World Weather, Climate, and Society Projects |
San Jose, Costa Rica Katie Fuller, Neha Sud, David Zohn On this site, you will find information highlighting the relationship climate shares with Costa Rican politics, economy, history, society, and culture. Costa Rica ’s climate is arguably the country’s biggest claim to fame at the moment, with droves of ecotourists flying into San Jose every year to observe the abundant national parks and wonders of the country. Besides the obvious, Costa Rica ’s tropical climate has also brought strife and struggle, with years of exploitation in the coffee and banana trades. Yet, whether for its climate or progressive government and society, Costa Rica remains a unique fixture on the Central American scene. Climate: San Jose Weather and climate in Costa Rica is a very interesting topic due to the consistent, favorable conditions year round. The main factor that influences temperature is the altitude of each particular region. San Jose, the area our group concentrated on, is the capital of Costa Rica. It’s altitude is 1150 meters (3772 feet), resulting in an average temperature in December of 14 to 24 degrees Celsius (57 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit), and an average of 17 to 27 degrees Celsius (63 to 81 degrees Fahrenheit) in May. In other words, there is very little climactic variation throughout the whole year in San Jose. This consistently beautiful weather has earned the nickname of the “eternal Spring,” for the lack of extreme summer or winter-like conditions. San Jose is a rather balmy city with an average annual humidity of 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Annual rainfall averages 70.8 inches. All these statistics vary from region to region. The weather journal will provide a more detailed view of daily climate in San Jose, but a brief overview of monthly average temperature, rainfall, and humidity can shed some light on the amazingly consistent conditions in the region. Average monthly temperature in San Jose for January through December, in Fahrenheit is: 66, 67, 69, 70, 71, 70, 69, 69, 70, 68, 68, and 66 respectively. Average monthly precipitation for January through December in inches is: 0.6, 0.2, 0.8, 1.8, 9, 9.5, 8.3, 9.5, 12, 11.8, 5.7, and 1.6 respectively. Finally, the average monthly percentage of relative humidity, January through December is: 73, 69, 68, 70, 78, 83, 82, 81, 84, 85, 79, and 76 respectively, once again. Thus, it is clear that the most statistical climate variation in San Jose relates to precipitation. Temperature and humidity stay relatively similar each month, with the largest disparity around four degrees (temperature), and eleven percentage points (% of humidity). The favorable climate of Costa Rica has made possible the successful growth of natural resources including: bananas, coffee, beef, sugarcane, rice, dairy products, vegetables, fruits, and ornamental products. In fact, agriculture makes up 10.1 percent of the country’s GDP. Non-agricultural resources include hydroelectric power, forest products, and fisheries products. The mountainous terrain and abundant rainfall have made hydroelectric power possible, leading to significant self-sufficiency in terms of energy. 22.4 percent of Costa Rica’s GDP comes from advanced industry. Some of these industries are: electronic components, food processing, textiles, construction materials, cement, and fertilizer. The climate allows from extensive growth of rainforests, allowing for large wood harvests for construction.
