(MENAFN- The Costa Rica News) Culture & Lifestyle Updated: July 21, 2021 25 Curiosities of Costa Rica that Will Surprise You
Get to know in depth some of the secrets of this great country
By TCRN STAFF July 22, 2021 20 0 Share Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Linkedin Email
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Costa Rica is an impressive country, where nature reigns in every corner. In addition to a privileged natural environment , its inhabitants have a very characteristic lifestyle that always places Costa Rica as one of the happiest countries in the world . We tell you 25 curiosities of Costa Rica so that you know in depth the secrets of this great country.
1. Why are its inhabitants called 'Ticos'?
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The story comes from afar. In 1856 and 1857 Costa Rica was stalked by the army of filibuster pirates who wanted to storm the coast. Costa Rica had the help of soldiers from other neighboring countries, who realized that Costa Rican combatants used the diminutive -ico, -ica (chiquitico, for example) a lot. In addition, they affectionately addressed their compatriots calling them siblings. With time and continued use, the inhabitants of the country became Ticos and Ticas.
2. Tiquicia: An affectionate nickname
The thing with the Ticos does not stop there, but that nickname spread throughout the country. Costa Rica is also affectionately known as Tiquicia, the land of the Ticos.
3. Penicillin has Tico origin: One of the most unknown curiosities of Costa Rica
Surely you have always heard that Alexander Fleming was the one who discovered the properties of penicillin. But in Costa Rica they disagree. The Costa Rican doctor Clodomiro Picado (nicknamed“Clorito”) was his predecessor publishing a report on the effects of penicillin on his patients in 1927, a year before Fleming patented the discovery. Chlorite notified the Paris Academy of Sciences of the discovery of him before Fleming, but it was not recognized.
4. Ticos take education very seriously
Costa Rica has a literacy rate of almost 98%. A high figure compared to neighboring countries and taking into account that there are many rural areas. But no one forgets the children who live in remote areas. There are many single teacher schools spread across the country so that all ticos can attend class. It is one of the curiosities of Costa Rica to be most proud of.
5. Pura Vida!
One of the most famous curiosities of Costa Rica is the use of the expression“Pura Vida”. Before visiting the country, it probably sounds like a cliché. But once there, it is true that you hear“Pura Vida” at all hours: as a greeting, farewell, as a“how are you?”, as a phrase of encouragement, to celebrate a victory… So anything goes to exclaim Pura Vida!
6. Coffee is a national icon
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Despite being a small country, Costa Rica is the 13th largest coffee exporter in the world. The first coffee beans arrived from Jamaica in 1779. They were baptized as golden beans, since thousands of kilometers of plantations made the coffee industry the main source of income for the country until tourism overtook it in 1991. Beyond economic indicators, drinking coffee is a ritual in every home in Costa Rica. It is taken at all hours and even the smallest of the house.
7. Do you fancy a 'café chorreado' (spilled coffee)?
One of the curiosities of Costa Rica that surprised us the most was the traditional way of preparing coffee. They offered us drizzled coffee and we had no idea what it was, but we wanted to try it. The waiter came to the table with a wooden artifact with a bag full of coffee hanging down. The cup is placed under the bag and boiling water is poured over the bag, so that the coffee“drips” into the cup. Like many traditions, it is being lost and each time they serve 'chorreado' coffee in fewer places. Do not miss the opportunity to try it! It has a slightly more intense flavor than machine coffee .
8. A small country full of life: One of the best curiosities of Costa Rica
Costa Rica only occupies 0.03% of the earth's surface, but 4% of the known animal and plant species live in that small space. That makes it one of the most biodiverse countries in the world.
9. 25% of the territory is protected
Despite being a small territory, a quarter of the country's surface is considered as national parks and, therefore, fully protected against possible destruction.
10. Recreational hunting is prohibited
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