Dating traditions in latin america

In 1502, Columbus stopped near present-day Limón, Costa Rica. [with] gold and mines." Subsequent chroniclers called the region "Costa Rica"—Rich Coast—although it turned out to be among the poorest of Spain's colonies.Natives with "golden mirrors around their necks" told of "many places . Costa Ricans are called ticos, which derives from their appending the Spanish -ico diminutive to the standard -ito. Costa Rica is located in Central America with Nicaragua to its north and Panama to its south.The meseta is in the Central Valley—an area five times as large as the plateau— which includes three other cities in addition to San José.Temperature varies with altitude, averaging over 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) in the coastal lowlands, but only 64 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius) at the higher elevations.During the twentieth century, the definition of "whiteness" became more inclusive, as elites sought to convince mestizos that they were part of a "homogeneous" nation distinct from the "Indians" elsewhere in Central America.In Guanacaste and northern Puntarenas, much of the population is descended from Indians and colonial-era slaves.The Atlantic zone receives trade winds and has high rainfall year-round.

Moín, north of Limón, has container and petroleum facilities.Despite this "exceptionalism," the country shares many social, economic, and environmental problems with its neighbors. As much as 95 percent of Costa Ricans consider themselves "white." "Whiteness" figures importantly in national identity.The indigenous population that survived the conquest was small and, for the most part, rapidly became Hispanic.Average fertility was 2.7, down from 5.4 in 1973 and 7.3 in 1960.The drop in birth rates was attributed to rising female literacy, to a decline in the proportion of the population working in agriculture, and to increased access to family planning.