2. Basic History Facts
• Columbus explored it in 1502 (4th and final)
• Landed in Isla Uvita—now Limon
• Nearly 400,000 Indians were inhabiting it
• Costa Rica = Rich Coast
• Mineral wealth the Spaniards imagined existed in the territory
• Among the Spaniards, there was deceit and jeaousy
• Combined with the climatic conditions of the Atlantic region
• This limited their establishment of permanent settlements
during the first 3 centuries of the colonial period
• Colonization then began on Pacific side
3. Basic History Facts
• Spaniards started a slave trade with other parts of the
Americas
• Panama
• Peru
• Also confiscated any gold they could find
• 1561 was first Spanish expedition into the valley
• 1562 Juan Vasquez de Coronado brought men and
supplies from Nicaragua to strengthen the settlement
• He treated the natives with respect and little violence,
which was successful
4. Basic History Facts
• Increasing number of white settlers
• Natives were exposed to diseases with no immunity
• Spanish divided the best agricultural lands amongst
themselves
• Obtained food from natives
• End of 1600’s: farms sold off property to families or divided
into smaller farms
• Local migrations out of Cartago to other Central Valley
regions, which led to establishment of:
• Heredia
• San Jose
• Alajuela
• Escazu
5. More Recently…
• 1970’s: rising oil prices and inflation hurt economy
• Reduced reliance on coffee, banana, and beef exports
• Tourism is now a huge business and is profitable
• One of the most democratic governments in Latin America
• Now is one of the most stable and prosperous
• Oscar Arias Sanchez was elected president in 2006
• Won Nobel Peace Prize in 1987—Ended civil wars in El Salvador and Nicaragua
• November 2008: Central American Free Trade Agreement
• February 2010: Laura Chinchilla was elected—first women president
6. Holidays
• Similar to US: • Different than US:
• New Years Day • March 19: St. Joseph’s
Day (patron Saint of
• Easter San Jose)
• Mother’s Day: Aug 15 • September 15:
Independence Day
• Columbus Day (Independence from
Spain in 1821)
• Christmas Day
• November 2: All Soul’s
Day
