European Costa Rican

European Costa Rican
Total population
c. 3,597,000[1][2]
Languages
Costa Rican Spanish, English
Religion
Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%, Buddhism 2%[3]
Related ethnic groups
White Latin American, White Caribbean

Costa Rican people of European descent or White Costa Ricans are people from Costa Rica whose ancestry lies within the continent of Europe, most notably Spain. According to DNA studies, around 67% of the population have some level of European ancestry.[1]

Percentages of the Costa Rican population by race are known as the national census does have the question of ethnicity included in its form. As for 2012 65.80% of Costa Ricans identify themselves as white/castizo and 13.65% as mestizo, giving around 80% of Caucasian population. This, however, is based in self-identification and not in scientific studies. According to PLoS Genetics Geographic Patterns of Genome Admixture in Latin American Mestizos study of 2012, Costa Ricans have 67% of European ancestry, 29% aboriginal and 3% African.[4] Accordig to CIA Factbook, Costa Rica has white or mestizo population of the 83.6%.[3]

Cristopher Columbus and crew were the first Europeans ever to set foot on what is now Costa Rica in Columbus last trip when he arrived to Uvita Island (modern day Limón province) in 1502.[5] Costa Rica was part of the Spanish Empire and colonized by Spaniards mostly Castilians, Basque and Sefardi Jews. After the independence large migrations of wealthy Americans, Germans, French and British businessmen[5] came to the country encouraged by the government and followed by their families and employees (many of them technicians and professionals) creating colonies and mixing with the population, especially the high and middle classes.[6] Later, more humble migrations of Italians, Spanish (mostly Catalans) and Arab (mostly Lebanese and Syrians) migrants visit the country escaping economical crisis in their home countries, setting in large, more closed colonies.[5] Polish migrants, mostly Ashkenazi Jews escaping anti-Semitism and nazi persecution in Europe also migrated to the country in large numbers.[5] In 1901 president Ascensión Esquivel Ibarra closes the country to all non-white immigration forbidding the entrance of all Black African, Chinese, Arab, Turkish or Gypsy migration in the country. After the beginning of the Spanish Civil War large migration of Republican refugees also settle in the country, mostly Castilians, Galicians and Asturians,[6] as later Chilean, Argentinian, Mexican and Colombian[5] migrants would leave their countries traveling to Costa Rica escaping from war or dictatorships as Costa Rica is the longest running democracy in Latin America and unlike most of its neighbors had no dictatorship during the 20th century.[5] [6]

See also

References and footnotes

  1. 1 2 "Ticos tenemos más de africanos y chinos de lo que se pensaba" [Costa Rica has more Africans and Chinese than was thought]. Nacion.com. 12 October 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  2. ↑ http://www.crhoy.com/costa-rica-es-multirracial-ultimo-censo-lo-pone-en-evidencia/
  3. 1 2 "Costa Rica". The World Factbook. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  4. ↑ "Geographic Patterns of Genome Admixture in Latin American Mestizos Tabla". PLoS Genetics.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Costa Rica". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 "OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION (Costa Rica)". SICREM. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
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