Costa Rica is a country in Central America and the oldest democracy in the Americas. That means the people in Costa Rica were having their voices and votes heard when many other nearby countries were being still being bossed around by emperors or kings.
Habla Español
Lots of people in Costa Rica speak English, but if you learn some Spanish words they’ll be impressed (and so will your parents). Try these phrases out:
Hola (oh-la) – Hello
Hola, me llamo ____ (OH-la may YA-mo___) – Hello, my name is___
Baño (ban-yo) – Toilet
Por favor (por fah-vohr) – Please
Gracias (Grah-see-yas) – thank you
Quieres jugar? (key-air-es-who-gar) – Do you want to play?
Monkeying Around
Costa Rica is home to four native species of monkey. Look out for these characteristics to identify each one.
White-Headed Capuchins are very intelligent. They have mostly black fur with white patches around their face, and they often coil their tail when they move around.
Howler Monkeys are loud! They can be black, red, or brown, have beards, and have long thick fur.
Spider Monkeys spend most of their lives high up in the trees. They have very long arms and were named for the way they hang from branches like a spider hanging from a web.
Squirrel Monkeys have yellowish fur with a white face. Their tails can't grip onto the branches, but they do help them to balance when jumping and climbing.