EL HIMNO NACIONAL

The music of the national anthem was born during the government of Juan Rafael Mora, in 1852, when the President asked Manuel Maria Gutierrez to make music and he did so in three days. To choose the letter was a contest in 1903. The prize was won by Jose Maria Zeledon Billo, and since then was the only point with which they sang the national anthem. The letter was declared the official June 10, 1949.

THE FLAG

Costa Rica has had several flags from 1821 until the present. The tricolour flag, or who has the white, blue and red, was born in 1848, when Mrs. Pacifica Fernandez, wife of the president of the republic at the time, Dr. Jose Ma. Castro Madriz, recalling the colors of the French created with his own hands our flag. Click here to view the letter: Ode to the Flag

THE SHIELD 

The National Shield represents three volcanoes and a wide valley between two oceans and in each of them a merchant ship. In the far left of the top line that marks the horizon there will be a rising sun. Finishing  the  shield two palms myrtle, united by a wide white ribbon and contain golden letters in the legend: "Republic of Costa Rica." The space between the profile of volcanoes and the palms of the myrtle will occupy seven stars of the same magnitude, placed arch representing the provinces of San Jose, Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia, Guanacaste, Limon and Puntarenas. The auction of the shield form a blue ribbon in the form of a crown in which a silver bear the legend "Central America". The shield was promulgated on September 29, 1848, during the administration of Dr. Jose Ma. Castro Madriz. This shield has undergone two changes: it removed all elements of warfare which was then added two more stars to complete the seven, one for each province.
 

LA GUARIA MORADA: In 1939, Argentina was founded a garden named "Garden of Peace" and asked that the Ticos enviáran its national flower for luciera with other flowers of different countries. At that time in Costa Rica did not have a national flower, none had been chosen as such. It was then that the Club Gardens and the Rotary Club had a contest to choose to represent us thereafter. The flowers participants in the contest had to meet certain requirements: be Costa Rican, originally from America and be incorporated into our customs, the winner turned out to be the orchid popularly known as "purple guaria" whose scientific name is "Cattleya Skinneri." The guaria purple flowers in February and March. He was decreed "National Flower" in the government of Leon Cortes Castro by the Secretariat of State for Development and Agriculture, agreed. 24 June 15, 1939. 

GUANACASTE TREE: guanacaste tree was declared as the national tree of Costa Rica, on August 31, 1959, during the administration of Lic. Mario Echandi Jimenez, by decree no. 7. He was chosen as a tribute to guanacastecos, for its annexation to our country from 1825, and also because for many the immense shadow that gives this beautiful tree, is similar to the protection that the state gives to all Costa Ricans. Guanacaste comes from the indigenous language Nahuatl language and that the word "guanacaste" means tree ear, because the fruits of the tree resemble ears of the people.

THE YIGÜIRRO: It was declared a national symbol in November 1976, thanks to a project of Don Eliseo Gamboa who considered important in our folklore, our literature and our music. Her singing is the one that we announce the arrival of the rains. The decree which become national bird was signed during the administration of Lic. Daniel Oduber Quiros.

THE OXCART: The oxcart was decreed a national symbol of work, in the year 1988, during the government of Dr. Oscar Arias Sanchez. In the last century the cart was the most used to transport coffee in our country, because it was the right way to transit through the bad roads of the time. According to historians, the cart has its origins in something that the Spaniards brought over, and that was called "cureña", which was used to mount the cannon artillery. The cart is used throughout Central America, however, ours is the only one that is decorated with geometric shapes, flowers and animals.