| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| Costa Rica |
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| SYLLABICATION: | Cos·ta Ri·ca |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  k s t r k, kôst, k - |
| A country of Central America between Panama and Nicaragua. Although Christopher Columbus reached Costa Rica in 1502, Spanish conquest of the area did not begin until 1563. The country achieved independence from Spain in 1821 as part of Mexican territory and declared itself a sovereign republic in 1838. San José is the capital and the largest city. Population: 3,071,000. | | OTHER FORMS: | Costa Rican (rkn) —ADJECTIVE & NOUN
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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