Visitors to Costa Rica’s northwest Guanacaste region probably don’t realize the area was once a thriving community for the indigenous Chorotega tribe. Indigenous history and traditions maintain a low profile in the Central American country, yet if you look closely they are all around you. Spreading across Costa Rica’s entire northern Pacific zone, Guanacaste, for instance, is[…]
Costa Ricans, as people in other countries, are caught between old cultural forces and new ones that influence especially its young inhabitants. Ticos as a whole still respect conservative values, but they’re starting to adopt several American cultural traits. Even then, Costa Ricans still possess a unique identity that distinguishes[…]
Costa Ricans’ unique traits derive from a profoundly conscious self-image, which orients much of their behavior as both individuals and as nation. The Costa Ricans feel distinct from their neighbors by their “whiteness” and relative lack of indigenous culture. Ticos identify themselves first and foremost as Costa Ricans and only[…]