Democracy: Costa Rica
Democracy has flourished amazingly in Costa Rica. The country’s political system is classified as a Democratic Republic. Costa Rica has been far more successful in the implementation of stable democracy than its Latin American neighbors, in part, because it has had no military since 1948. Since the military does no exist, political intrusion by the armed forces has not been a major issue like it has in most Latin American countries. Other major factors contributing to the growth of democracy in the country include enlightened government leaders and comparative prosperity. Clearly, much of this prosperity has resulted from plentiful natural resources—a result of Costa Rica’s favorable climate. The generally high standard of living throughout the country (per capita income about $4,200 U.S.) can be seen as both a result of democracy, and a reason why democracy has been so successful in a region where authoritarianism, political violence and corruption are the norm. Costa Rica has a nearly flawless record of environmental awareness, human rights, and peaceful conflict resolution; lending the country large amounts of legitimacy in the international community relative to its size. The government of Costa Rica strongly supported the establishment of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, and was the first nation to recognize the legitimacy of the Inter-American Human Rights Court, based in San Jose. Due to Costa Rica’s intrinsic morality and aura of international responsibility, the United States government views the country in a very positive light. The two governments share a very close relationship based on respect for democracy, human rights, and free trade. Costa Rica consistently supports United States foreign policy goals and views; supporting the immediate disarmament of Iraq. Quite possibly the most important factor in determining why Costa Rica maintains such a friendly relationship with the United States is its view on Cuba, and the drug war. Costa Rica was never seen as a threat by the U.S. Department of State because it maintained strict anti-communist views. As a result the CIA never attempted a serious coup de etat, leading to the stable political climate of today. In addition, the government of Costa Rica has made huge efforts to decrease the flow of drugs into the United States. Since the United States has felt no need to forcibly implement democracy and capitalism, there has been very little externally aggravated political instability. References Economy and Tourism in Costa Rica Explored below are few of the historical and natural factors that help explain Costa Rica's astounding economic transition:
Climate and Ecosystems Costa Rica's climate is truly exceptional as the nation lies in the tropics, yet is composed of several distinct microclimatic zones. The nation's topographical features are mountains, fertile lowlands, and several active and dormant volcanoes. Costa Rica experiences only two seasons - rainy from May to November and dry from December to April, the latter being preferable to tourists. The abundance of rainfall has given rise to several tropical forests that add to the natural beauty and biodiversity of the nation. Costa Rica has the largest number of distinct species of flora and fauna in the Caribbean isthmus, largely due to its extraordinary ecosystem. Geologically speaking, Costa Rica did not exist about 50 million years ago. Along with the rest of the Central American isthmus, it was part of the ocean floor. Most of the volcanoes found in the region were submarine, and as eruptions occurred, volcanic material cooled and collected on the ocean floor to form a series of volcanic islands that linked the two Americas. The migration of birds, reptiles, mammals, etc. began to occur between the two continents. Given the favourable tropical conditions and variant microclimates of the Caribbean islands, several of the species settled and intermingled in the isthmus, making the region one of the most biodiverse in the world. Today, Costa Rica is home to 6% of the world's biodiversity, a remarkable percentage since Costa Rica's land area is a mere .03% of the total land area of Earth! Economic History b) The slump: Economic boom in Costa Rica ended catastrophically as world coffee prices plummeted in 1980s. As the revenue from coffee exports fell, the country found itself in a state of economic crisis facing hyperinflation and massive budget deficit. As international loans started to come through, Costa Rica became the nation with the world's largest per capita debt. Policy makers began to regret their complete reliance on the coffee crop, realising that they should have diversified the agriculture in order to sustain a steady national income. Even though other tropical crops such as bananas and sugarcane were grown in the nation, the amount of land dedicated to them was minimal in comparison to the resources dedicated to the coffee crop. The government attempted to redeem the economy by increasing banana production in the lowlands (since 1985 there has been a 50% increase in the hectares of land devoted to banana plantations); however, the deficit remained too great to be covered. c) Recovery: Realising that reconstruction of the economy was crucial, yet having few options, the Costa Rican government decided that it may be time to shift the focus of the economy from agrarianism to another enterprise. As they could only work with the resources at hand, policy makers came up with an innovative solution and decided to use the nation's wealth of biodiversity in order to promote ecotourism. Described as "environmentally sensitive" tourism, ecotourism is essentially tourism to natural environments, conducted in a manner that not only educates the tourists about the environment but also ensures that the adverse impact of commercial tourism is minimized. In 1990, Costa Rica appointed its first tourism