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Abolishing the army

How Costa Rica scrapped its armed forces, plus Maya Angelou and Sweden's famous warship.

After a brief civil war in March-April 1948, the new president of Costa Rica, Jose Figueres, took the audacious step of dissolving the Armed Forces. The Central American country is now one of just over 20 countries without a standing army - we find out more. Plus, Maya Angelou's ground-breaking memoir, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, and the remarkable story of the raising of the Swedish warship, the Vasa.

Photo: Costa Rican soldiers in San Jose after the end of the civil war, April 1948 (Credit: Getty Images)

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53 minutes

Last on

Mon 8 Apr 201923:06GMT
BBC World Service

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  • Sat 6 Apr 201914:06GMT
    BBC World Service News Internet
  • Sun 7 Apr 201914:06GMT
    BBC World Service South Asia & East Asia only
  • Mon 8 Apr 201923:06GMT
    BBC World Service

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