Costa Rica
2 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Costa Rica. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
a republic of Central America; bounded on the N. by Nicaragua; E. by the Caribbean Sea; S. by Panama; W. by the Pacific Ocean; area, 32,000 square miles; pop. (official estimate, 1918) 459,423; capital, San Jose, 38,000. Topography. The interior of the country is very mountainous, the ranges reaching an altitude of 11,000 feet, and having many volcanoes. The highest point is Pico Blanco, 11,800 feet. There are many small rivers, the drainage usually being N. E. or S. W., and the Tempisque, Colorado, and Rio Grande. The coast is very irregular, being indented by many large gulfs and bays, of which the Gulfs of Nicoya and Dulce are the most important. The Nicaragua Lake forms nearly half the N. boundary. The E. coast is a gradual slope and is heavily wooded, while the W. is covered with immense savannahs. Climate and Productions. - The climate in the interior is temperate, and that on the coasts averages about 80° up to an altitude of 3,000 feet. The rainy season on the W. slope lasts from April to November. The soil is exceedingly fertile, and the forests are extensive, yielding mahogany, cedar, rosewood, lignum-vitæ, granadilla, ebony, Brazil-wood, and caoutchouc. Nearly all tropical fruits abound, including coffee, cocoa, banana, sugar, sarsaparilla, and vanilla. Other important productions are tobacco, rice, barley, dye woods, and cotton. The mineral resources are quite extensive, but as yet they have not been systematically worked. Gold is the principal metal mined, and is found both in rock and in placers. Silver, lead, and copper also exist in large quantities. Cattle raising is carried on to a large extent. Commerce. The principal exports in 1919 were coffee, 30,784,184 bags; bananas, 7,129,655 bunches (1918). Hard woods, hides, and skins are also exported considerably. There are about 3,300 factories. The imports consisted of merchandise, flour, machinery, oil, cotton, iron, woolens, and worsteds. Communications. There are about 435 miles of railway, including branches and sidings. The Port of Limon is visited by steamers of British, American, and Italian steamship companies. Pacific port of Arenas is visited by steamers of three lines. Limon and Panama are connected by wireless telegraph, as are Bluefields in Nicaragua and Colon in Panama. There telewere in 1919 about 2,300 miles of phone in the country. Finance. The revenue in 1919 was about $4,600,000, and the expenditure slightly less. The chief sources of revenue are customs, liquors, railways, postage, and telegraphs. The chief items of expenditure are administration, public instruction and internal development. Government. The government is purely republican in form. The president and vice-president, since 1918, are elected by an electoral college of senators and deputies for a term of four years. The president is assisted by a cabinet of six secretaries, appointed by great. The principal rivers are the The legislative power vested in a Chamber of Representatives, termed Constitutional Congress on a basis of one representative to every 8,000 inhabitants, chosen in electoral assemblies, the members of which since the Law of August, 1913, are elected by the suffrage of all who are able to support themselves. The members of the chamber are elected for four years, one half retiring every two years. Religion and Education. The Roman Catholic is the state religion, but there is entire religious liberty under the constitution. In 1918 there were 315 elementary schools, a lyceum for boys, a college for girls, a normal school and colleges for medicine, law, and dentistry. Public instruction in all branches is rigidly enforced. History. Costa Rica was discovered by Columbus in 1502 and settled in 1504. During the Colonial period it was part of the Kingdom of Guatemala, which proclaimed independence in 1821. From 1824 to 1839 it was a state in the United Provinces of Central America. On the dissolution of the latter, it became an independent republic. In 1856 it declared war on the troops under the filibuster William Walker and defeated them. Its constitution is a most liberal one. Foreigners enjoy every civil right without being admitted to citizenship or being compelled to contribute heavy sums. Admission to citizenship may be applied for at any time and will be granted after one year's residence. Settlers are not obliged to become naturalized citizens. They can carry on business and manufacture, possess real estate, buy and sell, navigate the rivers and coasts, exercise their religious creeds, marry, and dispose of their property by will. Although from time to time minor revolutions have taken place, the population is homogeneous and progressive. A revolution in January, 1917, resulted in the deposition of President Gonzales. The former Secretary of War, Pinoco, was put in his place. Gonzales fled to Havana. The government broke off diplomatic relations with Germany on Sept. 1, 1917, and took steps to ② COSTUME 1. 14th Century 2. 16th Century (Spanish) intern all German residents. On May 23, 1918, war was declared against Germany. On Aug. 4, 1919, Pinoco abandoned the task of ruling the country and fled from the revolutionists who had defeated his army. The National Assembly nominated Julio Acosta as provisional president, but he was shortly after succeeded by S. Barquero. On Aug. 23, CÔTE D'OR 1920, the right of suffrage was granted to all citizens of Costa Rica, including Those who would exercise the women. right must be able to read and write, and must be citizens by birth, naturalization, or adoption.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
kos'ta re'ka, the most southerly republic of Central America . It extends from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean, and from Panama to Nicaragua. The tenth parallel of north latitude passes very nearly through the geographical center. Area, 22,000 square miles. The coasts are fringed with tropical forests extending inland to an altitude of 3,000 feet. Oaks and chaparral come next. The vegetation of the mountain tops resembles that of the Andes. The highest peaks are volcanic. Eruptions have occurred no later than 1866. The wild animals are those of similar regions in South America-the armadillo, tapir, puma, deer, and numerous monkeys. The people, about 300,000, are almost entirely of Spanish descent, with a few Indians and negroes. The little republic has a reputation for better schools and less illiteracy than any other country colonized by the Spanish. It threw off the Spanish rule in 1821, and has been independent since 1830. San Jose, in the interior, is the capital. The government is modeled on that of the United States , though the Congress consists of one house. Gold, iron, copper, silver, petroleum, and coal are found in the mountains. Limon, the Caribbean port, is connected with the interior cities by several railways. In 1907, 10,000,000 bunches of bananas were shipped to Galveston, New Orleans , Mobile, and English ports, as well as $3,000,000 worth of excellent coffee. The merchants of the United States and England sell large amounts of cloth, clothing, drugs, tools, and machinery for the mines and plantations. Paints, oils, flour, wheat, and lard are imported. The alert reader should keep Costa Rica in mind as a self-respecting, proud, little country, putting forth a determined effort to be intelligent and thrifty. 2026 Editor's Note: This page uses language about race that was commonplace when the book was published and is offensive by today's standards. The text has been left exactly as it was printed, rather than cut or softened, so that the historical record — including how ordinary such language once was — is preserved. (Ed: BR 2026-07-22)