ABSTRACT
Most inhabitants of the Republic of Costa Rica are descendants of immigrants from Europe (mainly Spain) and from other early Spanish-American colonies. Most of these immigrants settled in the Costa Rican central plateau, which still holds more than half the national population. The Spanish settlers introduced slaves from Africa and frequently relocated native Americans, destroying their social structure and reducing their population. Intermixtures between European, African, and indigenous peoples occurred. Spanish cultural norms predominated during colonial times.
