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The Republic of Costa Rica is a small, dense nation; it is home to just over 4 million citizens in an area roughly comparable to Vermont and New Hampshire combined. The land that comprises modern Costa Rica is significantly lacking in terms of ‘classical natural resources,’ that is, fossil fuel deposits, and precious metals, among others. Sections of the nation that do contain such deposits are often protected national forests, or in some cases purposefully undeveloped. Thus, economic development historically oriented towards export-focused agrarian production. Despite this, Costa Rica has been able to commit to a fully renewable energy grid, abolish its military, and in recent years, develop strong industries in consumer electronics,
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One of the most curious questions concerning the peculiar situation in Costa Rica is “Why?” Why has a small Latin American nation been able to completely reform energy production, do away with its military, and begin to develop a modern economy far earlier than its neighbors and much …show more content…
The last of these was the Dominican Civil War, in which just 22 police officers were dispatched. For most of recorded history, conflict often erupted in the form of wars of conquest – annexing part or all of a state for either economic or strategic gain. This has changed in recent decades, however; the rise of nationalism and the tethering of political philosophies to national identities has rebranded conflict for the modern era. In fact, nearly all of the conflicts that Costa Rica has been involved in were steeped in ideological pressure and international influence. Such was the case in the undeclared conflict between Nicaragua and Costa Rica during the 1950s. In the summer of 1954, supporters of former Costa Rican president Rafael Calderon united with the Nicaraguan government under the leadership of Anastasio Somoza. As Graeme S. Mount points out, the reason for conflict was almost entirely
When focusing on Nicaragua one will need to pay close attention to the rebel group called the Sandinistas who took over Nicaragua’s previous dictator, Anastasio Somoza in 1979, in which the United States Congress decided it would be best to provide them with aid that lasted till 1981.1 Nicaragua’s geographic location made it a big concern for President Reagan based on his philosophy that surrounded the Reagan Doctrine. At that point, President Reagan ended the aid deal and adamantly advised that support be sent to those who were trying to over throw the new socialized, Sandinista leadership.2 Furthermore, the Nicaraguan’s were dealing with some of the worst warfare ever, by the mass killings that took place, which were at the mercy of death squads.3 This gruesome realization allowed President Reaga...
Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina is without a doubt one of the most known figures within the Dominican history. The “Era de Trujillo” (The Trujillo Era) occupied the Dominican Republic for the long period of thirty-one years. His dictatorship started in 1930 and ended with his assassination on May 30, 1961. Trujillo’s Career began with the occupation of the United States in 1916. During this time he was trained in a military school, and became part of the National Police, a military group made by the Unites States to maintain order in the Dominican Republic . Trujillo stood out during his military career and rapidly ascended within the military ranges. Under the government of Horatio Vasquez Trujillo received the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was put in charge of chiefs and assistant commanders of the National Police . This new position gave him the opportunity to be part of the overthrowing of Horatio Vasquez. Trujillo was sworn into presidency on August 16, 1930. Marking the beginning of what is known as the cruel, violent and controversial part of history in the Dominican Republic.
Trujillo use of violence and challenge of political authority demonstrated that from the very beginning he created an insurgency regime within his military ranks that oppressed his country. Which 30 years later, his own military generals and freedom fighters will be the very ones to end his reign. To this very day, some of the Dominican people whether living in the United States or Dominican Republic are hesitate to talk about it, but are glad that it is in the past and
Today I bring to your forefront of thought, the island of Hispaniola. This island is the namesake for the two countries who run the land, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Both nations hail from a joint introduction into the world market and post-European colonization, but as time progressed, each one had a different outlook to the world stage. The present day Dominican Republic and Haiti are worlds apart on an island which keeps them together. Their culture is separated by the colonial residuals that lay imbedded into their communities. They are on different sides of the spectrum of structural growth due to the resulting outcomes from decades of political ruling and policy making. On one side we have the second independent state of the Americas,
The Contra War consisted of many parties, although primarily included the Contras, the Sandinistas or FSLN, and the United States Government. The Nicaraguan Revolution spanned from 1970 to 1990, while the Contra War in which the Contras rebelled against the Sandinistas occurred from 1979 to 1990. The Contras rebelled with the support of the United States against the Sandinistas who recently obtained power in Nicaragua. The current state of tension created by the Cold War, having to do with Communist and Democratic disputes, set the stage for the conflict. The Contra War was a highly controversial period of conflict in Nicaraguan history that comprised of many clashing perspectives. The major parties involved in the war included the United States Government that supported the rebelling Contras and strongly opposed the Sandinista authority in Nicaragua. Along with the Contras or counterrevolutionaries that were disaffected by the Sandinista policies and wanted freedom from the Sandinista Government. A final major party involved in the conflict was Sandinistas, who detested the U.S. backed Contras and were fighting for peace in Nicaragua, after a long period of turmoil and insurrection.
