"Wherever there is a Costa Rican, no matter where he is, there will always be freedom "Jose María Sanguinetti, ex-president of Uruguay.

Costa Rica is a country blessed by exuberant nature, pristine beaches and an inmense biodiversity, but what really makes this small diverse country a special place where you will always desire to return is its people.

¨Ticos¨ as Costa Ricans are called are open minded, diverse, free, global, polite, courteous, calm, humble, hospitable, hard working and highly educated… Costa Ricans are people proud of their culture and the extraordinary natural richness that surrounds them. They are persistent in their religious convictions and very family oriented.

Ticos are predominantly direct descendants of Spanish colonists. For its everlasting fortune, Costa Rica was the most neglected of colonial Central America because of the absence of mineral wealth (gold and silver) and abundant indigenous population. Therefore, colonists who arrived in Costa RIca were not looking for mineral or to explode indigenous labor, but instead a nice and calm place to work and settle down with their families. They originated one of largest middle classes of America, farmer families with humble and peaceful attitudes.

Costa Ricans are the result of a peaceful nation with a long democratic tradition. Costa Rica is a peaceful nation, which has always avoided conflict and any military actions. Instead it has a conflict resolution based in negotiation and its efforts have been dedicated to develop social equality. It is considered a progressive nation, as it has more teachers than policemen, more biological reserves than cities and an endless dedication to social programs. With the establishment of free tax-subsidized education as a constitutional right in 1869, the elimination of the death penalty in 1882, and the dissolution of the national army in 1948, it's clear that social development and order are key to Costa Rica's approach.

Nowadays as societies become more global, Costa Rican young generations are being daily exposed to new ideas, cultures, and technologies, and are forging a new and more dynamic identity.