History

Along with the other Central American countries, Costa Rica is a product of Spanish invasion. Costa Rica was difficult to conquer due to the varied terrain, and the Spanish had little return for the effort it cost them. While other countries in the region boasted plenty of gold and silver reserves, Costa Rica yielded little. However, the settlers farmed the land and created a rural democracy. Today, Costa Rica is considered to be the most fair and democratically developed country in Central America, and conscientiously looks after its natural environment.

Costa Rica’s native civilisation was never as strong as that of Mexico, for example, and so the diseases introduced by Europeans wiped out most of the indigenous peoples. Those who were left were largely absorbed into the Spanish population, although there are still a few very small tribes to be found. The territory that is now Costa Rica was declared independent from Spain in 1821, but was first part of Mexico before becoming an independent country in its own right in 1838.

Throughout the twentieth century, Costa Rica was peaceful and stable, enjoying growth and prosperity, with the notable exception of a civil war in 1948 following a disputed presidential election.

Generally, Costa Rica has been a peaceful and liberal country for well over a hundred years. Significantly, it is the only country in the region to have abolished its national army.

A national emergency struck in 1991, when an earthquake caused considerable loss of life and damage. Nevertheless, its tourism market has expanded rapidly over the last two decades. In the 2010 Environmental Performance Index, it is ranked third in the world and first in the Americas. The government has announced plans to become the first carbon-neutral country by 2021, which bolsters their long-standing eco-friendly image.