Q 01/05

Monteverde, one of Costa Rica's best-known ecotourism spots, protects which type of forest?

A) Mangrove forest

B) Cloud forest

C) Pine forest

D) Tropical dry forest

Answer · why

B) Cloud forest

Cloud forest: Monteverde sits about 1,400 metres up on the continental divide, where trade winds push moist air into the mountains and keep the trees ...

Q 02/05

What do runners carry in the annual relay marking Central American independence?

A) A letter

B) A flag

C) A torch

D) A bell

Answer · why

C) A torch

A torch: runners relay it through five countries, from Guatemala to Costa Rica, retracing the route of the courier who carried news of independence so...

Q 03/05

What greeting-and-farewell phrase embodies the relaxed, positive outlook of Costa Ricans?

A) Mi Casa Es Su Casa

B) Hasta Luego

C) Buenos Días

D) Pura Vida

Answer · why

D) Pura Vida

Pura Vida, literally 'pure life', works as hello, goodbye and 'all good'; the phrase is thought to have caught on from a foreign film comedy of the sa...

Q 04/05

Which conical Costa Rican stratovolcano was very active until 2010?

A) Arenal Volcano

B) Poás Volcano

C) Irazú Volcano

D) Rincón de la Vieja Volcano

Answer · why

A) Arenal Volcano

Arenal Volcano had been quiet for centuries when it erupted without warning in July 1968, destroying nearby villages, and it then stayed active until ...

Q 05/05

Costa Rica's national bird, a plain brown thrush, was chosen for a song that locals say heralds what?

A) The coffee harvest

B) The rainy season

C) The new year

D) The full moon

Answer · why

B) The rainy season

The rainy season: the yigüirro, or clay-colored thrush, sings as the first rains arrive, which is why Costa Rica passed over its showier toucans and m...