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Brief History of Costa Rican Territory

By sojo2098
  • 10,000 BCE

    Prehistoric

    Prehistoric
    Costa Rica was the area where the Mesoamerican and South American native cultures met. These lands were inhabited by indigenous tribes
  • 1502

    Arrival of Christopher Columbus

    Arrival of Christopher Columbus
    Christopher Columbus set foot in Costa Rica on his last to trip to the Americas. He believed the land was filled with precious metals and gave the territory it´s name Costa Rica, meaning “rich coast.”
  • 1563

    Colonization

    Colonization
    Initial attempts to colonize coastal areas were unsuccessful due to the extreme heat, dense jungle and diseases such as Dengue fever and malaria. Colonists finally settled in the cooler, central highlands of Cartago in 1563.

  • Independence

    Independence
    In 1821, Several Central American provinces declared their independence from Spain. Costa Rica became independant on September 15th, 1821, joining the Federal Republic of Central America.

  • A Force for Peace

    A Force for Peace
    After a violent civil war, President Jose Figueres Ferrer, declared the abolishment of the army on December 1st, 1948. Additionally, established in the Constitution of Costa Rica in 1949.

  • Rights

    Rights
    New constitution gives women and people of African descent the right to vote

  • Happy Planet

    Happy Planet
    In 2009 , Costa Rica ranked as the happiest place in the world accoring to Happy Family Index.

  • First Woman

    First Woman
    Laura Chinchilla was elected first woman president