Travel the World - Week 41

Yes, I normally post my Travel the World series cards on Tuesdays, but I have another commitment on my blog tomorrow, so this week's Travel the World card is on Monday instead.

This is the 41st week in my Travel the World personal challenge. Each week I am randomly choosing one country (there are 195 countries in the world) and doing a little research on that country. I then select one tidbit of information about the country as inspiration for the card I make.

This week's country is...

Costa Rica

Costa Rica (slightly smaller than Lake Michigan) is in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua on the north and Panama on the south, the Pacific Ocean on the West, and the Caribbean Sea on the East.

Costa Rica's official language is Spanish, though a large number of its citizens are bilingual. English, due to its status as the international language of tourists, is the most common second language in Costa Rica. 

The sun rises and sets at the same time 365 days a year. Due to the close proximity to the equator, the sunrise and sunset are to be expected at the same time every day. 

There are 801 miles of coastline in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica does not have winter, but a dry season from December to April.

Approximately 25% of the country has protected forests and reserves.  There are more than 100 different protected areas to visit.

There are more than 121 volcanic formations in Costa Rica, and seven of them are active.

Chirripo Mountain is the highest point in Costa Rica at 12,500 feet. The country's lowest point is 790 feet below sea level in the caves of Barra Honda National Park.

Costa Rica has a population of 4.5 million and a life expectancy of almost 77 years, one of the highest in the world.

Costa Rica is categorized as one of the happiest countries in the world.

All Costa Rica Catholic churches face west.

While foreigners often refer to them as Costa Ricans, they themselves instead say Ticos for males and Ticas for females.

As you call your lover or spouse “my better half,” Costa Ricans call theirs “the other half of the orange”. 

Costa Rica has the highest rural literacy rate at 96% for children. This means that nearly all children in rural Costa Rica are learned.

Children who come from destitute families and cannot go to school are taught through radio lessons.

Costa Rica does not have a standing military force.

In Costa Rica, streets are not named using names but by the distance between that street and the next landmark.

Only Ecuador exports more bananas than Costa Rica. 

The Tempisque River Bridge (known locally as El Puente de Amistad) that connects the mainland to the Nicoya Peninsula was a gift from Taiwan.

Costa Rica generates more than 99% of its electricity using renewable energy.

Earthquakes are quite common in Costa Rica, fortunately the majority of them are smaller earthquakes without casualties.

Costa Rica has generated 98.53 percent of its electricity from renewable sources over the past four years, using its rivers, volcanoes, wind and solar power.

In most countries around the world, the woman who gets married often takes the name of her husband. But, not in Costa Rica. The Ticas maintain their maiden name for life.

If you give birth in Costa Rica, the locals will not say you gave birth; they will say you gave light.

Greetings are made formal enough and not too casual in Costa Rica. For instance, hugs are reserved for family and very close friends.

Traditionally in Costa Rica, the typical meal during Christmas and other special occasions are tamales.

There’s a lizard known as Jesus Christ Lizard in Costa Rica. The Basilisk (also known as Jesus Christ Lizard) can literally walk on water, and that’s how it got its nickname.

There are about 52 species of hummingbirds in Costa Rica, which is a quarter of the hummingbird species found on earth, impressive for a country its size.

Monkeys are one of the most common mammals in Costa Rica – next to bats.  

Costa Rica is home to wild sloths.

There are about 750,000 species of insects that live in Costa Rica, including about 20,000 different types of spiders!  Also, more than 10% of the worlds butterflies live here.

The rare golden toad only resides in the Monteverde rainforest reserve. For this reason, it was picked as of the symbols of this Costa Rican town.

The Costa Ricans have a day for the cow herders. This day is known as the Dia de los Boyeros is celebrated in honor of cow herders.

The staples of the Costa Rican diet are rice and black beans, along with bread, chicken or meat, vegetables, salads, and fruits.  Rice and beans mixed together for breakfast is called Gallo Pinto.

A soda is a small, informal restaurant that serves traditional meals like chicken, rice, beans and salad for $2-$3 a plate.

A pulperia is a neighborhood store that sells essential foodstuffs like canned goods, eggs, milk, bread and some produce.

The average wage laborer is about $10 per day.

It is a crime to drive your car into San Jose on the day of the week that corresponds to the last number on the car’s license plate.

Geovanny Escalante from Costa Rica held the world record in 1998 for holding the longest single saxophone note. This note was 90 minutes and 45 seconds long.

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Costa Ricans first tasted coffee in 1779, just three years after the US declaration of independence. The coffee came from Jamaica.

I decided to let this Costa Rica fact be the inspiration for this week's card... Coffee tasters in Costa Rica are as important as wine tasters in France. These coffee tasters undergo five years of training to differentiate these tastes.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamps: Whipper Snapper Egg-Spresso stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Recollections 110# White and SU Ballet Blue and Early Espresso CS and DP from my scrap file

Embellishments: Coffee Mug Brad and Ribbon from unknown vendors

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