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Costa Rica History

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Pre-Columbian period

There are archaeological evidences that say that the arrivals of the first humans to Costa Rica were between 10000 and 7000 A.C. In Turrialba’s valley quarry areas and some factories for making typical tools were found. The settlers from this period were nomadic bands, about 20 to 30 hunters and collectors members. Some animals that they hunt to eat still exist today.

From the development of the Meso-Americana cultures, the northwest side of the country fell little by little under the influence. The towns of the Intermediate Area included almost all the Costa Rican territory, Eastern half of Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia and the Ecuadorian Pacific, they all worked like a bridge between the Meso-Americans cultures and the Andean Area. Through them the technological interchange between both zones became possible; but it had a consequence among other things, the development of the metallurgy in Mexico and in Central America.

Colonial period

In 1502, the navigator Christopher Columbus, in his fourth and last travel to the New World, anchors in the city of Limon, specifically in Uvita Island.
The beginnings of the establishments began in 1522. During this period, in Century XVI, the natives of the country were conquered by the Spanish. Costa Rica turn in the southern province of the Spanish territory, now called the New Spain. The capital of the province was located in Cartago. In 1513 Vasco Nuñez de Balboa discovered the Pacific Coast. Later the lake of Nicaragua was discovered by Gil Gonzalez Davila, towards the years 1560. This territory continued being explored by Juan de Cavallón and Juan Vázquez de Coronado. During the next three hundred years, Spain administers this region as part of the General Captain Post of Guatemala, under a military governor. With optimism, the Spaniards had called “Costa Rica” an important zone were they found gold deposits and other valued minerals in this territory. Although thinking these lands were not as richer as they to thought, compared with other provinces, they dedicate themselves especially to the agriculture.

Independence

In 1821, Costa Rica joins Central American provinces in the statement of independence for Spain, the 15th of September. After a brief period, under the dominion of the Mexican Empire of Agustín de Iturbide, Costa Rica was part of the state in the United Provinces of Central America between 1823 and 1839. In 1824 the capital of the country was changed to San José, but it followed a period of rivalry with Cartago, old providence capital.

Although all the recently independent Republics formed a Federation, disputes of the country borders generated disagreements among them, adding to the region unstable conditions. The northern province of Guanacaste was annexed freely to Costa Rica in 1824.

Under the command of Tomas Guardia Gutierrez (1870-1882), Costa Rica benefitted from great foreign investments in the railway routes and other public equipment. The arrival in the country of the United Fruit Company, allowed the development of the coastal plains in the South zone of the country, also in the railway routes, as well as increase of the infrastructures, simultaneously to the development, turned the country on a independent state dependent on the international markets and the foreign capitals.
Years later, the country lived on an era of peaceful and democracy, that began in 1889, when the elections were considered, the first ones on being honest and free in the whole history of the country.

20th Century

Costa Rica has avoided as far as possible, much of the violence that has plagued Central America. From the last years of Century XIX, only two single periods of strong violence have damage the democratic development. In 1917, Federico Tinoco Granados governed like a dictator for two years, after a coup.

In 1948 Jose Figueres Ferrer lead a raised armed for the Civil War of Costa Rica rise, the result of a presidential election vitiated of invalidity and fraud. The following year, Figueres himself abolished the army, and since then, Costa Rica has been one of the few countries in operating under the democratic system without the aid of an armed army.

The lost of 2000 soldiers in the 44 days of civil war was the bloodiest fact in the history of Costa Rica in the Century XX, but the Assembly create a constitution that guarantee the free elections with universal suffrage and the aim of the armed army.

Figueres became a national hero, gaining the first election under the new constitution in 1953. Since then, the country has carried out twelve elections, the last one of them in the 2006.

Costa Rica has reached a relative standard top of life. At the moment, the services, the electronic components and the tourism exceed to agriculture like the industries of faster expansion and the main currency sources.

Costa Rica’s Today

With an approximately of 4 million inhabitants and a territory of 51.100 Kilometers, Costa Rica is located in Central America, strategically located like an union between North America and South America.

It has two important facing ports the Pacific Ocean and to the Atlantic Ocean, they have 6 hours of distance among them. It has a constitutional regime made up of three powers: Legislative, Executive and Judicial. Due to their enormous wealth of flora and fauna and to the environmental conscience of the population, 25% of the national territory has been declared like protected areas.

Costa Ricans know in the world as “Ticos”, are entirely know mainly for the respect to the family union, for continuing using old customs and for making friends all over the country.

Tico is a colloquial term for a native of Costa Rica. A plural form is Ticos. There are two explanations for the use of this word. One of the, is because Tico is used as a diminutive suffix instead of using ito. The second explanation of the word tico is for making little the word “Hermanitico” which means a friendly and a respect word for calling each other.

The Costa Ricans are very proud of their history; they continue reviving old customs, like cooking on firewood stove, drinking coffee all afternoons and going to church on Sundays and many more. The personal appearance of every person is always clean and always good looking.

A cordial greeting as Buenos Dias (good morning) and Buenas Noches (good night) will always describe Costa Rica. Means will shake your hand and woman will kiss your cheek for saying hello or good bye. Costa Rica‘s official religion is the Roman Catholicism, although there is a freedom to practice any religion. Woman’s are accepted nationally and equally professionals as men’s. Most of them are house householders, so this means they are time fully workers.

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