costa rican people

Written by Marc Egger

It is almost impossible to describe a people without succumbing to generalities and omissions; nonetheless a perusal of certain statistics and common values can help begin the lifelong process of getting to know a people.
Ethnically Costa Rica has one of the most homogeneous populations in all of Latin America. Ninety-seven percent is mestizo (of mixed blood, generally Spanish with Native American) or of direct European descent. Of the mestizos, the vast majority have a much higher percentage of European blood and thus are considerably fair skinned. Afro-Caribbean natives represent approximately 2% of the population. They did not arrive in Costa Rica as slaves, as in most other regions of the New World, but as migrant labor in the 1870's. They had been hired from a host of Caribbean islands in order to help construct a railroad that would run from San José down to the Atlantic coast near Limon. Of the original denizens of this land, the Native Americans, only about 30,000 remain. They represent less than 1% of the total.

The indigenous population exists in the present as eight separate communities. Six native languages have survived the ravages of time, and are now encouraged by government legislation that allows for bilingual education. The majority of the indigenous groups are located in the south of the country; the two largest groups being the Cabecares and the Bribris. A 1977 Indigenous Bill established the right to land reserves as well as creating programs to preserve and stimulate native culture. The government has actually followed through with these initiatives, but has simultaneously failed to help protect the land rights versus the incursions of mining and squatting interests. The indigenous people only earned their right to vote in 1994.

International standards would rank Costa Rica amongst those nations with high literacy rates. Although the government's claim of a 93% literacy rate is considered to be inflated, the great majority of its people can read and write. Education up to the sixth grade is obligatory and the network of public schools is dispersed into the far corners of the land. The country is now home to a handful of well regarded Universities such as the National University and the University of Costa Rica.

The country's population is believed to have surpassed the 3 million mark in the last couple of years. Family size is declining steadily with parents who are now in their thirties having only 2 or 3 children, whereas they themselves come from families of 8 or 9. It would not be at all uncommon for their grandparents to have 12 or 14 siblings. The annual population growth rate is now at 2.3 percent. Another major factor adding to the steady increase of the population has been a regular stream of illegal immigrants from Nicaragua, which has extremely high unemployment.

A people may best be understood by values they hold dear. Foremost amongst Costa Rican sources of pride are its democratic tradition and its peace ethic. In a region plagued by civil wars, human rights abuses, and until recently dictatorships, Costa Rica stands out as an exception. Since 1949, when the army was abolished, the country has had a fairly stable democracy. The new Constitution of 1949 included a progressive labor code, upheld a system of social security, and contained a set of social guarantees( such as a minimum wage), that gave the average citizen rights that were ahead of their time. In many ways this diminished the disparity between the upper and lower classes and thus was conducive to cooperation and the resolution of conflicts in a democratic forum. The government, albeit plagued by problems over the decades, has shown a commitment to broad social welfare. This commitment coupled with a strong support of public education and public health has helped create a mature populace that has learned how to solve problems without resorting to armed conflict.