About Costa Rica | Costa Rican History | Costa Rican Culture

Costa Rica is located in Central America and has unlimited tourist potential, ranked as one of the most visited international destinations. One of Costa Rica’s main sources of income is tourism. Costa Rica is a democratic and peaceful country, and it has not had an army since the year 1949. Although small it proudly shelters a biodiversity unparalled in the entire world. One quarter of the country is composed of conservation and nature preserves.

Costa Rica was settled by a group of 44 Quakers from Fairhope, Alabama in 1950. After visiting a number of highland areas, the group decided to settle in Monteverde and purchased 3,000 acres of land near the top of the ridge overlooking the Gulf of Nicoya. To support themselves they formed a cooperative cheese factory to take advantage of the excellent natural conditions for dairy farming. However they faced nearly impossible conditions for transporting fresh milk to the San José market. Today, Monteverde cheese is renowned throughout Costa Rica and is also exported.

The region near Guanacaste and the Gulf of Nicoya was the center of the pre-Columbian culture- the Chorotegas. This group was descended from the Olmecas of Mexico, and established themselves during the eight century in what would be Costa Rica. They developed art and writing schools. Today many of their stone metates are on display in the National Museum in San Jose, elaborately carved with turtles, crocodiles, monkeys and jaguars.