It’s The People
That Make Costa
Rica Great
By Christopher
Howard,
Liveincostarica.com
In a recent
interview Debi
Nova, Costa
Rica’s famous
composer and
singer, stated,
“The people are
what make this
country
something
special.”
Debi studied
music here and
then migrated to
the United
States to pursue
her career in
music. She has
performed all
over the world
but still thinks
Costa Rican
people are the
country’s
greatest asset.
I agree and most
of the American
retirees here
share my
opinion.
When I do my
monthly
retirement and
relocation tours
I always make it
a point to talk
about the
country’s
fantastic
people.
Besides its
excellent
weather and
natural beauty,
Costa Rica’s
unique people
are probably the
country’s most
important
resource and one
of the main
factors in
considering
Costa Rica as a
place to live or
retire. Costa
Ricans proudly
call themselves
ticos. They
affectionately
and playfully
use this
nickname to set
themselves apart
from their
neighbors. This
practice is
derived from
their habit of
adding the
diminutive
suffix -”ico” to
words instead of
“ito,” as is
done in most
Spanish-speaking
countries. For
example, instead
of saying un
ratito (a little
while), ticos
say un ratico.
A recent study
found the Costa
Ricans the most
“happy people”
in the world.
Costa Ricans are
mostly white and
of Spanish
origin, with a
mixture of
German, Italian,
English and
other Europeans
who have settled
in Costa Rica
over the years.
There is also a
small black
population of
about two
percent, living
mainly on the
Atlantic coast.
In recent times,
the country’s
stability and
prosperity have
made it a kind
of melting pot
for people from
less stable
Latin American
countries, such
as neighboring
Nicaragua,
Colombia, Cuba
and Argentina.
National
Geographic
reported several
years ago that,
when asked why
Costa Rica isn’t
plagued by
political
instability and
wars like its
neighbors, a
Costa Rican
replied, in
typical tico
humor, or
vacilón, “We are
too busy making
love and have no
time for wars or
revolutions.”
Costa Ricans are
healthy people
and have a life
expectancy on
par with most
first-world
countries —
76.3. In fact,
they have the
highest life
expectancy in
all of Latin
America and just
about the same
as people in the
United States.
This is
primarily due to
the country’s
excellent Social
Security System
that provides
“cradle-to-grave”
health care.
Generally
speaking, the
people of Costa
Rica love to
have fun, to
live with
“gusto” and know
how to enjoy
themselves. One
has only to go
to any local
dance hall on a
weekend night to
see ticos out
having a good
time, or observe
entire families
picnicking
together on any
given Sunday.
So as you can
see the people
are another
reason to live
or retire here.
I might add that
if you really
want to get
close to the
tico and develop
friendships, it
is essential
that you lean
some Spanish.
The people make
great friends! |
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