Costa Rica Vacation Blog June Archive

Short answer, there isn't one. Longer answer, it's strong and proud, but only exists in the past.

After the civil war ended in 1948, President José Figueres Ferrer retired the nation's armed services, and military abolition was written into the national constitution the following year. They haven't needed (or wasted precious, limited resources) on a standing army ever since.

Imagine if all the military money went to education, culture, and police-grade security. The budget is easier to balance (though never "easy"), and there's more to go around for the things people need every day.

Tourists may wish to visit the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica in the Cuartel Bellavista, or enjoy December 1st, the Día de la Abolición del Ejército (Military abolition day), established in 1986.

A nation without an army? Can't say it sounds all that bad to me, and it's certainly worked for Costa Rica.