Language/Spanish/Culture/Costa-Rica-Timeline
This article is a historical timeline for Costa Rica, which provides a chronology of key events that have shaped the country throughout its history. It begins with the arrival of indigenous peoples to the region, traces the Spanish colonial period, the country's independence from Spain in 1821, and its subsequent political, economic, and social developments over the centuries. The timeline also covers important events such as the abolition of the army in 1949, the rise of coffee as a major export crop, and the country's emergence as a leader in environmental conservation. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Costa Rica's history and its significant milestones.
Costa Rica History (1100 BC AD until NOW)[edit | edit source]
Summary[edit | edit source]
Costa Rica has a rich history starting from the first traces of settlement around 1100 BC, with major events including Christopher Columbus' discovery of the land in 1502 and the subsequent Spanish colonization. The region became independent in 1821 and was part of the Federation of United Provinces of America until 1838. Costa Rica formalized its independence in 1848 and has since undertaken major social reforms such as the abolition of slavery and the army, the granting of women's right to vote, and nationalizing banks. The country has been under various presidents, including notable figures like Oscar Arias Sánchez, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for promoting peace in Central America. Costa Rica has also had significant diplomatic relationships with other countries, such as China and the United States, and joined international organizations like the WTO and OECD. Furthermore, it has been proactive in environmental conservation, operating at 98% renewable energy in 2016. Costa Rica also took a stand against the crisis in Venezuela in 2017, refusing to recognize the constituent assembly desired by President Maduro.
Timeline[edit | edit source]
Date | Event |
---|---|
-1100 BC AD | First traces of the settlement of Costa Rica. It is assumed that the first inhabitants were attracted by the potential resources of the coasts. |
-1000 BC | Construction of the Huetar city of Guayabo which attests to the seizure of power of this Indian community in Costa Rica but the city is abandoned around 1400; the reasons for this abandonment are still unknown. |
-100 BC AD | Development of Costa Rica's trade with other Central American countries such as Mexico. Costa Rica mainly sells gold. |
1502 | Christopher Columbus discovers a new land, the island of Uvita off Limón. |
1509 | The recognized territory is attached to Castilla del Oro in Panama. |
1519 | Arrival of the first Spanish settlers in the Gulf of Nicoya and the first clashes with the Chorotegas and Huetares Indians. |
1524 | On the Nicoya peninsula, foundation of Bruselas by Francisco de Cordóba. |
1525 | Victory of Juan de Cavallón over the Indians. |
1526 | Foundation of Cartago which becomes the capital of the territory. |
1570 | The portion of land called Costa Rica is integrated into the general captaincy of Guatemala. |
1600 | The colonists discover the Central Valley. |
1706 | Foundation of Heredia which is then called Cobujuquí. |
1737 | Foundation of Villa Nueva de la Boca del Monte which will become San José. |
1782 | Foundation of Alajuela under the name of Villa Hermosa. |
1821 | On September 15, Costa Rica becomes an independent republic. |
1823 | Costa Rica is part of the Federation of United Provinces of America until 1838. |
1824 | Juan Mora Fernández is the first president of the young Republic, slavery is abolished. |
1828 | Annexation by referendum of Guanacaste, a region until then independent. |
1848 | Costa Rica formalizes its independence. |
1857 | Liberation of Nicaragua occupied by William Walker's troops by a Central American coalition. |
1882 | Abolition of the death penalty. The following year, the length of the working day is limited to 8 hours. |
1940 | Costa Rica declares war on Germany and asks German residents to leave the territory. |
1941 | Women obtain the right to vote; we pass a law on social guarantees (Social Security) which prefigures the environmental guarantees voted in 2002. |
1943 | Edition of the Labor Code. |
1949 | Abolition of the army and nationalization of the banks. |
1963 | Eruption of the Irazú volcano which spits ash for two years. |
1979 | Massive arrival of 300,000 Nicaraguans fleeing the new Sandinista regime. |
1983 | Costa Rica proclaims its "perpetual, active and unarmed" neutrality. The same year, the hero Franklin Chang Díaz's first trip to space. |
