Several political parties exist and over 80 percent of the citizens participate in the political process.
While it is common for one party to replace another in power following general and presidential elections, the transitions are peaceful. Costa Rica has been able to successfully avoid the widespread violence that has plagued most of Central America. The unit of currency is the colon (CRC), which trades around 503 to the U.S. dollar; currently 756 to the euro. Costa Rica stands as the most visited nation in Central America region and has a population of 4,133,884 of which 94% are mestizo or white, 3% black, 1% Amerindian, 1% Chinese and 1% other. Costa Ricans, or ‘Ticos’, are happy, friendly and gracious people. There is little abject poverty and a thriving middle class. Their national greeting is “Pura Vida!”.
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