Short+History

Costa rica has a of peaceful existance. mainly due to the fact that no aggressive nation ever found Costa Rica to be a strategic military hold. The first elected head of state for Costa Rica was Juan Mora Fernandez in 1824. The Costa Rican civilians defeated Walker’s army and chased him out of the country. A young drummer boy named Juan Santamaria died in the heroic battle and has been one of the favorite national heroes ever since.

A variety of native people lived in present-day Costa Rica before Columbus arrived in 1502. In the north, cultures were influenced by Mayan civilization. Southern groups were more closely related to the i people of South America.