minister, Luis Manuel Chacon, who accelerated tourism promotion efforts by increasing the amount of hotel rooms in the nation by 50%, making Costa Rica the new tourist hot spot of the Caribbean. Ecotourism National parks are defined by the World Conservation Union in the following manner: A Natural area of land and/or sea, designated to (i) protect the ecological integrity of one or more ecosystems for present and future generations, (ii) exclude exploitation or occupation inimical to the purposes of designation of the area and (iii) provide a foundation for spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational and visitor opportunities, all of which must be environmentally and culturally compatible. Today, 23% of land in Costa Rica is protected and dedicated to several national parks built around volcanoes, in the marshes and in forests. The government successfully enticed locals to contribute to the conservation effort by employing the people from surrounding areas in the national parks, thus linking their livelihood to conservation. The most famous of these parks are: The Monteverde Cloud-Forest Reserve has a number of walking trails, and the famous sky walk - suspension bridges that criss-cross the top of the jungle, allowing the visitor to "walk on clouds". Parque National Volcan Arenal is built around the volcano Arenal, a feature that attracts several tourists. Parque Nacional Santa Rosa is the oldest and one of the best developed national parks in Costa Rica. It covers most of the Península Santa Elena, protects the largest tropical dry forest in Central America and is an important nesting site for endangered species of sea turtles. Along with national parks, the government of Costa Rica also signed several pacts with surrounding nations to create mega transfrontier parks such as the La Amistad reserve that incorporated Panama and the Paseo Pantera reserve that stretches from Belize to Panama. Not only did this measure benefit the Costa Rican Economy, it also helped facilitate cross national ties and dialogue. b) Pacific Beaches: Recognising that not all tourists may be enthusiastic about biodiversity, Costa Rica has also developed a huge amount of beach resorts, thus catering to the less adventurous visitors. The Pacific coast has an alluring mixture of luxury resorts and deserted beaches that cater to all fancies. The beaches and ocean remain untainted due to strict legislation that only allows resorts to be built 100 meters from the ocean. Notably, tourists frequent the Playa Cativo, Playa Zancudo (claimed by the locals to be the best swimming beach) and Pavones (which has some of the best Pacific surf). Foreseeable Problems The government’s staunch advocacy of tourism and its successful preservation efforts have managed to reinvigorate the Costa Rican economy. Today, the nation is less reliant on foreign loans and is undoubtedly one of the most prosperous in Central America. For this reason, Costa Rica's successful endeavors to promote tourism have become a model for the Caribbean and for countries world-wide. Works Cited
Climate & History Climate and history have intertwined with each other in the tropical country of Costa Rica. Its climate can be described as tropical, with dry and rainy seasons. In the central plateau, the temperature hovers around 70 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. Its favorable climate has shaped and defined what industries and professions have provided the crux of the economy in Costa Rica. In ancient times, climate may have even influenced the movement of indigenous peoples in the greater Central American regions, especially Guatemala, which in turn affected relations with non-indigenous peoples. Climate’s affect on history in Costa Rica overall has contributed to the country’s current society, one that is economically supported by tourism, fruit and coffee trade.
Explorers at first ignored Costa Rica. Puerto Limon on the right became the major home of the banana trade. Presently, the temperate climate of Costa Rica has contributed to an environment supporting the exportation of coffee and bananas, and has shaped the historical development of its economy. In the 1840s, coffee emerged as the country’s principal export commodity (Hall,p74). Coffee thrives in a subtropical environment. Coffee is not a native crop to Costa Rica, however. It was brought there from Jamaica in 1808, and today accounts for a substantial amount of the world’s supply (Helmuth, 11). Volcanic activity has enhanced the fertility of the soil for coffee-growing. This along with an ideal climate created a boom in coffee production. The history of economic and environmental exploitation in Costa Rica began long before coffee even arrived on its shores. In 1502, on his fourth voyage, Columbus visited Costa Rica where the Carib Indians greeted him warmly. Not long after in 1562, the explorer Juan Vasquez De Coronado founded Cartago, Costa Rica’s first colonial city, but at the time the country was still viewed as an unpopular place due to the view that it had few exploitable resources. Such an image would prove to be a great irony for the country, when in future years exploitable resources like coffee and bananas caused great economic and social turmoil in a country known as the gem of Central America. As the coffee trade grew throughout the 1800s after its introduction, the first head of state Juan Mora Fernandez inadvertently created an elite class of coffee barons. The coffee barons’ grip on the nation manifested itself when they overthrew the nation’s president in the same year. Clearly, a climate fostering the coffee trade had much more far-reaching affects than simply making the drink a staple in Costan Rican culture. The economic and political upheaval caused by the coffee barons in the 1800s point to the great influence climate often inadvertently exerts on the economy, society, and in this case the history, of a particular area.
