Costa Rica (ks´ tå r´ kå) is one of the great banana-growing countries of the Western Hemisphere. It exports annually over 11,000,000 bunches, having a value of about $5,000,000. Banana cultivation is the chief industry of the little republic. The banana zone is along the eastern coast, and contains 375 square miles. The banana plantations are very large and very well equipped. The overseer has his large house pleasantly situated. Near by are the dwellings of the laborers. Some of the plantations have small railway lines to carry the fruit to a main railway or to a boat landing on a river. The engine here shown is pulling a long line of small cars which are being loaded. The bunches are cut, loaded on the backs of donkeys, and carried to the plantation railway. The view shows the method of cutting, and carrying bananas. Better yet, you get here a real vision of a banana grove. At first glance it looks like a jungle, so thick do the leaves grow. But the archway of fronds (leaves) tells you that the trees have been set in rows. And the extent of the plantation is suggested by the distance you can see between the rows. These trees have grown very quickly. They are only a few months old. They have come up from the stumps of last year's trees; or, if the grove is new, from a cutting stuck into the earth. Costa Rica also grows about 40,000,000 pounds of coffee annually, valued at $3,500,000. It is of fine quality. Most of it is shipped to England to mix with other coffees and thus make blends. With its banana and coffee plantations Costa Rica deserves its name of "rich coast". This is what Columbus called it when he discovered the country. San Jose (sän h-s´) is the capital, and Limon (l-mn´) and Puntarenas (pn´ tä-r´ näs), the chief ports. Keystone ID: 12804 Note: All titles, descriptions, and location coordinates are from the original Keystone Slide documentation as supplied by the Keystone View Company. No text has been edited or changed.