About Costa Rica

People

Nationality: Noun and adjective--Costa Rican(s).

Population (2006): 4.299 million.

 

Unlike many of their Central American neighbors, present-day Costa Ricans are largely of European rather than mestizo descent; Spain was the primary country of origin.

 

However, an estimated 10% to 15% of the population is Nicaraguan, of fairly recent arrival and primarily of mestizo origin.

 

Descendants of 19th-century Jamaican immigrant workers constitute an English-speaking minority and--at 3% of the population--number about 119,000.

Few of the native Indians survived European contact; the indigenous population today numbers about 29,000 or less than 1% of the population.

 

 

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