Costa Rica's distance from the capital in Guatemala, its legal prohibition under Spanish law to trade with its southern neighbors in Panama, then part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada ( i. e., Colombia ), and the lack of resources such as gold and silver, made Costa Rica into a poor, isolated, and sparsely inhabited region within the Spanish Empire.

Another important factor behind Costa Rica's poverty was the lack of a significant indigenous population available for forced labor, which meant that most of the Costa Rican settlers had to work on their own land, preventing the establishment of large haciendas.

The small landowners ' relative poverty, the lack of a large indigenous labor force, the population's ethnic and linguistic homogeneity, and Costa Rica's isolation from the Spanish colonial centers in Mexico and the Andes all contributed to the development of an autonomous and individualistic agrarian society.

Once a largely agricultural country, the twin pillars of Costa Rica's current economy are technology and eco-tourism.

Costa Rica's major source of export income is technology based.

Traditional agriculture, particularly coffee and bananas, continues to be an important contributor to Costa Rica's export income.

Costa Rica's dry season in most places is from December to April, while the rainy season is from May to November.

Costa Rica's main universities are the University of Costa Rica, in San Jose and the National University of Costa Rica, in Heredia.

Costa Rica's emigration is among the smallest in the Caribbean Basin.

Costa Rica's immigration is among the largest in the Caribbean Basin.

* UNICEF Information about Costa Rica's Demographics

Although the referendum approved the CAFTA, each new law had to be analyzed and approved individually ; this has caused delays in Costa Rica's compliance to CAFTA.

According to the CIA World Factbook, Costa Rica's GDP per capita is US $ 10, 900 ( 2009 ); however, there is a lack of maintenance and new investment in infrastructure, 21. 3 % of the people living below the poverty line and 7. 8 % ( 2009 ) unemployed.

Costa Rica's economy emerged from recession in 1997 and has shown strong aggregate growth since then.

One-fourth of Costa Rica's land is dedicated to national forests, often adjoining beaches, which has made the country a popular destination for affluent retirees and ecotourists. It has one of the best economies in Latin America

Ecotourism is key in Costa Rica's tourism industry.

Costa Rica's infrastructure has suffered from a lack of maintenance and new investment.

Costa Rica's ports are struggling to keep pace with growing trade.

In a ceremony in the Cuartel Bellavista, Figueres broke a wall with a mallet symbolizing the end of Costa Rica's military spirit.

The United States is Costa Rica's most important trading partner.

During his current administration, Arias has declared that Costa Rica will not enter the Central American Parliament.

The basis of the current National Coat of Arms of Costa Rica was adopted September 29, 1848 during the presidency of Dr Jose Maria Castro Madriz together with the new flag.

His predecessors include Robert Costa ( 1971 ), Phil Curry ( 1971-1973 ), Robert Haller ( 1973-1979 ), Marilyn Levin ( 1979-1983 ), Bob Marinaccio ( 1983-1987 ), Jan Erlich-Moss ( 1987, interim ), Tony Buba ( 1988, interim ), Margaret Meyers ( 1988-1991 ), Kurt Saunders ( 1991-1992, interim ), Marcia Clark ( 1992 ), and the current director of education Brady Lewis ( 1992, interim ).

A rail ferry, with the ferries Contra Costa and Solano provided service across the strait, near the location of the current rail bridge, until the rail bridge was built in 1930.

Rui Manuel César Costa, (; born 29 March 1972 ) is a former Portuguese football player and current Director of Football for Sport Lisboa e Benfica.

Jorge Paulo Costa Almeida ( born 14 October 1971 ), known as Costa, is a Portuguese retired professional footballer who played as a central defender, and a current manager.

The city's current mayor is Marcos Tridon de Carvalho, with Ana Ines Costa Silva Chaves being deputy mayor.

António Luís dos Santos da Costa, ( born July 17, 1961 in Lisbon ) is a Portuguese lawyer and politician, former Minister and current Mayor of Lisbon.

The community is governed by the county of Contra Costa and the current representative is supervisor John Gioia.

The current company is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California.

* Matriz Church of São Martinho-the parochial church is located in the middle of the main village, and includes two minor alters ( with an image of Nossa Senhora do Rosário and Nosso Senhor Crucificado ) and a main alter ( with an image of its patron saint São Martinho ); the ecclesiastical parish of Alfaião pertained to the Monastery of Castro de Avelãs since 1490, the archbishop of Braga assigning the abbot at the time ; between 1501 – 1514, its clergy were served from the monastery ; the construction of the current church occurred in the 17th century ; the first baptisms were registered in 1627 ; the first marriage was documented in 1628 ; in 1706, its second parish priest Father Carvalho da Costa, who was assigned by a canon at the Sé Church in Miranda, earned 150 $ 000 réis, the parish included 66 neighbours ; the first death was recorded in 1724 ; by 21 April 1758, the parish which was located between two mounts and pertained to the bishop of Miranda do Douro, comarca and seat of Bragança, and was subject to the House of Braganza.

While there has been other Miss Hong Kong pageants in prior years producing notable titleholders such as Judy Dann ( 1951 ), Virginia June Lee ( 1953 ), Michelle Mok ( 1958 ), Laura da Costa ( 1967 ) and Mabel Hawkett ( 1970 ), the current annual TVB pageant began in 1973.

The current Executive Board ( 2008 – 2010 ) is led by Dr. Cláudio Giulliano Alves da Costa ( President ).

