About Costa Rica | Costa Rican History | Costa Rican Culture

In the central part of the country, most people are of European decent. The pure indigenous population today numbers about 29,000, less than one percent of the population. In Guanacaste, most of the population descends from a mix of the Chorotega Indians, Bantu Africans and Spaniards. Descendants of black 19th-century Jamaican immigrant workers constitute an English-speaking minority and at three percent of the population number about 96,000. Costa Ricans of mestizo  and European descent account for a combined 94 percent. Another one percent is ethnically Chinese .

Today there is a growing number of Amerindians who migrate for seasonal work opportunities as agricultural workers mainly in the south-eastern border region with Panama . The most important group of immigrants in Costa Rica are Nicaraguans , who represent ten percent of the population. Most of them were originally refugees from civil war  during the late 1970s and 1980s, but after the Esquipulas Peace Agreement  an increasing number of Nicaraguans  continue to migrate into Costa Rica due to economic reasons. There is also a growing number of Colombian, Panamanian  and Peruvian  immigrants.

The Ticos, as Costa Ricans are commonly known, are famous for their hospitality, and are quite happy to live up to their reputation. They are well-educated and hard working people, who are quick with a handshake and a smile. They are well aware of the special land they have, and most likely they will help foreigners when they get lost, even explaining things that might seem bizarre to foreigners, and making their stay as enjoyable as possible.

People say the Ticos are their nation's greatest asset, and once you've experienced their friendliness and spontaneity, you'll have no doubt to that regard.