The Central American country of Guatemala fought a bloody civil war for over 36 years. The internal conflict began in November of 1960 and did not end until December of 1996. The key players that fought where the Guatemalan government and the ethnic Mayan indigenous people that where extremely leftist compared to the Guatemalan government. The indigenous people were joined by other non-government forces known as the Ladino peasantry and other rural poor. This civil conflict would escalate to a bloody series of events that would see the Guatemalan government regime held responsible for acts of genocide and other human rights violations.
The civil war in El Salvador was one of the most destructive combats Central America had ever encountered. It was a settlement between the FMLN and the United States supported Salvadoran regime that led political settlement of El Salvador’s civil war. The full civil war lasted twelve-years
The broad range of topographical elevations has encouraged agricultural expansion whose diverse production of food constitutes an important part of the Colombian economy. The agricultural sector contributed 14% of GDP, excluding coffee, with a production worth almost 11 billion US. In the hot lowlands of the Caribbean heartland, the inter-montages valleys, and the savannas of Orinoquia, there are immense plantations of bananas, sugar cane, rice, cotton, soybeans and sorghum, and large cattle farms that produce meat and dairy products. (Sited Dennis Hanratty)
I learned more than I ever imagined on my summer study abroad trip to Costa Rica. I learned that Costa Rica is a country like no other. The country is much different than what the United States of America is like. The lifestyles, customs, and practices of Costa Rica are very different than those that I am accustomed to. As an outsider looking into the country, I saw a country that is very poor financially but very rich in spirit. They do not appreciate wealth as United States citizens do, but instead appreciate love and gratitude. I noticed that Costa Ricans have very strong family values and cultural roots.
According to Schwartz (2010), successful implementation of Ricardian development strategies involves using existing comparative advantages such as agricultural outputs or other primary product exports to drive economic development. This can also extend to low-value industrial activities such as textiles and garments (59-60). These strategies rely on the resolution...
The United States of America and Costa Rica’s constitutions have several similarities and differences. The United States and Costa Rica have two of the most successful constitutional republics in the history of the world. They are alike in several ways, however, there are some major differences that allows them to thrive in their own environments. There are many components that describe the two countries: physical structure, traditions and how the constitutions were established, how the constitutions work, languages, military, religion, education, voting rights, presidential elections, and structure of the legislative branch, presidential terms, vice presidents, and Supreme Court justices.
Would you prefer vacationing in a dense jungle or a scorching hot desert? Thankfully, I have had the privilege to do both. Over the past year, I have traveled to the beautiful rainforests of Costa Rica and the barren wilderness of Bonaire. By studying the parallels and differences of both destinations, one has the ability to understand the travel expectations, habitats, and activities of Costa Rica and Bonaire.
Colombia is one of the oldest democracies in Latin America with solid functioning institutions, progressive laws, an active civil society, and one of the most ecologically diverse countries in the world. Economically speaking, Colombia has had a surprisingly turnaround over the past decade due to the confidence and business opportunities that the investors have found in its emerging market. However, the improvements made in the economy are not sufficient to ensure sustainable economic development. On May 15, 2012, the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) went into effect, and after almost two years its effects have had a negative impact in Colombia’s economy, mainly in its agricultural sector, which constitutes 11.5% of the country’s GDP (Cámara Colombo Coreana). The farmers complain that cheap imports from the United States are hurting their sector leaving some of them almost in bankruptcy. During August and September 2013, the country was in a nationwide strike against the Free Trade Agreement, which had different areas of the country paralyzed specially in Bogota, the capital city.
For my mapping assignment I chose the Central America region. This region is unique in the sense that its present situation is heavily intertwined with its colonialized past. Central America today is a place still reliant on agriculture as a notable part of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is mostly the eastern side of the region that receives heavy rainfall, but on the whole, holds a climate throughout that is very welcoming for agriculture. Agriculture in general is the largest employer throughout this region. However, jobs are undergoing differentiation as the economy incorporates a more industrial and service oriented agenda. The agricultural economy is a direct byproduct of the colonial structure set in place from Spanish explorers in the early 1500’s. This export tradition is a concern for modern economists because it may be holding back the region in regards to long-term development.
Brazil is the largest country in South America and one of the most influential. The geography of Brazil is mostly flat to rolling lowlands in the northern areas along with plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt in the southern region (brazil.org.za, 2015). The area is rich in natural resources such as timber forests and mineral resources such as iron ore, diamonds, quartz and petroleum (Gigli, 2015). While Brazil’s economy has been commodity based in recent years technology investors have begun to establish business there a Brazil begins to invest more in technology and science (Lowman, 2014) .