The Chinese Community in Costa Rica
The Chinese community in Costa Rica is a small but vibrant community, originating from a large number of immigrants who arrived in the country as laborers. Today, many members of the Chinese community are part of the mainstream culture and own small businesses in hospitality and retail. Read on for some basic information about the Chinese in Costa Rica.
Taxes
When you own property in Costa Rica, you should know about the taxes you must pay. These taxes are collected through the government, and they vary depending on your situation. For example, if you own a commercial property, you'll need to file a form called the D150 to report the total payments and withholdings you made during the year, as well as any settlements you made outside of Costa Rica. The deadline for this form is 30 November, and it is mandatory to file one if you've made any business transactions that involve Costa Rica.The taxes in Costa Rica vary greatly, but they usually run between 10 and 15 percent of your income. The tax system uses a graduated system, so that higher incomes are taxed more heavily. Another benefit to the Costa Rican tax system is that you don't have to pay income tax if you don't earn a certain amount of money.
Health Care
After studying the universal health care system of Costa Rica for the first time, Penn State students went back for their second year. They learned how the government funds health care and how it operates. The health system is based on a 9 percent income tax and variable employer contribution and is designed to provide medical care to all citizens, regardless of their income level or pre-existing conditions.Although the government runs the CAJA system, most expats opt to purchase private medical insurance coverage. These policies cost around $100 a month and cover a portion of your medical expenses. Depending on your income, medical history, and other factors, these costs can rise considerably. For those who don't want to pay the high premiums, Costa Rica also offers public healthcare. However, these policies are not comprehensive enough to provide coverage for all of your medical needs.
Official Language
The official language of Costa Rica is Spanish. It is a Romance language and a member of the Indo-European language family. It evolved from the colloquial Latin spoken in the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. It is an international language, spoken by 500 million people and is an official language in 20 countries.English is also widely spoken in Costa Rica, although it is spoken only by 3% of the country's population. It is spoken as a second language in some schools and is encouraged in most social situations, though Spanish remains the primary language of communication among non-Afro Costa Ricans.
Climate
The climate of Costa Rica is fairly varied. The country is surrounded by mountains and a wall-like system that disrupts airflow patterns. Northeast trade winds constantly blow across the country but are stopped at the high mountains, dumping most of their moisture onto the Caribbean coast. This causes a relatively short dry season on this side of the country.The climate of Costa Rica consists of two distinct seasons: the dry season which lasts from December to April, and the rainy season, which lasts from May to November. The dry season is the best time to visit Costa Rica, while the rainy season is the worst.
Human Rights
When it comes to human rights in Latin America, Costa Rica is often considered the best. It has been an active participant in the development of international standards for human rights. While the country still struggles with some issues, the country has made great strides in the area. For example, Costa Rica has helped draft international standards for human rights and has worked to promote these standards.Despite Costa Rica's progress, more needs to be done to improve its record in this area. In order to improve the situation in the country, the authorities should commit to a comprehensive reform of the legal and legislative framework and to a transition towards a more equitable and inclusive society. They should also commit to ratifying international human rights treaties to further the country's progress.
Daylight Saving
When traveling to Costa Rica, it's important to know about Daylight Savings Time. In the United States and most of Europe, this change occurs on Sunday, March 30. Costa Rica first used Daylight Savings Time in summer 1979. It was used from February through May in 1980, and then again from January until June in 1991. The Calderon government stopped using it in 1992.Costa Rica has one time zone, UTC-06:00. This means the clocks are set at the same time throughout the year. Therefore, the country does not observe Daylight Savings Time. In addition, it does not change the time zones from winter to summer.