The history of the coffee trade in Costa Rica is not the only way climate has affected this unique country. Today, Costa Rica is the second largest exporter of bananas behind Ecuador. Bananas grow in tropical moist and wet life zones (Hall,p75). Unlike coffee, bananas are harvested throughout the year, and have proved less susceptible to fluctuation in crop yields. Like any monoculture though, bananas have been attacked by diseases, and wiped out entire plantations. The instability of the banana crop coincided with the abandonment of production of the moist Caribbean lowlands (Hall,p75). The susceptibility of banana crops to pests and diseases is just the beginning of the unstable aspect of the banana industry in Costa Rica. By 1888, the controversial Boston-based United Fruit Company had gained a monopoly in that fruit’s trade on the Atlantic coast of Costa Rica. In 1908, Banana export sales reached the five-million dollar mark, and soon it outpaced even the coffee trade, reaching its peak in the 1910s. The United Fruit Company’s legacy was not a proud one. Housing for its workers was substandard, they provided no healthcare, and wages were low. Within the workers’ barracks, a system openly based on skin color prevailed. The company apparently incited racial conflict amongst its employees in order to divert blame for bad working conditions from the company to people of different races. They thought that if racial groups fought with each other, they would be less likely to ask the company for concessions (Helmuth, 16). In the Limon province of the country, the United Fruit Company seemed to be controlling an entire region and the workers’ plights were largely ignored as they were kept so isolated from the rest of society.
In 1934, however, one of the largest strikes in Latin America took place as 10,000 United Fruit Co. employees participated in a strike against the company. Making the event even more special as a historical milestone for the country was the fact that it was one of largest strikes ever not just in Latin America, but against a U.S. Company. By 1942, banana shipments from the Limon region had stopped, and the UFC moved most of its operation to the Pacific region. The hierarchy of the company could still be seen through the years in the glaring disparity between supervisors’ air-conditioned houses and workers’ barracks. Most of the supervisors were either from the United States or Germany (Hermuth, p17).
The history of exploitation due to its favorable climate has today made Costa Rican politics extremely progressive in its efforts to combat the societal upheaval that plagues much of Central America. Climate has not only shaped the early history and movement of the Central American region, it has helped to define the economy of the region. Whether affecting tourism or the coffee and banana history, it contributes largely to the country’s character. In 1948, the country’s current leader’s father, Jose Ferrer, emerged as president and made vast reforms in policy and civil rights. Most recently, Costa Rica has made international headlines with its past efforts in ending the Nicaraguan Civil War and serving as a leader in the region. The country’s recent shift to ecotourism fits perfectly with the equally progressive tone of its politics. These workers advertise for the banana trade union. Whether through dictating its economy, history, or culture, climate has played a huge role in the lives of Costa Ricans. As most of its economy is supported by businesses based on its natural resources such as ecotourism and the banana and coffee trades, climate will undoubtedly continue to play a major role in the country. As history has shown however, the tropical and abundant nature of the country has been both a boon and a burden. The future will determine the ultimate role of climate for Costa Rica.
For more information on Costa Rica’s Climate and History visit these websites: Sources Conclusion It can thus be seen that the general prosperity and political stability of Costa Rica is directly correlated with the climate and resulting rich natural resources. Since standards of living have been relatively high, political upheaval has occurred on a far-smaller scale than in any other country in the region. In other words, the climate has affected more than the clothes one must wear when visiting the country—it has directly, and positively affected the economics, politics, and social identity of the country in a way that no other nation in the region has experienced. Costa Rica's consistently favorable climate, combined with unique political and social factors have allowed Costa Rica to emerge as one of the most progressive, politically stable, environmentally sound, and economically successful countries in Latin America and the world. |
Colby College | Science Technology & Society Department website design by Gerrit Lansing |
Known as the "jewel of the Caribbean", Costa Rica is a Central American success story. The nation has managed to escape the turmoil of civil war - since the late 19th century; only two brief periods of violence have affected Costa Rica. With a GDP of $32 billion, Costa Rica is more economically prosperous than most other Central American countries. A primarily agricultural country, Costa Rica has made a consistent effort to diversify its economy, shifting from agrarianism to a present-day economy that relies on the tourism sector. For a nation that found itself in deep economic slump after the plummeting of the coffee and banana prices in the late 80s, Costa Rica has done a remarkable job of rejuvenating its economy. 
Even today, coffee is a staple of Costa Rican culture and economy. 
Bananas grow thanks to volcanically enhanced soil in Costa Rica.
