Map:
Flag:
Language:
Costa Rica’s official and predominant language is Spanish. A Creole-English language, Jamaican patois (also known as Mekatelyu), is spoken along the Caribbean coast.
Religion:
76% of Costa Ricans identify as Catholic, 13% are Evangelical Christians, and 1% are Jehovah’s Witness.
Population:
The current population of Costa Rica is 4.9 million.
Unique Animals:
These spiders, called golden orb-weavers, giant wood spiders, or banana spiders, are a genus of araneomorph spiders and are noted for the impressive webs they weave.
The coati, also known as the coatimundis, is a member of the raccoon family. They are diurnal mammals native to South America, Central America, and the southwestern United States.
Special Foods:
Gallo pinto is a traditional dish of Central America, consisting of rice and beans as a base. Gallo pinto has a long history and is important to various Latin American cultures.
A casado is a Costa Rican meal using rice, black beans, plantains, salad, a tortilla, and an optional entrée that may include chicken, beef, pork, or fish.
Cool Geography:
Costa Rican Geography features nearly 800 miles of tropical coastline. The Pacific Coastline is more mountainous and makes up about 80% of the coastal land. The Caribbean coast is a quarter of the size of the Pacific and features long stretches of sandy beaches. The Caribbean features swamps and mangroves while the Pacific side has high sheer cliffs rising from turquoise lagoons. The Pacific Coast has two large, lush peninsulas reaching into the ocean. The Nicoya Peninsula is in the North and the Osa Peninsula is in the South. Osa is home to the abundant rainforest wilderness of Corcovado.
Fun things to do:
Ziplining, snorkeling or scuba diving, surfing, canyoning, and beach hopping!
Prayer:
I pray for the 16% of Costa Ricans that still live in poverty. I pray for our squad and ministry light a fire in the people of Costa Rica to learn, grow, and become closer to God. Two thirds of the nation’s population is made up of youth, so I pray this for specifically for the youth as well. I pray for the Nicaraguan refugees who have fled to Costa Rica because of their poor conditions in Nicaragua. It makes living arrangements difficult for both Costa Ricans and Nicaraguans. Therefore I pray they find peace and comfort as they learn to live in community.
