Central America - Nicaragua and Costa Rica Educational Resources K12 Learning, Geography, World, Geography Lesson Plans, Activities, Experiments, Homeschool Help

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As we continue our journey south through Central America, the next two countries we encounter are Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Here's a peek into what you'll learn about these countries:

Tthere are no street names in Nicaragua. A person's address is given by whatever major landmarks he lives near.
In Costa Rica, it is not uncommon for coffee to be given to babies.

Keep reading to learn more!

Nicaragua

The name Nicaragua is the combination of the two words Nicarao and agua.

Nicarao is the native tribe that occupied Nicaragua when the Spanish arrived, and agua is the Spanish word for water. Nicaragua is both the largest and the poorest country in Central America.

map of Nicaragua

Learn the facts from National Geographic Kids: Nicaragua.
Read the article, watch the video, and use the map at Easy Science for Kids: Nicaragua.
Interesting, fascinating, and surprising facts from theFACTfile: 55 Interesting Facts About Nicaragua.
Nicaragua is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere after Haiti. Watch Nicaraguan Culture: Some interesting trivia [sic], from Lifey, for a personal perspective on life in Nicaragua.

Costa Rica

Do you know the way to San Jose?

Well if you can locate Costa Rica, then your answer should be "Yes", because San Jose is the name of Costa Rica's capital! In Spanish, Costa Rica means rich coast, a name first used by Christopher Columbus. The people, or Ticos (male) and Ticas (female), have one of the highest life expectancies of any people in the world!

map of Costa Rica

Begin by looking through the country profile of Costa Rica at the National Geographic Kids site: Costa Rica.
Watch Discover Costa Rica, from bestdestination, for an overview of all of the highlights in Costa Rica:

Read through this list of 10 interesting facts about Costa Rica that will make you fall in love even more (asuaire travel.)
Scroll through all of the information (including the video and map) that Easy Science for Kids provides: Costa Rica.
Read about Costa Rica at geographia.com. After reading COSTA RICA: Introduction, click on the links for "History & Culture," as well as "Explorations," found on the left-hand side of the page. Notice in the "Explorations" link that Costa Rica is a country that attracts many tourists!

After reading through these various sources, see if you can determine why so many people choose to visit this Central American country.