Around the World in the Hetzel Kitchen

History : Declared independence from Spain in 1821 Armed Forces : Dissolved in 1949.  Only two brief periods of violence have hindered the democratic development since the late 19th century Location : Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean Area : Over 51,000 sq km; 130th largest in the world          Slightly smaller than West Virginia Population : Over 4.5 million; 123rd largest in the world Religion : 76.3% Roman Catholic Capital : San Jose Human Development Index : Consistently among the top Latin American countries Carbon : Announced plans in 2007 to become the first carbon-neutral country by 2021 Happiness : Ranked #1 in the Happy Planet Index in 2009 Sources: CIA Factbook and Wikipedia When Kevin and I were recently considering where to go on vacation before the baby arrives, we seriously considered Costa Rica.  The standard of living is high and tourism is a major industry.  There were really o...