Kids from Costa Rica

• Location: Central America
School:
• Costa Rica takes education very seriously. It was one of the first countries in Latin America to offer free and mandatory education for all children. Children start school at age six. They have six years of primary school and three years of secondary school. Students enter college at age 15, and attend one of Costa Rica’s six universities. All students wear uniforms.
Play:
• Futbol, known in the United States as soccer, is by far the No. 1 sport in Costa Rica.
• Water sports are also popular. Surfing, swimming, and white-water rafting are favorite pastimes. In fact, Olympic swimmer Claudia Poll is one of Costa Rica’s most famous athletes.
Family:
• Large families are common in Costa Rica. In fact, many families have as many as eight children.
• Children usually live with their parents until they get married. It's also common for several generations to live together.
Favorite foods:
• Rice and beans are staples of the Costa Ricans diet. Casadao is a favorite dish. It’s made of beans, rice, meat, cabbage, and plaintains, which are like bananas.
• Ceviche is a popular way of serving fish. The fish is marinated in lemon or lime juice and served raw.
• Did you know? In the 16th century, European explorers thought—mistakenly—that the land was rich in gold. Costa Rica means “rich coast” in Spanish.

For more information, go to the Fact Monster page about Costa Rica.