Culture
This percussion instrument, made from a dried gourd, is the backbone of Caribbean-influenced punto guanacasteco music.
Marimba
This mountain range divides Costa Rica into its Pacific and Caribbean slopes.
Cordillera Central or Talamanca
To greet someone, Ticos say "Buenos días" and often use this two-word phrase meaning "with permission" when passing close by.
con permiso
The most famous Costa Rican phrase meaning "hello," "goodbye," "awesome," or "life is great."
Pura Vida
In 1948, after a civil war, this man abolished the country's army.
Jose Figures Ferrer
This traditional oxcart, brightly painted with geometric designs, is a national symbol of Costa Rican rural identity.
Carreta or Carreta Típica
This active volcano near La Fortuna is one of Costa Rica's most iconic tourist destinations.
Arenal Volcano
When a Tico points to a location using their lips instead of a finger, this is the name for that gesture.
pico de gallo or lip point
A colloquial term for a native Costa Rican (male), similar to "chapín" for Guatemala or "catracho" for Honduras.
Tico
This 1856 battle, led by President Juan Rafael Mora Porras, defeated American filibuster William Walker.
Battle of Rivas or Santa Rosa
This annual December celebration in San José features bullfighting without the death of the bull, known for amateur improvisados.
El Tope o Fiestas de Zapote
This remote Pacific island, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is famous for its shark populations and pirate lore.
Cocos Island
The traditional Sunday meal of olla de carne, a beef and vegetable soup, is often eaten with a side of this white, starchy vegetable.
yuca or cassava
"Pura vida" has a mischievous cousin used when someone is late or fails to show up: "Se hizo el(a)" _____ (played the...).
el tonto or played the fool
This 1941 declaration by President Calderón Guardia kept Costa Rica neutral at first, but he later allied with this side of WWII.
The Allies
This Costa Rican painter, known for her naive style and self-portraits of rural life, appears on the 20,000 colón bill.
Margarita Bertheau or Fatima
This southern region, bordering Panama, is known both for its indigenous territories and its controversial banana and palm oil plantations.
At a birthday party, the birthday person takes the first bite of cake from this part of the cake, not from a slice.
edge/crust or primera mordida
The word "brete" means a difficult situation, but in Costa Rican slang, it's the most common word for what? (Hint: what you go to daily).
a job or work
The 1987 Esquipulas II Peace Accords, which earned Costa Rica's president a Nobel Prize, primarily aimed to end wars in these two neighboring countries.
Nicaragua and El Salvador (also Guatemala to certain extent)
This famous Costa Rican children's story, about a boy who loses his corn kernel, was written by author Carmen Lyra and is a staple of local education.
Los Cuentos de Mi Tía Panchita
This man-made lake, created by a 1979 hydroelectric dam, flooded the ancient town of Arenal and now powers a significant portion of the country.
Lake Arenal
On December 1st (Army Abolition Day), it is a custom for children to run with homemade torches from the previous capital (Cartago) to this current capital.
Desfile de Faroles or Lanterns Parade
"Diay" is a versatile Costa Rican filler word. If someone says "Diay, mae?" they are most likely asking...?
whats up dude or whats going on.
This 1859 treaty with Great Britain gave Costa Rica sovereignty over part of the Caribbean coast in exchange for a perpetual annual payment of £10,000.
Cañas-Jerez Treaty or Treaty of the Boundaries of 1859