...Have you ever wondered about the country your neighbors always visit? They always come back tan, and usually talkative about their experience. Recently, a friend of mine just came back from such a trip. They went to Costa Rica. Costa Rica is a beautiful country that attracts lots of tourism. It is a fun place to hang at the beach, or hang anywhere. But what’s on the inside? Inside is a deep, rich culture that I will be telling you about. Costa Rica’s landscape contains lots of valleys and some mountain ranges. Of course, it also has access to the sea. The climate varies according to what part of Costa Rica you are in. Some places it can be a humid, lowland jungle. Others, arid mountain peaks. In the Meseta Central (where about two thirds...
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...Costa Rica is found in Central America, South of Nicaragua and Northwest of Panama. Costa Rica lies entirely in the tropical climate zone , but the climates changes during altitudes and coastal regions. The most of the population lives in mild climates in highlands. Temperatures in the Central Valley highlands average about 67℉ year-round. The capital of Costa Rica is San José. Their currency is the Coastal Region colon. In recorded history, Costa Rica was described by Spaniards as a contact area for merchants from the Mesoamerican trading empires and the Andean empire.Before the invasion of the Spaniards, Costa Rica contained about 28 separate, large clans, in nearly constant warfare. In 1502, Columbus discovered Costa Rica and Spanish settlements...
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...Costa Rica is Independent state situated between Nicaragua and Panama on the narrow strip of land that connects Central America with South America. Their national language is Spanish but over 80% of the population is European. Ecotourism is currently the fastest growing sector of the world's largest service industry. The major source of income of Costa Rica depends on the tourism. Tourism contributes the maximum to its GDP. It contributes about 68% of the total GDP of the country. The tropical rainforests make Costa Rica one of the most biologically diverse areas of the world, containing 5% of the entire planet’s biodiversity in a country the size of West Virginia. With such an abundance of diverse nature, Costa Rica is known for its ecotourism...
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...my desire to explore and search for answers to questions I had crafted in an attempt to understand nature and its role in our lives. I was privileged to study cellular and molecular biology under one of the most experienced professors at this University. In this class, I gained a holistic view of nature. This was a challenge initially as I had to comprehend how intimately the various parts of our ecosystem were interconnected; from the carbon cycle to the invertebrate and fungi population. At the end of the semester, using information and data collected previously, I presented a research paper explaining the effects of land management practices on carbon sequestration in Costa Rica. I studied deforestation in Costa Rica and some viable reforestation techniques. Writing this paper gave me some background knowledge on the tropical forests of Costa Rica. I have been exposed somewhat through research to some of the...
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...Đào tạo TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI THƯƠNG COSTA RICA A brief study on public FDI facilitation by means of trade agreements and trade liberalization Nguyen Phuong Khanh Tung Student ID: 0951040062 ------------------------------ Costa Rica: A brief study on public FDI facilitation by means of trade agreements and future political adjustments. Abstract Being probably the most economically-advanced countries within the region of Central America, Costa Rica is a very interesting example of a how a developing country would manage and regulate its economic growth and stability, much thanks to its unique regime to attract and allocate FDI efficiently. Despite having little natural endowments and regional advantages, Costa Rica has ever since been the economic vanguard among the Latin America community for the last past half decade, with remarkable level of development within knowledge-intensive industries. Furthermore, the country’s early acceptance and adoption of various trade liberalization schemes have created a destination that a number of economists have been referring as ‘investment haven’ for exported products and services. The case of Costa Rica, henceforth, is exemplary for developing countries, not only in regard to attracting pure FDI, but also supervising its spillover effects as a means to stimulate the economy. This paper does not quantify in detail the effects, but rather focuses on a sweeping analysis on Costa Rica’s political historical and possible...
