Culture of Costa Rica
Costa Rica is home to the people who like to call themselves Ticos. The Ticos are very cynical about their government and truly only trust their family. They tend not have a lot of close relations with people who are non-relatives. They are very passive and do not desire confrontation. This practice is known as Quedar Bien. They would rather lie to someone's face rather than confront them and cause problems in order to stay within Quedar Bien. This is consistent with their demilitarized status due to the fact that people who do not seem to be a threat will often not be threatened.Education is extremely valued in Costa Rica, but it is believed to be extremely under funded and ineffective. Private Schools are usually preferred, but they are limited to the Upper class due to cost.
Catholicism is recognized as the official religion in Costa Rica. Many will say they are Catholic, but very few actually follow the religions doctrine whole heartedly. Most practice a mixture of Catholicism, occultism, and traditions of their African/Indian Ancestry.