Costa Rica, a worldwide leader in ecotourism, is known for its astounding beauty and rich biodiversity. But despite its breathtaking scenery and reputation for environmental-friendliness, Costa Rica has many complex layers.
In the 1990s, Costa Rica’s sudden popularity as a tourist destination added new life to a primarily export-driven economy, once largely based on agricultural goods from coffee to produce. This reliance on tourism, and therefore the international economy deeply affects Costa Rica, as there is a sharp decrease in both of its main sources of revenue — a drastically lower demand for exports and a lagging tourism industry. As a result, the government is now aiming to diversify the economy by improving education in technology. In addition, Costa Rica’s reputation for social stability and peace, along with its free education and universal healthcare, has drawn the attention of immigrants from other Central American countries seeking better lives. Along with issues such as alcoholism and machismo, the combined impact of immigration and a struggling economy has led to more pervasive challenges such as widespread unemployment, elderly abandonment, child labor, and an increasing economic divide.
