Q&A for Questions about Costa Rica

1.    In what ways does this book portray Costa

Rica as a place of “alternatives and possibilities” ?

Costa Rica has a lot of raw territory and untouched land.  In this book, they discuss all the possibilites of what they could do with the land and how they could maximize usage of all the raw materials of this country

2.    Was there a lot of undiscovered artwork by indigenous people because

       of racism and oppression?

I think that much of the artwork done by indigenous people was either undiscovered or hidden because they weren’t respected or acknowledged.

3.    Was the king able to help the Indians get their land back and keep control

       of it?

Yes and no.  He was able to help them acquire the land again, but he was unable to control trespassing by locals who wanted to take the land for themselves.

4.    Was a policy ever created that limited the number of blacks a company

       could hire?

I believe that they eventually created a policy because of the complaints of the unemployed Costa Ricans, but it doesn’t mean that it was enforced or followed.

5.    How long can Costa Rica remain passive/neutral?

I believe that the neutrality and passivity of Costa Rica is coming to an end very soon.  The citizens of this country are very obviously unsettled about a number of things being done/not being done by the government.

6.    What will happen to Costa rica when the “great reserves of uncultivated

         land” is used up?  This is their “escape valve” for any possible social friction.

People will lose interest in visiting Costa Rica for the lush rainforests if they all disappear.  Not only would they lose a lot of business in the tourism industry, they would also lose a lot of heritage that makes their country unique.

7.    Will Costa Rica branch out into “difficult enterprises” to gain success and

         reward if the economy takes a turn for the worst?

Costa Rica has never been competitive or aggressive in any aspect since they chose to get rid of their military.  I think that if the economy went far enough downhill, that they might branch out into different markets and explore all options to get themselves out of the hole.