Pre-Columbian Period
Unfortunately,
the indigenous tribes of the past in Costa Rica had no written languages
and left little record of their life before Christopher Columbus.
In addition, Costa Rica does not have grand ruins like other Central
American countries .There are a few artifacts and structures to
be found however. It is possible to see artifacts from this time
in the Museo de Jade or the Museo de Oro Precolombino. In thes museums,
it is possible to view numerous artifacts, including the amazing
perfectly carved granite spheres, of which archeologists still have
no idea the purpose. Costa Rica was thought to be inhabited by indigenous
people as early as 1000 BC to AD 1400.
Colonization
Costa Rica was
first "discovered" by Columbus in 1502. His discovery
changed the world of Latin America for good. The Spanish succeeded
in colonizing Costa Rica after a long and difficult struggle. Indigenous
groups were of little hassle for Europeans and their deadly diseases.
They were quickly turned into slaves. The area became known as la
costa rica, but it had few minerals or other wealth, compared to
other surrounding countries. The capital at this time was Cartago.
In 1723 the capital suffered greatly by an eruption of the Irazu
volcano, but was quickly rebuilt. Other settlements such as Heredia
and San José were built in the early 1700s, but the area
remained one of the least productive conquests for the Spanish.
In 1824, Costa Rica joined the Central American Federation and the
province of Guanacaste was annexed from Nicaragua. The first head
of state, Juan Mora Fenandez was elected in 1824.
Modern Times
The first democratic elections were held in 1889, although
these did not include blacks or women, who would not receive
their rights until 1949. This was also the year that the
Costa Rican constitution was written. The most notable
leader of today is Oscar Arias Sanchez. During his last
term, he won the nobel peace prize for helping to end
the war in Nicaragua and creating stability in other parts
of Central America.
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