Medical student Fabriela Quesada is Miss Costa Rica Universe 2006

Tiny Costa Rica’s beautiful women have been emerging as top contenders in international beauty pageants – This year 22-year-old medical student Fabriela Quesada Sequeira has been chosen to represent her country in the Miss Universe 2006 pageant.

14 February, 2006
MUMBAI, INDIA

Medical student Fabriela Quesada Sequeira has been chosen to represent Costa Rica at the Miss Universe 2006 pageant in June. The 22-year-old was crowned Miss Costa Rica 2006 at a pageant held on February 10th.

The 1.81 metre tall Fabriella is also a former Miss Teen International.

Along with her, Belgica Arias was crowned as Miss Costa Rica World. The 21-year-old Belgica Arias is a Public Relations student. The Guanacaste native will represent her country at the 56th Miss World pageant to be held in Poland in September.

Arlene Raventos, the first runner up, is the backup for these beauties -- She will represent Costa Rica in case Fabriela or Belgica Arias are unable to represent the country due to some unforeseen circumstances.

Beauty pageants have been emerging as a craze in Costa Rica over the years, with some of the locals gaining prominence in worldwide contests.

Nancy Soto of Costa Rica reached the semifinals in 2004, which was eventually won by Aussie Jennifer Hawkins. India's entry that year was Tanushree Dutta.

Leonora Jimenez won the Miss Asia Pacific 2005 crown. Jimenez has also been voted the sexist woman alive.

A native of Santa Ana in Costa Rica, Leonora seems to have inherited the small nation's scenic natural beauty. She started her modelling career by the time she was a 15-year-old.

Apart from her love affair with reading, aerobics, dancing Salsa, merengue, pop and jazz, she is also fond of animals.

Leonora Jimenez was also the national karate champion in 1995.

Leonora Jimenez's brother, who is a biologist, taught her how to “catch snakes with bare hands”. 

She loves Pink Floyd and the Book 'Don Quijote de la manche'. Her personal motto sums up the finer nuances of her character: "Six times I fell down, seven times I got up".

In the year 2004, Shirley Calvo, a Business Administration and international relations student, reached the finals of the Miss World Top Model competition.

Shirley hails from a sleepy town called Sabanilla, one of the highest spots in her beautiful country. It is near the Poas Volcano, which is the world's second largest crater.

Shirley, a government employee, also ran a project aimed to protect the flora and fauna. She believes that "The faith in action, is Love; The Love in actions, is Service".

Surely Costa Rican beauties have predecessors worth emulating.