Costa Rica
A Global Studies Handbook
1st Edition
Published on 21. February 2008
392 pages
978-1-85109-993-1 (ISBN)
Description
This work is a fascinating guide to one of Latin America's most stable and progressive nations, examining the country's development, unique features, and the challenges Costa Ricans face in the 21st century.
Costa Rica: A Global Studies Handbook offers readers an authoritative tour of a remarkable country, tracing its historical development from pre-Colombian inhabitants and Spanish colonization through rising prosperity in the mid-19th century to current struggles to define itself economically and politically.
Costa Rica combines narrative chapters on the nation's history and the current state of its political, social, and cultural institutions with alphabetically organized entries covering important people, places, and events in its development. Throughout, the authors, drawing on extensive research and their own experiences, highlight the many ways Costa Rica is different from its neighbors, as well as the challenges the country faces in the 21st century's globalized world.
Costa Rica: A Global Studies Handbook offers readers an authoritative tour of a remarkable country, tracing its historical development from pre-Colombian inhabitants and Spanish colonization through rising prosperity in the mid-19th century to current struggles to define itself economically and politically.
Costa Rica combines narrative chapters on the nation's history and the current state of its political, social, and cultural institutions with alphabetically organized entries covering important people, places, and events in its development. Throughout, the authors, drawing on extensive research and their own experiences, highlight the many ways Costa Rica is different from its neighbors, as well as the challenges the country faces in the 21st century's globalized world.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Interest Age: From 7 to 17 years
Illustrations
41 bw illus
File size
5,08 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-85109-993-1 (9781851099931)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
02/2008
ABC-CLIO
€87.70
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Persons
Meg Tyler Mitchell, PhD, is an independent scholar living in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Scott Pentzer, PhD, is director of Latin American Programs for the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, based in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Scott Pentzer, PhD, is director of Latin American Programs for the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, based in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Content
- Cover
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- Series Editor's Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Maps
- PART ONE: NARRATIVE SECTION
- Chapter One: Geography and History
- Pre-Hispanic Costa Rica
- The Conquest of Costa Rica and the Colonial Era
- Economic Development in the Central Valley: Coffee and Railroads
- The Rest of the Country: Cattle and Bananas
- Political Development, 1824-1870
- Order and Progress: The Constitution of 1871 and the Liberal State
- Education and Modernization
- Economic Crisis and Challenges to the Liberal Order
- The Crisis of the Export Model
- Machine Politics, Reform, and the Civil War of 1948
- References
- Chapter Two: The Costa Rican Economy
- The Exhaustion of the Classical Export Model and the Birth of the Mixed Economy
- Nationalization of the Banks
- Autonomous Institutions and the Manager State
- Industrialization and the Central American Common Market
- CODESA and the Entrepreneur State
- USAID and the Parallel State
- From 1990 to the Present: A New Economic Model with Some Familiar Weaknesses
- References
- Chapter Three: Politics and Institutions
- Education
- Health Care
- Other Autonomous Institutions
- National Parks, Protected Areas, and Private Conservation Efforts
- Political Institutions
- Political Parties
- The Abolition of the Army and Costa Rican Foreign Policy
- Institutional Change in the Neoliberal Era
- Corruption and the 2006 Elections
- From Gridlock to Referendum in 2007
- References
- Chapter Four: Society and Culture
- Urbanization, Population Growth, and the Role of Women
- Social Cohesion and Political Participation
- Religion
- Ethnic Minorities and the Costa Rican Self-image
- Nicaraguan Immigrants
- Insecurity and Crime
- Soccer
- Arts and Literature
- References
- PART TWO: REFERENCE SECTION
- Key Events in Costa Rican History
- Significant People, Institutions, Places, and Events
- Costa Rican Language, Food, and Etiquette
- Language
- Food and Beverages
- Etiquette
- Costa Rica-Related Organizations
- Business and Economics
- Culture, Education, and Exchange
- The Environment
- Costa Rica's Government Representatives in the United States
- Tourism
- Annotated Bibliography of Recommended Works on Costa Rica
- Geography and History of Costa Rica
- The Economy of Costa Rica
- Costa Rican Institutions
- Costa Rican Society and Contemporary Issues
- Index
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
- R
- S
- T
- U
- V
- W
- Z
- About the Authors
