swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives,
and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement
of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands.
The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In
1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces
that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later
it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this
federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica
proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th
century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the
country's democratic development. Although it still maintains a
large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to
include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of
living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.

Cote d'Ivoire
Close ties to France since independence in 1960, the
development of cocoa production for export, and foreign investment
made Cote d'Ivoire one of the most prosperous of the tropical
African states, but did not protect it from political turmoil. In
December 1999, a military coup - the first ever in Cote d'Ivoire's
history - overthrew the government. Junta leader Robert GUEI
blatantly rigged elections held in late 2000 and declared himself
the winner. Popular protest forced him to step aside and brought
runner-up Laurent GBAGBO into power. Ivorian dissidents and
disaffected members of the military launched a failed coup attempt
in September 2002. Rebel forces claimed the northern half of the
country, and in January 2003 were granted ministerial positions in a
unity government under the auspices of the Linas-Marcoussis Peace
Accord. President GBAGBO and rebel forces resumed implementation of
the peace accord in December 2003 after a three-month stalemate, but
issues that sparked the civil war, such as land reform and grounds
for citizenship, remain unresolved. The central government has yet
to exert control over the northern regions and tensions remain high
between GBAGBO and opposition leaders. Several thousand French and
West African troops remain in Cote d'Ivoire to maintain peace and
facilitate the disarmament, demobilization, and rehabilitation
process.

Croatia
The lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire until the close of World