Costa Rica Facts for Kids

The world is a beautiful and fascinating place. Around the world, there many different climates, hot, cold, rainy, dry, and everything in between. There are also many countries, each with its own history, language, people, and culture. Learning about the different types of places and cultures in the world is called geography and this is a very important part of everyone’s education. Learning about the amazing places in the world does not have to boring, it can be fun and interesting. One great place to learn about is Costa Rica. Here, you will find a whole list of fun and interesting facts all about Costa Rica

Unlike almost every other place in the world, women do not take their husband’s last name when they get married. This in and of itself is much easier on the women because it means they do not have to get new ID cards, social security cards, drivers license, etc. If or when the couple has children, the kids will take the father’s last name.
The most common religion in Costa Rica is Catholicism and almost all of the catholic churches face west.
Even though Costa Rica is a mostly Catholic, the country does ensure religious freedom.
The longest standing democracy in Central America is Costa Rica.

In Costa Rica males are referred to as Ticos and females are referred to as Ticas.
Many perishable food items such as eggs and milk are sold unrefrigerated. The milk is generally sold in a plastic bag. To use the milk, you have to cut a slit in the side of the bag to pour the milk through. If this is not done correctly, it can result is a very large mess.
During the summer games in Atlanta in the year 1996, a female Costa Rican swimmer won a gold medal.
Most furniture such as beds, chairs, and couches are made six to eight (6-8) inches lower than the American standard. This is because, many Costa Ricans, especially the older generation is of a shorter stature.
Costa Rica boasts a ninety-six percent (96%) literacy rate. This is largely due to the fact that classes are taught over national radio for anyone who cannot get to school due to being very poor or in a very rural area.
There is no standing army in Costa Rica. They once had one, but it was dissolved and constitutionally abolished in the year 1949.
In Costa Rica, around twenty-five percent (25%) of the land is protected by national parks and refuges.
Costa Rica has an abundance of animal and plant life. There are one thousand (1,000) different species of butterflies, in Costa Rica you will find ten percent (10%) of the world’s butterflies. Also, there are nine thousand (9,000) different plants, two hundred and twenty (220) species of reptiles, thirty-four thousand (34,000) species of insects, one hundred and thirty (130) species of fish, and twenty thousand (20,000) species os spiders.
The name Costa Rica means Rich Coast and was first used in the year 1539 by Panama officials as a way to distinguish the area between Panama and Nicaragua.
Christopher Columbus was the first European recorded as having landed in Costa Rica. He landed there on the eighth (8th) day of September in the year 1502.
The official term for the currency in Costa Rica is colon, although locals often use the word harina when referring to money. The word harina means flour.
Costa Rica is home to the deadly pit viper which can grow to be almost ten (10) feet in length. This snake accounts for over eighty percent (80%) of snake bites in Costa Rica.
There is a profession in Costa Rica called catadores. This is a professional coffee taster. It takes five (5) years of training to become a catadores or “taster”. During training, students learn the exact way to take the coffee directly off of a spoon onto their taste buds and the coffee is always tasted cold, because a good coffee should taste just as good cold as it does hot. These are the people responsible for deciding which coffees to buy and are on the same level of importance as a French wine taster.
The entire country of Costa Rica is just a bit smaller than Lake Michigan.