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...changes so as to remain in the business. There are several issues faced in the travel and tourism industry from time to time and these issues need considerable attention from the host country government as well as industry players. These issues are currently driving the entire travel & tourism segment. Further there are changes happening in the external environment and travel & tourism segment need to respond to these changes in order to remain in line with the changing trends in the external market. The present paper would analyze the issues faced in the travel and tourism sector in South Africa and there would be three learning objectives which would be accomplished through present paper and can be given as under: LO1 Understand current issues in travel and tourism sector LO3 Understand how the travel and tourism sector respond to change LO4 Understand the impacts of change on travel and tourism sector These three learning objectives would be attained through present paper for discussion of the contemporary issues in travel and tourism industry with specific reference to South Africa. LO1 Understand current issues intravel and tourism sector 1.1 Analyze issues currently driving change in travel and tourism sector There are several key issues driving change in the travel and tourism sector in South Africa would include the political, economical, technological, globalization, health & safety and environmental issues. Considering the environmental issues affecting present age...
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...Farming Butterflies 5 A Day in the Life of a Butterfly Farmer 6 Country Analysis: Costa Rica 8 The Land 9 Plant and Animal Life 10 The People 11 Greetings and Courtesies 13 Business Culture 14 The Economy 16 Table 1 17 Graphs 1, 2 18 Finance 18 Table 2 19 Government 19 Education 20 Health and Welfare 20 Resources 21 Agriculture 21 Table of Contents (cont.) Industry 22 Trade 22 Transportation 23 Butterfly Beauties, Inc. Operations Equipment and Supplies 25 Employees 27 Marketing Butterflies 28 Exportation/Shipping 31 Conclusion 32 Works Cited 33 Butterfly Beauties brochure Appendix Butterfly Beauties, Inc. Butterfly Farming in Costa Rica Executive Summary While the name may seem somewhat "flighty," butterfly farming is a serious business opportunity. The demand for butterflies is increasing, and new butterfly houses and farms are opening worldwide. The marketing possibilities are exciting. For our venture, Butterfly Beauties, Inc., we have chosen to locate our butterfly farms in the beautiful Central American country of Costa Rica. The climate and plant life are perfect for raising butterflies, and the country has a stable economy...
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...Organizations, Systems and the Environment Evan Schwartz The Chicago School of Professional Psychology Abstract Organizations, Systems and the Environment There are many issues that are in need of support internationally. The international community has rallied around many causes over the years. International psychologists may choose to focus their work in one or more of these areas, including but not limited to, women and children empowerment, refugee advocacy, education, disaster response, emigration and immigration, policy and decision making, health care, poverty and economic justice, and environmental conservation (Gibbons, 2012). There are many aspects of the environment that affect our global society. It is crucial for organizations of all types to understand their role in environmental issues. Although, there are groups of individuals taking steps to improve these issues, these efforts will not be successful until everyone works together on a common goal of environmental sustainability. Boyd and Osbahr assess international organizations that are addressing concerns related to climate change (2010, p.629). The authors stressed the need for action in the area of the environment. The goal of this project is to gain a greater understanding of how three different organizations have taken measures to address climate change. There are many aspects of the environment that affect our global society. As globalization progresses, the earth’s natural systems...
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...------------------------------------------------- Free Trade Area of the Americas From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Free Trade Area of the Americas logo The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) (Spanish: Área de Libre Comercio de América [ALCA], French: Zone de libre-échange de Amérique [ZLÉA],Portuguese: Área de Livre Comércio das Américas [ALCA], Dutch: Vrijhandelszone van Amerika) was a proposed agreement to eliminate or reduce the trade barriers among all countries in the Americas excluding Cuba. In the latest round of negotiations, trade ministers from 34 countries met in Miami, United States, in November 2003 to discuss the proposal.[1] The proposed agreement was an extension of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Opposing the proposal were Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Dominica, Nicaragua and Honduras (all of which entered theBolivarian Alternative for the Americas in response), and Argentina, Chile and Brazil. Discussions have faltered over similar points as the Doha Development Round of World Trade Organization (WTO) talks; developed nations seek expanded trade inservices and increased intellectual property rights, while less developed nations seek an end to agricultural subsidies and free trade in agricultural goods. Similar to the WTO talks, Brazil has taken a leadership role among the less developed nations, while the United States has taken a similar role for the developed nations. Free...
