Costa Rica History

People have inhabited the land, which is now Costa Rica, for at least 11,000 years. Relics left behind show the importance of Costa Rica as a bridge between North and South America. Influences from both regions can be found throughout its rich history. The northern region of Costa Rica was dominated by Chorotegas, which are believed to be related to the Maya. Many different tribesmen lived in the southern part of the region. Some of which were the Carib, Boruca, and the Corobicis.

Columbus landed rear by the present day town of Limon on September 8th 1502 on his final quest to find a passage to India. Captain Gil Gonzalez organized the invasion of Costa Rica "rich coast" in 1522. His men collected enough gold to make the name "Costa Rica" stick. Juan Vasquez de Coronado founded the settlement of Cartago in 1563. Coronado organized expeditions and explorations around the country and could be considered Costa Rica's true conqueror.

Even though Costa Rica's land was fertile, production and exportation of crops was difficult in Costa Rica because of the lack of native slaves, rugged terrain, mountains, and active volcanoes. The colonial times were harsh for Costa Rica. Plantation owners were forced to work their own crops. Many politicians encouraged the farming of coffee, which eventually did become a strong export for Costa Rica.

During the second half of the 1800's, coffee growers knew that if they were going to remain competitive they needed to build a railroad line from inland through to the deep-sea port town, Limon. This was no small task since this land was comprised of thick jungle, high mountains, and swampy lowlands. The Costa Rican government borrowed funds from England and began work on the railroad in 1871. Soon after, Minor Cooper Keith took over as the project lead. Keith recruited workers from around the globe including Italy, China, and Jamaica. In 1884 Keith renegotiated the British loans and began cultivating Bananas to raise more funds. In 1890 the railroad was finished. Keith himself then merged his banana plantations with Boston Fruit to found United Fruit Company. The banana industry grew to become far more lucrative than coffee products. Today Costa Rica is the second largest producer of bananas in the world.