Concise Costa Rican History & Timeline
September 18, 1502 - Christopher Columbus visits the area and names it Costa Rica (translates as Rich Coast)
The indigenous tribes living in Costa Rica were the Caribs, Borucas, Chibchas, and Diquis
1561 - Spain's Juan de Cavallon leads the first successful Costa Rican colonisers
The Caribs were progressively wiped out by the after-effects of the Spanish Costa Rican conquest
The Spanish were continuously harassed by the native Caribs and by pirates and buccaneers who attacked the Spanish galleons which were carrying riches back to Spain
1776 Spain encompassed all of its territories in south-east South America to create one large colony called the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata
1808 - Coffee is introduced into Costa Rica from Cuba and becomes the principal Costa Rican crop
1810 - Overthrow of the king of Spain by Napoleon
1821 - Central America gains independence from Spain
1823 - Costa Rica joins the United Provinces of Central America ( El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua)
1838 - Costa Rica becomes fully independent
1949 - New constitution gives Costa Rican women and people of African descent the right to vote.

Click the following link for details of the
ancient South American / Mesoamerican Civilisations History Timeline & Facts