Costa Rica History

Central America Costa Rica

Brief History
From the settlement of Central America in the 1500's until 1821, the Costa Rica area pertained to the Spanish crown. From 1821 to 1823 it pertained to the Mexican empire and from 1823 to 1838 (officially 1848) to the Central American Federation. Costa Rica officially became independent from other governments in 1848. The country held democratic elections in 1869 and has maintained a democracy since that time, except a couple of brief periods in the first half of the twentieth century. It's boundaries have fluctuated over the centuries, but came to closely resemble today's boundaries in the early 20th century.

Online History

 * English wiki entry on history of Costa Rica
 * Spanish wiki entry on history of Costa Rica
 * "The History of Costa Rica"
 * "History of the Discovery and Conquest of Costa Rica," a Google eBook, published in 1913
 * "Elementos de Historia de Costa Rica: 1502-1856," a Google eBook, published in 1892
 * "Elementos de Historia de Costa Rica: 1856-1890," a Google eBook, published in 1894
 * "Historia de Costa Rica durante la Dominación Española: 1502-1821," a Google eBook, published in 1889