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...Sustainable Development: Empowerment through Partnerships for Healthy Living CLAUDIA MARA VARGAS * I University of Vermont, Burlington, USA Summary. — This article seeks to take partnerships seriously. Specifically, it is concerned with the nature, opportunities, and challenges facing women’s nongovernmental organization (NGOs), which seek to make real contributions to sustainable development. It uses a case study of COFERENE, a successful women’s NGO in Costa Rica, to explore the nature of partnerships, the contextual factors that shape them, the successes that can be realized from their wise use, and the potential problems that may arise. There are lessons, both optimistic and cautionary, to be learned from COFERENE’S experiences. This article analyzes these lessons. In synthesis, partnerships are complex and demanding, though there are cases in which women’s NGOs have used them effectively to foster sustainable development. Ó 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Key words — geographical focus: global, country specific: Costa Rica, sustainable development, partnerships, culture, nonprofits A woman said that her father was a street sweeper. If some people consider this a humble job, her opinion was that a person who has the job of picking up garbage is way superior to the person who throws away Author unknown garbage. 1 1. INTRODUCTION Although progress for women can be ascertained throughout the world in health, education, and labor, there is still much work to be done (Stromquist...
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...Independent Institute Working Paper Number 53 September 27, 2004 100 Swan Way, Oakland, CA 94621-1428 • 510-632-1366 • Fax: 510-568-6040 • Email: info@independent.org • http://www.independent.org Sweatshops and Third World Living Standards: Are the Jobs Worth the Sweat? Benjamin Powell and David Skarbek• Department of Economics San Jose State University San Jose, CA 95192-0114 benjamin.powell@sjsu.edu ABSTRACT Many studies have shown that multinational firms pay more than domestic firms in Third World countries. Economists critical of sweatshops have responded that multinational firms’ wage data do not address whether sweatshop jobs are above average because many of these jobs are with domestic subcontractors. In this paper we compare apparel industry wages and the wages of individual firms accused of being sweatshops to measures of the standard of living in Third World economies. We find that most sweatshop jobs provide an above average standard of living for their workers. Benjamin Powell is an Assistant Professor of Economics at San Jose State University and the Director of the Center for the Study of Entrepreneurial Innovation at the Independent Institute. David Skarbek is an economics major at San Jose State University and intern at the Independent Institute. The authors thank Jeffery Hummel, Charles Murray, Larry Pratt and Edward Stringham for helpful comments on earlier drafts. Financial support from the American Institute for Economic Research is gratefully acknowledged...
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...Inserción de Costa Rica en la Economía Mundial Los primeros 20 años en el Sistema Multilateral de Comercio Ministerio de Comercio Exterior de Costa Rica Enero, 2012 382.972.86 C8375i Costa Rica. Ministerio de Comercio Exterior Inserción de Costa Rica en la Economía Mundial: los primeros 20 años en el Sistema Multilateral de Comercio / Ministerio de Comercio Exterior.– 1. ed.– San José, C.R.: COMEX, 2012, enero. 278 p. ISBN: 978-9968-676-04-5 1. COSTA RICA - COMERCIO EXTERIOR 2. ECONOMÍA INTERNACIONAL. 3. POLÍTICA COMERCIAL. 4. SISTEMA COMERCIAL MULTILATERAL. I. Título INSERCIÓN DE COSTA RICA EN LA ECONOMÍA MUNDIAL Índice Prólogo PARTE I. Inserción de Costa Rica en la Economía Mundial. Proceso, Institucionalidad, Resultados y Retos Colaboradores y agradecimientos 1. 2. Introducción Evolución del proceso de inserción de Costa Rica en la economía mundial viii 1 4 10 15 16 20 23 30 40 40 42 43 45 46 47 49 50 52 53 56 57 59 61 61 64 64 67 71 74 84 85 95 96 100 103 103 109 109 vii 2.1 Primeros esfuerzos de promoción de exportaciones no tradicionales (1968-1983) 2.2 Nuevos esfuerzos en la promoción de las exportaciones no tradicionales (1984-2010) 2.2.1 Contratos de Exportación y Régimen de Admisión Temporal 2.2.2 Régimen de Zonas Francas 2.2.3 Apertura Unilateral 2.3 Negociaciones comerciales multilaterales 2.4 Negociaciones comerciales bilaterales 2.4.1 Tratado de Libre Comercio entre la República de Costa Rica y los Estados Unidos Mexicanos 2.4.2 Tratado de...