It is the current champion in Costa Rica's " Primera División " after winning the Verano 2012 tournament.

* Upgrade to State Route 55, Costa Mesa Freeway, from south of its current freeway terminus at 19th Street in Costa Mesa to State Route 1, Pacific Coast Highway, in Newport Beach, potentially via a tunnel.

The East Bay Economic Development Alliance was founded by Alameda County as the Economic Development Advisory Board in 1990 as a public / private partnership with the mission to promote the East Bay as an important region for development, with Contra Costa County joining in 1996, and the current name chosen in 2006.

For the following thirty years, it was played at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California, after which it moved to its current location in Hawaii.

In 1983, returns to production, since the Animatógrafo firm was divided in one sector of distribution ( still in activity, conducted by Renée Gagnon-the current Marfilmes ) and one sector of production, headed by himself ( together with his daughter Pandora da Cunha Telles-the current Filmes de Fundo ), which is dedicated to its own productions as well as assuring executive productions of foreign films partially shot in Portugal, counting since that date with a large number of productions, with films directed by names like José Fonseca e Costa, Eduardo Geada, Joaquim Leitão, Edgar Pêra, António de Macedo, António-Pedro Vasconcelos and among several telefilms and a countless number of executive productions.

The building is dedicated to Dean Louis Costa, who played a major role in starting the school in 2000, and President John Welty, the current president of the university.

Guimarães ' son, Celso Borges, born 1988, is the current Captain of the Costa Rican national team and plays for the Swedish club AIK in Allsvenskan.

Numerous subsequent Spanish expeditions followed, eventually leading to the first Spanish colony, Villa Bruselas in Costa Rica in 1524.

The coast, known locally as the Costa da Morte ( Death Coast ), has been the site of numerous shipwrecks and founderings, including that of the British ironclad HMS Captain, leading to the loss of nearly 500 lives, in 1870.

In 2005, a small Costa Coffee café, designed by Marks Barfield Architects and dubbed the Spiral Café, was constructed alongside the steps leading towards to New Street from St Martin's Square.

However, during a qualifier in Germany, Rui Costa was controversially sent off for taking too long to walk off the field while Portugal was leading 1 – 0.

Shortly after starting at the Academy, he was awarded a King's Scholarship, the income from which Mackenzie augmented by playing in theatre and music hall pit-bands, as well as in classical concerts under the leading conductor Michael Costa.

In 1932 Duarte Costa became a leading spokesman for the Catholic Electoral League, which was organized by the Church to lobby for Christian principles in the laws and acts of the Government.

While the initial developments leading to the 4 – 2 – 4 were devised by Márton Bukovi, the credit for creating the 4 – 2 – 4 lies with two different people: Flávio Costa, the Brazilian national coach in the early 1950s, as well as another Hungarian Béla Guttman.

Lester Felicia of the Jackson Chargers was the league's MVP, while Rodrigo Costa of the Detroit Dynamite was the leading scorer and the league's Rookie of the Year, talling 21 goals and 2 assists for 44 points.

After another poor season, which included an ultimatum by Porto president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa that ordered him to choose between club or national team, eventually leading to a suspension, he was signed by Everton on a three-year deal worth € 2. 2 million, under recommendation of mentor Mourinho, at the end of August 2005, after the Merseyside club lost regular left-back Alessandro Pistone to injury.

No candidate won a majority of votes in the first round, in which voter turnout in the first round was 77. 3 %, resulting in a second round being held on 21 July between the two leading candidates-Trovoada and da Costa.

On his return to England in 1853 Costa got him engagements in the leading orchestras.

He quickly recovered the form that made him a star in the US top flight, leading the Honduran club to the Central American Club Championship Copa Interclubes UNCAF 2007 defeating regional and Costa Rican giant Saprissa 2-1 on aggregate on December 5, 2007.

* Costa Cruises, a leading cruise company in Europe

Before joining MLS and the Chicago Fire in late in 2004, Herron played two years with Costa Rican Club Sport Herediano, which he led to Costa Rica's 2004's title, by leading the Costa Rican clausura's tournament with 14 goals and 13 assists.

Saborío was the leading goal-scorer of the 2003 – 2004 Costa Rican season, finishing the year with 25 goals, five above Whayne Wilson.

This was his last game with the Costa Rica national football team, retiring from international play as Costa Rica's all time leading scorer.

The party took a leading role in the failed campaign against Costa Rica's membership of the Central American Free Trade Agreement.

Parks gained recognition as an exceptional youth player, appearing in FIFA World Youth Championships U-17 in 1999 held in Nigeria and U-20 in 2001 held in Argentina, and leading Costa Rica during the 2001 U-20 tournament, with four goals.

Two days before the election, two of Soares Carneiro's leading supporters, Prime Minister Francisco Sá Carneiro ( no relation ) and Defence Minister Adelino Amaro da Costa died in an air accident while heading for a rally in Oporto.

* On Tuesday, September 11, 2012, Mexico national football team defeated Costa Rica 1-0 with a goal from Javier Hernández leading Mexico up to 12 points in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF Third Round.

Mário Corino da Costa Andrade ( 10 June 1906, Moura – 16 June 2005, Porto ) was a leading twentieth century Portuguese neurologist and researcher who first described the familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy ( FAP ) syndrome that later came to be associated with his name ( Corino de Andrade disease ).