructure and resources. Despite its progress since 1948, poverty remained a major issue for many Costa Ricans with over 30 percent living below the poverty line. Corruption and mismanagement were also an issue as the government struggled to combat these issues with limited resources. Additionally, Costa Rica faced security threats from neighboring countries such as Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala.

Yearbook 2002

Costa Rica. In the second round of the presidential election April 7, the psychiatrist and TV personality Abel Pacheco (Partido Unidad Social Cristiana, PUSC) won 58% of the votes over Rolando Araya (Partido de Liberación Nacional, PLN). The aftermath of the election became tumultuous; inter alia Araya was knocked unconscious by Pacheco supporters.

According to Countryaah website, national day of Costa Rica is every September 15. An agreement was reached with neighboring Nicaragua to maintain the status quo for three years in the more than 100-year conflict over the border crossing in the San Juan River.

In May, the government adopted a plan for 100% CO ₂ neutrality in 2021, and already in 2012, 90% of its electricity came from renewable energy. In 2015, 93% were self-sufficient in energy.

In June, Costa Rica broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan and instead established relations with China. China, in turn, built a $ 100 million. US $ football stadium in Parque La Sabana in San Jose Province. It was inaugurated in 2011. In 2008-09, the country was elected a member of the UN Security Council.

In March 2009, Costa Rica resumed diplomatic relations with Cuba. They had been interrupted for 47 years.

Following the military coup in Honduras in June 2009, President Óscar Arias gained a prominent role in trying to bring about a diplomatic solution to the political conflict. Unsuccessfully. The dictatorship would in no case have the deposed president back. Costa Rica, along with the rest of the OAS, condemned the military coup in Honduras, and did not recognize the subsequent election in the country.

PLN won the presidential and parliamentary elections in February 2010. Its presidential candidate Laura Chinchilla was elected with 46.8% of the vote. The closest opponent, Ottón Solís had to settle for 25.2% of the vote. The PLN also secured 23 out of Parliament’s 57 seats. Chinchilla is far more conservative than its predecessor Óscar Arias. She opposes separation between church and state, against abortion, against allowing the “pill of regret”, against marriage between gays, though she recognizes the rights of gays.

In October 2010, Nicaragua occupied some islands in the San Juan River Delta that both Costa Rica and Nicaragua claimed. Observers saw it as part of the Nicaragua election campaign. Costa Rica brought the case before the International Court of Justice. The following year, the government decided to build a 150km long road along the river. It was called “Ruta 1856, Juan Rafael Mora Porras” in memory of a Costa Rican hero who in 1856 led the fight against an invasion force from Nicaragua, where North American mercenary William Walker wanted to reinstate slavery. However, no environmental or technical studies were carried out before construction was started and the responsible minister ended up being fired. In 2013, a Mexican research institute found that Chinchilla was Latin America’s most unpopular president with just 13% population support.

Costa Rica Country Overview

Visas
Finns do not need a visa.

NOTE. The passport must be valid for 6 months from arrival in the country.

Exit fee The most common airlines include an exit fee in the ticket price, in which case no fee is required. Landing fee from Costa Rica is 9 usd / person (2019). Payment can also be made in local currency. Exit fees are always paid in person when leaving the country by road. Local authorities may change exit fees without notice.

• According to ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG, CRI stands for Costa Rica.

Insurance
Everyone participating in the trip must have a valid travel insurance that covers medical expenses in the event of illness or other similar need. Please check the validity of your own insurance and the terms and conditions of the insurance cancellation cover.

Please pay attention to the special nature of your trip and check the coverage of the insurance in that respect as well. In many locations, the insurance must also be valid when moving at an altitude of more than 3,000 meters, in which case it also covers mountain sickness.

Many hiking or diving trips require more extensive insurance, which covers, for example, diving or moving on a glacier. Please check the contents of your insurance with your insurance company.

Vaccinations
Make sure that your basic vaccinations under the national vaccination schedule are valid. In addition, we recommend both hepatitis A and B vaccination. Always check the vaccination requirements at the health center or the Vaccination Advice of the Tourist Clinic

Please check the yellow fever vaccination requirements of your destination well in advance of the trip, for example here. An international yellow fever vaccination certificate is required when traveling to some countries. Please also note that in some countries a vaccination certificate is required if you arrive from a country where yellow fever is considered to occur. This is important to consider especially when traveling across multiple states. We recommend that you keep a vaccination card with you when traveling far away.

Climate Due to its
tropical location, the climate in Costa Rica is divided into the dry season (November-April) and the humid season (May-October). The Caribbean coastal region is wetter than the rest of the country.

Even during the rainy season, you can travel to the country and in some parts of the country it is even recommended. In general, from May to the end of October, rains occur throughout the country in the afternoons. It rains about 170 days a year and some of Costa Rica’s charm is related to rain. The driest is on the west coast of the country on the Nicoya Peninsula, where, however, the country’s nature comes to life when it rains. Travel to the east coast of the country is preferred in September-October, and in Tortuguero sea turtle and broth turtles visit in July-September, after which you can also admire adorable turtle chicks trying to safely enter their habitat at sea.

Daytime temperatures are pleasantly warm all year round, with the capital San Jose usually above 20 degrees.

The currency of
Costa Rica is the Colon (CRC). US dollars go directly to payment.

Tips A
tip is given for good service. Waiters and restaurant staff, especially in better level restaurants, expect a 10% tip on the final bill unless the service fee is included in the bill price.

For bag carriers in hotels, it is recommended to give about 1 USD / bag. For taxi drivers 1-2 USD / trip and for drivers on longer trips approx. 5 USD / passenger / day.

Electric current
The electric current is 110V. An adapter is required for devices used in Finnish sockets.

Time
difference The time difference to Costa Rica is -8 hours in winter and -9 hours in summer.

Mobile phones
Check with your operator for the coverage of your mobile phone. The area code for Costa Rica is +506.