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...Supply Chain Management: Food (Pineapples and Plantains) Chestnut Hill Farms Table of Contents I. Major manufacturers/producers or service providers for pineapples and plantains II. Total output worldwide regarding pineapples and plantains – divided by countries. III. The import export statistics to show major producers and major consumers for pineapples and plantains IV. Local manufacturer Chestnut Hill Farms: vendors/suppliers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers. V. Pineapple and plantain flowchart (vertical integration) VI. Discuss major problems and issues in the pineapple and plantain supply chain VII. Include, suggestions, if any, for making improvements regarding the pineapple and plantain supply chain I. Major manufacturers/producers or service providers for pineapples and plantains Today many countries have become pineapple producers, making the fruit production grow over 400% since 1960. Then again, a rise of 50% was seen after the introduction of what they call the “Gold” variety, developed in the 1990s by Fresh Del Monte. Pineapple consumption has double in last 10 years, making the industry grow into a more complex chain. Other major fruit product today is plantains, which production has grown over 60% in the last 30 years. Plantains have become a major part of food in Central and West Africa, and in other regions such as the Caribbean Islands, South, and Central America. As comsuption for both fruits have...
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...SURVIVAL TRAVELING Although, Costa Rica is one of the safest countries in the world in which to travel, tourists as well as all visitors, should be cautious just like anywhere across the globe. This chapter of Survival Trekking covers the basics of traveling safely and is intended for the adventure traveler. The purpose of this information is to assist the reader in becoming a “hard target” instead of “soft target” and a statistic we end up reading about in the newspapers. Although I use Costa Rica as the example, these techniques can be and should be applied anywhere in the world that you might travel, because crime and terrorism can happen anywhere, at any time. "If a criminal wants to get me, then there is nothing I can do to stop him." This attitude is typical of many travelers in foreign countries, but there are many things that we can do to prepare ourselves becoming less vulnerable to criminal and terrorist acts. The goal is to turn ourselves into “hard targets” instead of “soft targets,” thus making ourselves undesirable targets, which the would-be criminal will pass and go on to the next unfortunate person. Simply put, it’s like auto theft; if a car thief comes to your locked vehicle with the windows rolled up and an alarm system, then he will most likely go to the next vehicle looking for one that is not as secure. The same can be said for many types of criminal acts as criminals and terrorists look for soft targets that involve little risk and offer...
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...Reflections on the Impact of Culture in the Classroom Giselle Mora-Bourgeois Gunston Middle School Arlington County (VA) Public Schools Submitted June 2000 Introduction A year of teaching 8th graders at Gunston Middle School provided me with many lessons on the impact of cultural differences and communication styles on the teaching-learning process. I discovered that my communication style was so different from that of my students that it led to many unpleasant and conflictive moments in the classroom. Additionally, I became more aware of my personal identity and more appreciative of the diverse cultural backgrounds of my students. This paper summarizes some observations and reflections on how cultural differences bedeviled my interactions with my students in Arlington County, Virginia. In general, culture refers to the ways in which different groups of people organize their daily lives within national or ethnic groups, urban neighborhoods, companies and professions, and other settings. Culture includes what people actually do and what they believe. Culture influences greatly how we see the world, how we try to understand it and how we communicate with each other. Therefore, culture determines, to a great extent, learning and teaching styles. Addressing cultural differences in the teaching-learning process is both important and controversial. It is important because we are confronted with an increasingly diverse population of students and the wide achievement gap between...
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