1986 | Oscar Arias Sánchez becomes President of the Republic. |
1987 | Oscar Arias Sánchez receives the Nobel Peace Prize for his action in favor of peace in Central America (EsquipulasII). |
1995 | Economic slowdown, social movements. Entry of Costa Rica into the WTO. |
1998 | Election to the presidency of the Republic of Miguel Angel Rodríguez who undertakes an economic recovery plan. |
2002 | Abel Pacheco, the former director of the San José psychiatric hospital, is elected President of the Republic. |
2006 | Oscar Arias Sánchez, Nobel Peace Prize winner (1987), is elected President of the Republic for a second term. |
2007 | Referendum on the Free Trade Agreement for Central America (CAFTA in English which means Central American Free Trade Agreement), the "yes" wins by little. |
2008 | Entry into force of the free trade agreement which is still controversial as to the advantages and disadvantages of opening up markets, especially that of the United States. |
2009 | Costa Rica resumes diplomatic relations with Cuba, which broke off in 1961. |
2009 | Costa Rica is committed to respecting OECD tax standards, and has thus been removed from the blacklist of tax havens. |
2010 | Election of Laura Chinchilla as President of Costa Rica. On February 7, 2010, Ms. Laura Chinchilla was elected President of Costa Rica in the first round. She is the first woman president of this country. She is an activist of the National Liberation Party. |
2012 | Signature of a free trade treaty between the European Union and the countries of Central America in Tegucigalpa (Honduras). Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama sign a Comprehensive Association Agreement that also includes a region-to-region trade component that will help establish trade opportunities for all parties. |
2011 | The border dispute with Nicaragua in the Calero Island region, over the San Juan River that separates the two countries, has come to an end. Nicaragua is authorized to continue dredging the river, but Costa Rica has the right to send observers to ascertain possible damage to the environment. |
2013 | The president ofs United States Barack Obama is received in May by the President of the Republic, Laura Chinchilla, with whom he discusses the issues of the fight against drug trafficking and the distribution of natural gas. |
2013 | On May 31, the assassination of Jairo Mora Sandoval, a volunteer who saved turtle eggs in the province of Limon, on the Caribbean coast. Hundreds of demonstrators take to the streets. In tribute to the young activist, the NGO Sea Shepherd named a ship in his name. |
2013 | In June, cooperation agreements between China and Costa Rica were signed with Chinese President Xi Jinping. They amount to nearly two billion dollars, or 4% of Costa Rica's GDP, and relate to the construction of an oil refinery and a highway. |
2014 | Leader of the opposition, political scientist Luis Guillermos Solís Rivera was elected on May 8 at the head of the country. |
2014 | In July, Ban Ki Moon, the UN Secretary General, was on an official visit to Costa Rica. He called the country a "symbol of peace", before taking a symbolic bike ride around the Foreign Ministry in the Amon barrio. |
2014 | Costa Rica assumed the pro tempore presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) in 2014. He is studying the possibility of joining the Pacific Alliance, a forum of Latin American countries favorable to free trade. |
2015 | On Thursday April 9, the Council of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) unanimously decided to invite Costa Rica to initiate the process of joining the organization: a major milestone achieved in strengthening Costa Rica's ties with the OECD. |
2015 | In January, the 7 people indicted in the Sandoval case were finally acquitted by the Limon Criminal Court, which sparked the anger of environmentalists around the world. |
2015 | Also in January, President Solis traveled to China for a state visit. This also marked the inauguration of the China-CELAC forum. This visit marks a little more the strengthened bond with China, to the detriment of Taiwan. |
2016 | The country's green policy continues since the entire country has operated at 98% thanks to renewable energies, throughout the year. |
2017 | In response to the crisis in Venezuela, Costa Rica is one of 12 Latin American countries not to recognize the constituent assembly desired by President Maduro and just elected. |
Source[edit | edit source]
https://www.petitfute.com/p53-costa-rica/guide-touristique/c69729-histoire.html
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