The centenarians of Costa Rica

Every time someone turns 100 in Costa Rica, they make it, at least, to the local news.

The country is proud of its tradition of longevity. Costa Ricans seem to live longer than almost anyone else on earth.

As of June, the tiny country had 417 centenarians.

In a 2004 book, National Geographic research Dan Buettner identified places where people reach age 100 at rates 10 times greater than in the United States.

Nicoya, Costa Rica, was one of those places.

Inspired by the longevity of her family, photographer Monica Quesada started photographing Costa Ricans who had reached the 100-year-mark.