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Arias Sánchez, Oscar

(Encyclopedia)Arias Sánchez, Oscar ôsˈkär ärˈyäs sänˈchĕz [key], 1941–, president of Costa Rica (1986–90, 2006–). He was financial adviser to the president (1970–72), minister of national planning...

Burle Marx, Roberto

(Encyclopedia)Burle Marx, Roberto, 1909–1994, Brazilian landscape architect. As an art student he visited (1928) Berlin's botanical gardens and became interested in tropical plants. Upon returning to Brazil (1930...

Acosta, Uriel

(Encyclopedia)Acosta, Uriel dä kōˈstä [key], c.1585–1640, Jewish rationalist, b. Oporto, Portugal. His original name was Gabriel da Costa, and his family had been converted to Roman Catholicism. When he reach...

Reventazón

(Encyclopedia)Reventazón rāvāntäsōnˈ [key], river, c.85 mi (140 km) long, rising in the Meseta Central, E Costa Rica, and flowing NE to the Caribbean Sea, N of Limón. The Reventazón is navigable for a short...

Calderón Guardia, Rafael Ángel

(Encyclopedia)Calderón Guardia, Rafael Ángel räfäĕlˈ ängˈhĕl käldārōnˈ gwärˈdēä [key], 1900–1970, president of Costa Rica (1940–44). A practicing physician, he entered politics in 1934, serving...

Somoza, Anastasio

(Encyclopedia)Somoza, Anastasio änästäˈsyō sōmōˈsä [key], 1896–1956, president of Nicaragua (1937–47, 1950–56). After the end (1933) of U.S. military intervention in Nicaragua, he rose to power as he...

Cartago

(Encyclopedia)Cartago kärtäˈgō [key], city (1995 est. pop. 31,413), central Costa Rica, capital of Cartago prov. The raising of livestock and the production of coffee are its main industries. Cartago was founde...

Irazú

(Encyclopedia)Irazú ēräso͞oˈ [key], active volcano, c.11,260 ft (3,430 m) high, central Costa Rica, E of San José. A massive volcano, Irazú erupted in 1723, destroying Cartago, and since then it has erupted ...

Bilderdijk, Willem

(Encyclopedia)Bilderdijk, Willem wĭlˈəm bĭlˈdərdīk [key], 1756–1831, Dutch poet. He tutored Louis Bonaparte in Dutch and later conducted a small private college at Leiden, where his pupils included Isaäc ...

Keith, Minor Cooper

(Encyclopedia)Keith, Minor Cooper, 1848–1929, American magnate, a founder of the United Fruit Company, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. In the face of incredible hardships he built (1871–90) a railroad from the port of Limón...

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