Original Inhabitants
The four main indigenous tribes in Costa Rico were the Caribs on the east coast and, southwest of them, the Borucas, Chibchas and Diquis. Costa Rica also has thousands of perfectly spherical granite rocks called bolas, on the west coast; their origin is unknown.
Discovery and Settlement
Christopher Columbus discovered Costa Rico on his fourth and last voyage to the Americas. He made his first landing on September 18, 1502. Despite the optimistic name the area was first given, Costa Rica turned out to be lacking in easy-to-exploit resources; it was a tough place to farm.
Independence
Costa Rica joined Simon Bolivar's South American rebellion against Spain in 1821. Shortly after, a faction in the country wanted to join Mexico, prompting a civil war. The pro-Mexicans were defeated and Juan Mora Fernandez, the country's first president, was elected in 1824.
William Walker's Invasion
In 1856, U.S. pirate William Walker, who had taken control of neighboring Nicaragua, attempted to invade Costa Rica. "Walker was a lunatic, and a dangerous rather than charming one," observes Geographia.com. Costa Rican forces decisively repelled the invasion.
Jose Figueres Ferrer
Jose Figureres Ferrer was a farmer, scholar and politician who won the presidency after a short civil war in 1948. His actions as president included abolishing the Army, giving women the vote, establishing universal public education and outlawing the Communist Party.
Article Written By Leo Champion
Leo's been a journalist, an editor, a copywriter, a PR guy, a marketing consultant and about twenty other things. He grew up in Australia but came to Boston in 2000 where he's mostly lived since.
Alongside running local newspaper The Allston-Brighton Voice, he's written for Boston papers Editorial Humor and The Weekly Dig, as well as a slew of blogs and small-circulation publications.
