Costa Rica Early History

Costa Rica Early History

North America

Precolumbian era

The first residents of what is now Costa Rica were part of the intermediate area located between the Mayan, Mesoamerican and South American cultural regions. Some historians have included the area currently made up of the southern and Atlantic areas of the country as being of South American influence, due to the presence of groups that speak Chibcha languages. The oldest evidence of human occupation in Costa Rica is associated with the arrival of hunter-gatherer groups between 10,000 and 7000 BC. n. and., with archaeological evidence (manufacture of stone tools) located in the Turrialba valley, with the presence of clovis (North American) and fish tail (South American) spearheads, which opens up the possibility that two different traditions of specialized hunters would converge in this area. [3]

Between the year 300 and 800 of our era, the first complex chiefdoms appeared, with the presence of large villages and infrastructure works (foundations, roads and funerary mounds). The hierarchy of settlements is presented, with main villages and secondary towns, with lineages of hereditary power and specialization of work, with the appearance of a chief in the main village and secondary chiefs in subordinate villages. [4] The area currently made up of the southern and Atlantic areas of the country, have been classified by some historians as having South American influence, due to the presence of groups that speak Chibcha languages. The current province of Guanacaste became the southern border of Mesoamerica with the arrival of the Chorotegas for the period between 900 to 1000 AD. [5]

In general, human settlements in this territory were scarce and did not have the magnificence in buildings and infrastructure of the Aztec, Mayan or Inca populations ; However, by serving as a cultural bridge between the south and the north of the continent, the development of goldsmithing and polychrome clay crafts had a wide development and beautiful results.

Second half of the 20th century

On December 1, 1948, José Figueres Ferrer, the victorious leader of that revolution, abolished the army, with which Costa Rica became the first country in the world to abolish war as a conflict resolution mechanism and was the first republic in the world to have no armed forces. In November 1949, the governing board created as a result of the signing of the peace agreement between the contending parties handed over power to Otilio Ulate, thus founding the Second Republic with the birth of the current Political Constitution. The Ulate government founded the National Production Council (CNP), the Central Bank of Costa Rica, the Comptroller General of the Republic, the Aguinaldo Law, the female vote and the civil service, and the Higher Council of Education. In 1950, the diversifying effort is concentrated in agriculture and fifty new institutions are founded to decentralize power. In 1952 the works of what would be called Coco International Airport began in Alajuela, inaugurated in 1958 and renamed Juan Santamaria International Airport in 1971. José Figueres is succeeded by Ulate, who wins the 1953 elections. of the National Institute of Housing and Urbanism (INVU), of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), the Organic Law of the National Production Council (CNP) is issued and health programs are expanded. In 1955, the country faced an invasion from Nicaragua by supporters of former President Calderón Guardia, who were defeated in In 1952 the works of what would be called Coco International Airport began in Alajuela, inaugurated in 1958 and renamed Juan Santamaria International Airport in 1971. José Figueres is succeeded by Ulate, who wins the 1953 elections. of the National Institute of Housing and Urbanism (INVU), of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), the Organic Law of the National Production Council (CNP) is issued and health programs are expanded. In 1955, the country faced an invasion from Nicaragua by supporters of former President Calderón Guardia, who were defeated in In 1952 the works of what would be called Coco International Airport began in Alajuela, inaugurated in 1958 and renamed Juan Santamaria International Airport in 1971. José Figueres is succeeded by Ulate, who wins the 1953 elections. of the National Institute of Housing and Urbanism (INVU), of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), the Organic Law of the National Production Council (CNP) is issued and health programs are expanded. In 1955, the country faced an invasion from Nicaragua by supporters of former President Calderón Guardia, who were defeated in This government created the National Institute of Housing and Urbanism (INVU), the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), the Organic Law of the National Production Council (CNP) was issued and health programs were expanded. In 1955, the country faced an invasion from Nicaragua by supporters of former President Calderón Guardia, who were defeated in This government created the National Institute of Housing and Urbanism (INVU), the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), the Organic Law of the National Production Council (CNP) was issued and health programs were expanded. In 1955, the country faced an invasion from Nicaragua by supporters of former President Calderón Guardia, who were defeated in Santa Rosa, Guanacaste. In 1957, Rodrigo Facio promoted the university reform that transformed the Faculty of Sciences and Letters of the University of Costa Rica, a country located in Central America according to directoryaah.com. In 1983, Pope John Paul II visited Costa Rica and President Monge proclaimed the Law of Neutrality in the face of war conflicts in the Central American region. In 1984 the economic crisis worsened with the closure of operations of the United Fruit Company in the South Pacific. In 1987 the then president of Costa Rica, Dr. Óscar Arias Sánchez, won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Costa Rica Early History