In the pre-Columbian era Costa Rica was little more than the backwater area separating two highly populated areas of Mesoamerica and Andes. The area was sparsely populated due to the high mountains and the swampy lowlands.
The 20, 000 indigenous inhabitants belonged to several autonomous tribes. The relics discovered from the period include pottery, metalwork particularly gold and spherical granite balls. However, the arrival of Columbus signaled the beginning of the end for many of the indigenous. The country got its name Costa Rica or “the rich coast” after the expedition of Gil Gonzalez Davila to Panama in 1522. Apparently Davila named the country “the rich coast” after the amount of gold found with the local tribes. However, the settlement did not last long and finally crumbled under the constant pressure from internal acrimony, pirate raids and war with the local Indians.
Since a similar situation existed in most of the Caribbean, plans to colonize Costa Rica were abandoned for almost 40 years. But when Guatemala was heralded as the administrative center for the Spanish main in 1543 it spelled a change for Costa Rica’s fortunes. The Spanish representative in Guatemala decided to colonize the area and convert the natives to Christianity. However, by the time they started carrying out their plans the majority of the population had perished due to epidemics and the bad treatment at the hands of the Europeans.
Juan Vasquez de Coronado arrived as the governor of Costa Rica in 1562, but he encountered less than hospitable conditions. Even though the temperature, climate and the rich volcanic soil were perfect for cultivation there was no Indian labor available to work the land and there was no resource to import slave labor. The settlers were reduced to working the farmlands themselves. Since there was a debilitating shortage of labor and no other commodity to establish trade ties with other colonies the economy dwindled and money was so scarce that the settlers were compelled to use cacao beans as currency. The promised colonial style haciendas and the feudal system of other Spanish settlements did not materialize in Costa Rica and even after a century the area had little more than a few run down houses and a single church. And this too perished in 1723 with the eruption of Volcan Irazu.
However, eventually more colonist arrived and built towns around churches marking the settlements of Heredia in 1717, Alajuela in 1782 and San Jose in 1737. Tobacco and wheat exports to other colonies stabilized the economy leading to further intensive settlement.
After the independence of Central America from Spain in 1821, Costa Rica lacked a central stable pattern of political alignment with the four leading cities maintaining independent control over their territories. The conservative and aristocratic leaders of Cartago and Heredia could not see eye to eyes with the more liberal and progressive leaders of San Jose and Alajuela. The local quarrels and disdain soon manifested into a civil war which was won by the republican forces of San Jose. Accession to Mexico was rejected by the new government and Costa Rica entered the federation of Central America with full autonomy.
Today Costa Rica stands as one of the first countries in the world to have constitutionally abolished its military. It has a stable political, economic and social environment highly conducive for tourism and investments.
