Costa Rica is a country with a history centuries and very special. A nation with a culture and customs with hundreds of years behind it. A territory that has gone through various stages and historical periods over the years that deserve to be known. At Curio Sfera -Historia.com , we explain the history of Costa Rica and its origin .
Don’t miss the history of the flags
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- 1Origin of Costa Rica
- 2Discovery of Costa Rica
- 3History of democracy in Costa Rica
- 4Recent history of Costa Rica
- 5History of the Costa Rican flag
- 6Meaning of the flag of Costa Rica
Origin of Costa Rica
To know the history and origin of Costa Rica, you must first know what it is like and its geographical location.
Costa Rica is the smallest country in Central America after El Salvador . Its lands that bathe in the Atlantic Ocean, to the east, and the Pacific, to the west, border Panama and Nicaragua .
In many respects, Costa Rica is an exception in the troubled political landscape of Central America. Not only is it one of the countries with the highest industrial development , but, perhaps due to its racial homogeneity, conflicts between minorities are practically non-existent.
The foundations of the peculiar “style” of Costa Rica were laid by Figueres, an enemy of communism and right-wing dictatorships alike, and who starred in a historic battle with the Nicaraguan leader Anastasio Somoza.
Thanks to Figueres and his successors, Costa Rica can be proud to be the only country, in the militarized Mesoamerican isthmus, in which there is neither an army nor compulsory military service .
The reduced body of the Civil Guard seems to be enough to maintain order in a nation with relatively solid foundations to face the future, despite an undoubted economic crisis that the rulers have been trying to alleviate for years, and which is the result of structures that are too dependent on multinationals.
- Continent: America.
- Area: 51,000 km².
- Capital: San José.
- Population: 4,906,000 inhabitants.
- Currency: Costa Rican Colon.
- Official language: Spanish.
Discovery of Costa Rica
Costa Rica was discovered by Columbus on his fourth voyage (1502). The Pacific coast was explored in 1519 by Hernán Ponce de León and Gaspar de Espinosa.
Juan Vázquez de Coronado founded the city of Cartago in 1563.
Throughout the colonial period it depended on the captaincy general of Guatemala, and when it became independent from Mexico in 1821, it separated from Spain .
Then it was part of the United Provinces of Central America (1824), from which it separated in 1838, to become permanently independent in 1848.
History of democracy in Costa Rica
The first president of the Republic was José María Castro , who was succeeded by Juan Rafael Mora (1849-59), who had to confront W. Walker, an American adventurer who had taken over Nicaragua.
During the last quarter of the 19th century, Costa Rica was a prosperous country in which the development of a democratic political life was possible.
In 1878, President Guardia agreed with Minor C. Keith the first concession for the exploitation of bananas on the country’s Atlantic coast, the origin of the establishment of the United Fruit Company and the economic and political influence of the United States on Costa Rica.
Recent history of Costa Rica
In 1948 O. Ulate won the elections, but Congress annulled the vote as illegal. This caused an armed rebellion led by José Figueres . to which a pact ended by virtue of which an interim Governing Board assumed power that ruled for three months.
Jose Figueres Ferrer
The Junta nationalized the banking system, dissolved the army, keeping only the police forces, and limited the presidential term to a single legislature. After its dissolution, Ulate returned to occupy the position.
In 1953 Ulate was succeeded by José Figueres, leader of the Social Democratic National Liberation Party (PLN), who profoundly marked the political life of the country with his reformist policy (nationalization of banks, development of education).
In 1955 a revolt broke out, originating in Nicaragua and endangering the democratic stability of the country, but it failed.
The conservative Mario Echandi (1958-62), who carried out an economic stabilization plan, and the social democrat J. Orlich (1962-66), who promoted the economic development of the nation, succeeded one another in the presidency of the country. .
After the conservative government of JJ Trejos Fernandez (1966-70), the PLN regained power (1970) through J. Figueres, who carried out a progressive policy and reestablished diplomatic relations with the USSR.
After a conservative interval, in 1982 the PLN was re-imposed, and President Oscar Anas (1986-90) proposed a peace plan for Central America that earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987.
The 1990 elections gave the presidency to the conservative Rafael Calderón, of the Christian Social Unity Party (PUSC), but in 1994 he was defeated by the PLN candidate José María Figueres, son of J. Figueres Ferrer.
At the initiative of ten former presidents of the Republic, a plan of drastic economic reforms was applied that included the privatization of public companies (1996). In the subsequent elections (1998), the PUSC candidate was the winner again and his cabinet promoted the privatization of public companies and ended the monopolies.
History of the flag of Costa Rica
Regarding the history of the Costa Rican flag , you should know that under Spanish rule, Costa Rica launched a declaration of independence in 1821.
From 1823 to 1834, the country, along with Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras and Salvador, was part of the United Provinces of Central America.
In 1838, when this federation had already de facto ceased to exist, Costa Rica officially withdrew and assumed its sovereignty. From this union, white and blue stripes remain on its flag , colors used for the banner of said association.
Patricia Fernández de Castro Madrid, first lady of the Republic and great admirer of revolutionary France, added the central red band in 1848 . This tricolor national emblem was made official in 1964.
Meaning of the flag of Costa Rica
If you wonder what the flag of Costa Rica means, you should know that it is inspired by the French flag. In this way, the colors mean:
- The two blue stripes represent the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic.
- The white stripes symbolize the peace that the nation achieved.
- The red stripe is synonymous with the love of life and the blood shedfor the freedom of the country.
On the shield , a commercial ship sails, under full sail, to conquer the world. In the center, you can see the high mountains and volcanoes of Costa Rica (six are still active), rub shoulders with the 7 stars that symbolize the seven provinces of the country .
The oval medallion integrates the geographical elements that make up this country with a double seafront, between Panama and Nicaragua, and a major producer of sugar cane, bananas and coffee.
