Costa Rica Host Community

Costa Rica's legenday cloud forest area of Monteverde is host to Global Volunteers teams. A small community partly founded by North American Quakers, Monteverde is the starting point for two privately owned rainforest reserves which, combined, support eight ecological zones. Monteverde is one of the largest privately owned nature preserves in the world, and most of the tourist dollars go directly into preservation of the immediate area. Other significant efforts are on-going, for instance, the Santa Elena Forest Reserve is owned and managed by the Santa Elena High School, with all tourist dollars reverting to enlargement and maintenance of the reserve. This is one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet - with abundant animal life (more than 100 species of mammals), more than 9,000 species of “higher plants," and at least 800 species of ferns. So much inside a small package - Costa Rica is only 200 miles long and is split in two by a series of volcanic mountain chains.

In Newsweek's "100 Places to Remember Before They Disappear," Monteverde is the Americas' #14. Named by popular vote one of the "Seven Wonders of Costa Rica," Monteverde also is identified by National Geographic as "the jewel in the crown of cloud forest reserves."

Known as the "Switzerland of the Americas," Costa Rica has a strong democratic tradition and a long history of dispute resolution. Owing in part to their impressive 95 percent literacy rate and national education system, Costa Ricans are a self-assured and hospitable people. The most stable democracy in Central America, Costa Rica's voting system ensures honest, secure elections. The indigenous people gained their right to vote in 1994.

Ethnically, Costa Rica is one of the most homogeneous populations in all of Latin America. Ninety-seven percent is mestizo (of mixed blood, generally Spanish with Native American), or of direct European descent. Of the mestizos, the vast majority have a much higher percentage of European ancestry, and thus are fair skinned. Afro-Caribbeans, who served as migrant labor on the railways in the 1870's, represent approximately two percent of the population. Of the original denizens of this land, the Native Americans, only about 30,000 remain, representing less than one percent of the total population. Read more about the culture and people of Costa Rica.