History
The man who discovered Costa Rica
What is Christopher Columbus?
He discovered it landing in Limon on October 12, 1502, over 500 years ago.
The most iconic animal from Costa Rica
What is a red-eyed tree frog?
They are nocturnal and live for 4-5 years.
Another word for a Costa Rican
What is "a Tico"?
They are called this because -tico/-tica is often used as a suffix to indicate when something is small (unlike -ito or -ita in other Spanish speaking countries).
The capitol of Costa Rica
What is San Jose?
San Jose is also the largest city in Costa Rica, with ~330,000 residents.
The standard Costa Rican form of money
What is the Costa Rican Colon?
1 USD is worth about 504 Costa Rican colons.
The country that first took ownership of Costa Rica
What is Spain?
After it was discovered that Costa Rica had little potential for gold mining, Spain paid very little attention to it.
The largest wildcat in Costa Rica
What is a puma/mountain lion?
They can be found in La Amistad and Guanacaste National Parks, as well as many more.
How "week" is translated into Spanish in Costa Rica
What is "ochodias"?
It literally translates to "8 days"...
The country on Costa Rica's southeastern border
What is Panama?
Costa Rica was supposed to be the original location of the Panama canal.
What is the USA?
Around 700,000 Americans visit Costa Rica every year. That's around the combined population of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
The man who saved all of Costa Rica from enslavement
What is Juan Santamaria?
He did it by burning down an enemy fort in Rivas, Nicaragua, sacrificing his life for the good of his country.
The Costa Rican bat most famously known for drinking blood
What is a vampire bat?
There are 3 different species of vampire bat.
The main religion in Costa Rica
What is Roman Catholicism?
Over 3 fourths of Costa Ricans are Roman Catholic.
The country on Costa Rica's northwestern border
What is Nicaragua?
Costa Rica has been making a lot of effort recently to prevent Nicaraguans from moving in their country.
The main source of power production in Costa Rica
What is hydroelectric power?
The largest hydroelectric dam in Costa Rica is Angostura Hydroelectric Plant, which has been operating since 2000.
The man who tried to enslave all of Costa Rica
What is William Walker?
He was sent by Spain and later killed elsewhere in Central America.
The strongest beetle in Costa Rica
What is a hercules beetle?
They can lift 850 times their own weight. (if an average adult man could do that, he'd be able to lift 2 fully loaded semi trucks).
The meal gallo pinto is typically served for
What is breakfast?
Gallo Pinto literally translates to "speckled rooster." It is called this because the beans mixed with the rice resemble this animal.
The largest national park in Costa Rica
What is La Amistad National Park?
Technically its an "international park," as part of it lies in Panama.
What members of the Costa Rican federal legislative branch are called
What is a deputy?
There are 57 of them at any given time and they serve 4 year terms.
The year Costa Rica's military was dissolved
What is 1949?
It was dissolved by the new constitution after a civil war.
The name of the Costa Rican lizard that can run on water
What is a basilisk lizard?
They are also occasionally referred to as "jesus christ lizards."
The month that Labor day lands on in Costa Rica
What is May?
Specifically, Labor day is celebrated on May 1st in Costa Rica (unlike in the US, where it is the first Monday of September).
The tallest volcano in Costa Rica
What is Irazu Volcano?
It is 11,260 feet tall, over 4 times the height of the Burj Khalifa.
The name of Costa Rica's first female president
What is Laura Chinchilla?
Before becoming president she was a vice minister, then minister, then deputy and then vice president.