Republic of Costa Rica
Costa Rica, 1841 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed
In 1838, long after the Federal Republic of Central America ceased to function in practice, Costa Rica formally withdrew and proclaimed itself sovereign. In 1948, José Figueres Ferrer led an armed uprising in the wake of a disputed presidential election between Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia and Otilio Ulate Blanco. Following a brief civil war in 1948, Costa Rica adopted its current constitution in 1949, which granted universal suffrage. Starting in 1958, Costa Rica has held additional presidential elections every four years, the latest in 2026.
Seat of power: San José
Rulers
Braulio Carrillo Colina
President of Costa Rica, 1835–1842
He served as the 3rd and 5th Head of State of Costa Rica from 1835 to 1837. Following its secession from the Federal Republic of Central America, Carrillo declared Costa Rica a sovereign and independent state on 14 November 1838. His administrations implemented extensive legal, fiscal, administrative, and economic reforms that contributed to the consolidation of the Costa Rican state.
Portrait of Braulio Carrillo Colina: Carlos Sanabria Gonzalez, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Juan Rafael Mora Porras
President of Costa Rica, 1849–1859
He served as the 2nd President of Costa Rica for three consecutive terms, from 1849 to 1859. He is especially recognized for leading the country to victory over the filibusters led by William Walker during the Filibuster War. He lost office in 1859 after being overthrown in a coup.
Portrait of Juan Rafael Mora Porras: Aquiles Bigot, Public domain, file
Bernardo Soto Alfaro
President of Costa Rica, 1885–1889
He served as the 14th President of Costa Rica from 1885 to 1889. He was the second-youngest person to assume the presidency, at age 31.
Portrait of Bernardo Soto Alfaro: Enrique Etheridge, Public domain, file
José Joaquín Rodríguez Zeledón
President of Costa Rica, 1890–1894
He served as the 15th President of Costa Rica from 1890 to 1894. He had previously served as President of the Supreme Court from 1888 to 1889 and as Secretary of Foreign Affairs in 1886.
Portrait of José Joaquín Rodríguez Zeledón: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Ascensión Esquivel Ibarra
President of Costa Rica, 1902–1906
He served as the 17th President of Costa Rica from 1902 to 1906. He was the first foreign-born individual to be elected to the presidency, in 1902. He was born in Nicaragua and became a naturalized Costa Rican citizen in 1869.
Portrait of Ascensión Esquivel Ibarra: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Cleto González Víquez
President of Costa Rica, 1906–1910
He served as the 18th and 26th President of Costa Rica, from 1906 to 1910 and from 1928 to 1932. He was a lawyer, historian and statesman.
Portrait of Cleto González Víquez: Asamblea Legislativa de Costa Rica, Public domain, file
Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno
President of Costa Rica, 1910–1914
He served as President of Costa Rica on three occasions, from 1910 to 1914, from 1924 to 1928 and from 1932 to 1936. Shortly before the beginning of his first presidential term in 1910, the province of Cartago was struck by a devastating earthquake that destroyed much of the city and resulted in hundreds of fatalities.
Portrait of Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno: George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress), Public domain, file
Julio Acosta García
President of Costa Rica, 1920–1924
He served as the 24th President of Costa Rica from 1920 to 1924. He was a diplomat and politician.
Portrait of Julio Acosta García: Tomás Povedano, Public domain, file
Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno
President of Costa Rica, 1924–1928
He served as President of Costa Rica on three occasions, from 1910 to 1914, from 1924 to 1928 and from 1932 to 1936. Shortly before the beginning of his first presidential term in 1910, the province of Cartago was struck by a devastating earthquake that destroyed much of the city and resulted in hundreds of fatalities.
Portrait of Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno: George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress), Public domain, file
Cleto González Víquez
President of Costa Rica, 1928–1932
He served as the 18th and 26th President of Costa Rica, from 1906 to 1910 and from 1928 to 1932. He was a lawyer, historian and statesman.
Portrait of Cleto González Víquez: Asamblea Legislativa de Costa Rica, Public domain, file
Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno
President of Costa Rica, 1932–1936
He served as President of Costa Rica on three occasions, from 1910 to 1914, from 1924 to 1928 and from 1932 to 1936. Shortly before the beginning of his first presidential term in 1910, the province of Cartago was struck by a devastating earthquake that destroyed much of the city and resulted in hundreds of fatalities.
Portrait of Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno: George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress), Public domain, file
Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia
President of Costa Rica, 1940–1944
He served as the 29th President of Costa Rica from 1940 to 1944. He became the first Central American president to primarily focus his attention on poverty and deteriorating social conditions.
Portrait of Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia: Asamblea Legislativa, CC BY 4.0, file
José Figueres Ferrer
President of Costa Rica, 1953–1958
He served as the 32nd and 36th President of Costa Rica from 1953 to 1958 and from 1970 to 1974. He was also the head of the Founding Junta of the Second Republic from 1948 to 1949 and the founder of the National Liberation Party. His junta government also nationalized the banking system, secured suffrage for women and Afro–Costa Ricans, and extended Costa Rican nationality rights to people of African descent.
Portrait of José Figueres Ferrer: User:MadriCR, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
Rodrigo Chaves
President of Costa Rica, 2022–2026
He served as the 49th president of Costa Rica from 2022 to 2026. He was previously Minister of Finance from 2019 to 2020 during the presidency of Carlos Alvarado.
Portrait of Rodrigo Chaves: Julieth Mendez, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
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Laura Fernández Delgado
President of Costa Rica, 2026 to today
She has served as the president of Costa Rica since 2026. As the presidential candidate of the Sovereign People's Party, she won the 2026 presidential election. She previously served as the minister of national planning and economic policy from 2022 to 2025, as well as the minister of the presidency from 2024 to 2025.
Portrait of Laura Fernández Delgado: Esteban Rojas Saurez/Asamblea Legislativa de Costa Rica, Public domain, file
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Culture
- Coffee was first planted in Costa Rica in 1808, and by the 1820s, it surpassed tobacco, sugar, and cacao as a primary export.
- In the 1870s the Costa Rican government contracted Minor C. Keith to build a railroad from San José to the Caribbean port of Limón, and it was completed in 1890.
- Most Afro-Costa Ricans descend from Jamaican immigrants who worked in the construction of that railway and now make up about 3% of Costa Rica's population.
- In 1949, the abolition of the military was introduced in Article 12 of the Costa Rican Constitution. The budget previously dedicated to the military is now dedicated to providing health care services and education.
Picture
This city is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica, and the capital of San José Province.
Image: Alejandro Álvarez Taborda (Aleat88), CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.