Monteverde

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The cloud forest of Monteverde
The cloud forest of Monteverde

Monteverde, Costa Rica (Spanish for 'green mountain') is a small town near Puntarenas, Costa Rica. This article deals with Monteverde and its surrounding zone. This includes Santa Elena, as well as numerous reserves and attractions.

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[edit] Climate

Monteverde is humid, misty and cloudy, with temperatures ranging from 15 to 22 degrees Celsius (59 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit). [1] Annual rainfall averages around 3,000 mm or 117 inches.

[edit] History

Founded by Quakers from the USA who took a religious stand to not take part in any war or preparation for war during the build-up of the Korean War,[citation needed] and who found a safe haven in this country without an army, it still retains a North American feel yet is less of a town than a spread of dwellings couched off the main through-road. It was chosen by its founding fathers for its cool climate in aid of dairy farming. The Quakers donated a vast amount of Monteverde's cloud forest to the Tropical Science Center, which now manages and preserves the land. This reserve, the Bosque Nuboso de Monteverde, has become a major tourist attraction, and rapidly increasing numbers of tourists caused a sizable influx of Costa Ricans into the area. In 2005, Santa Elena became the site of a hostage crisis that left 9 dead and many wounded. In 2007, Costa Ricans voted Monteverde one of Costa Rica's 7 Wonders, along with Isla del Coco, Tortuguero, Arenal Volcano, Cerro Chirripó, Rio Celeste and Poás Volcano.

[edit] Demographics

The population of the Quaker-dominated area of Monteverde proper has between 250 to 750 residents, [1] However, the more developed Costa Rican-dominated town of Santa Elena has 6,500 permanent residents as of the most recent census. Quakers still form a considerable population alongside an increasing number of Costa Ricans.

[edit] Education

In 1951, the Quakers constructed a Quaker meeting hall, which served as a general store as well as classrooms[1]. This became known as the Monteverde Friends' School and has since become a small private institution. Classes are mostly in English, K through 12.

A substantially larger, fully bilingual private K through 11th grade institution is the Cloud Forest School, or the Centro de Educación Creativa. It began in 1991 as a kindergarten for 30 students. Its current enrollment is 220 students, over 90% Costa Ricans.

There are several public schools, including the Escuela Sta. Elena, the Escuela Cerro Plano and the Escuela San Luis.

The Colegio San Rafael and Colegio Técnico Professional (also known as the Colegio Santa Elena) are responsible for the majority of secondary education in the area.

[edit] Nature

One of the hanging bridges of the Sky walk disappearing into the clouds
One of the hanging bridges of the Sky walk disappearing into the clouds
Entrance to Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
Entrance to Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Due to the acclaimed rain forests and cloud forests in the greater Monteverde area, Monteverde has become a major part of the Costa Rican tourist trail - despite difficult access. It was recently voted one of the "7 Wonders of Costa Rica" by the Costa Rican newspaper La Nación [2]. Over 60,000 tourists visit the Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde of Monteverde's total 200,000 annual tourists (PDF: Conference on Monteverde)[citation needed] Monteverde's acclaim comes largely from its highly biodiverse ecosystem, boasting 130 species of mammals, 500 species of birds, 120 species of amphibians and reptiles as well as 3,000 species of plants. Many of these species are endemic.

The bulk of Monteverde's rain forest and cloud forest can be found in the Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde, an enormous private nature reserve created in 1972. The area around the park entrance is the most visited, though camping deep in the reserve is possible through reservations. Nine main trails, which total at 13 km, are well kept and easy to access. The reserve features a large network of less accessible trails and a number of ranger stations two of which house 10 persons each, and one research station which can house as many as 43 persons, though the latter is only used by researchers.

To the West of Monteverde proper lies the Bosque Eterno de los Niños, a project funded by schools and children from all over the world. This area is not considered cloud forest, being lower and drier than the Monteverde and Santa Elena reserves. Bajo del Tigre, a small section of the Bosque Eterno de los Niños, is known for birdwatching and night hikes.

Still farther north, past Santa Elena, is the Reserva Santa Elena. This area is visited less frequently by tourists than the Monteverde Reserve.

[edit] Other Sights

In terms of nature-related attractions, Monteverde boasts a modest array of businesses. There are several serpentariums, insect museums, butterfly gardens and other zoological attractions in the area. A surge in these types of attractions has occurred within the last five years. Zip lines through pristine forest are also quite popular, the most successful being Sky Trek and Selvatura. Other activities include horseback riding and mountain biking. The town of Santa Elena also includes several restaurants providing everything from local food selections to home made pizza.

[edit] Dairy

Besides the dominant ecotourism industry, Monteverde is also home to a substantial dairy factory. The Monteverde Cheese Factory, despite its name, supplies much of Costa Rica with not only exceptionally high quality cheese, but also ice cream, and various other dairy products. It was founded by the original Quaker settlers, and continues to operate after more than 50 years. It has been criticized for its lackluster environmental practices in association with the Pig Farm, another notable Monteverde industry.[citation needed]

[edit] Bank Raid

A bank raid occurred on March 8th, 2005, when a group of armed men from Nicaragua tried to assault a branch of the state National Bank ("Banco Nacional"), located in Monteverde. A policeman who guarded the bank killed two of them, however the other three entered the bank installations and held all the people inside the bank hostage for hours. The police intervened in the situation, ending the siege. Nine civilians died and only one of the attackers survived.[3]."[4].This event raised tensions between Nicaraguans and Costa Ricans nationwide and prompted use of higher security in many national banks.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "Demographics", ø, 10 March 2005. Retrieved on 2007-09-07. 
  2. ^ "Seven Wonders", BBC News, September 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-07. 
  3. ^ "Nine die in Costa Rica bank siege", BBC News, 10 March 2005. Retrieved on 2007-08-14. 
  4. ^ "Two Faces of Erlyn Hurtado, Dead Brothers Lying in Morgue Unclaimed", Inside Costa Rica, 21 March 2005. Retrieved on 2007-08-14. 

[edit] External links