[2][3] Its indigenous peoples have lived in Costa Rica for what stretches back to at least 10,000 years before the arrival of the Spaniards.

[4] The northwest of the country, the Nicoya Peninsula, was the southernmost point of Mesoamerican cultural influence when the Spanish conquerors came in the sixteenth century.

[2] The central and southern portions of the country belonged to the Isthmo-Colombian cultural area with strong Muisca influences, as they were part of territories occupied predominantly by speakers of the Chibchan languages.

During the colonization, Costa Rica was very poor, mainly because it was isolated from the majority of colonies of the Spanish Empire.

Costa Rica did not become a province of Spain until the 1560s, when a community was created that used the volcanic soil for agricultural purposes.

That was primarily due to disease, particularly smallpox as well as the fact that many indigenous people were enslaved to work and oftentimes escaped from them.

They are popular for their crafts, particularly masks made for the "Fiesta de los Diablos" which is a three-day festival that stages fights between the Boruca people (depicted as devils) and the Spanish conquistadors (portrayed as Bulls).

Women in the Bribri society are the only ones that can inherit land and prepare the sacred cacao drink used during the rituals.

Their main source of income is based on agriculture where they grow bananas, rice, corn, beans and more.

Before the Spanish colonization, their territory extended as far west as Rincon de la Vieja, and included the volcano Arenal to the south and Rio Celeste as sacred sites.

Their economy is based on indigenous art and many tourists are welcome to watch them perform musical pieces in nearby La Fortuna.

This reservation is in great danger and the Maleku no longer live in their traditional houses as the trees are also endangered.

The Chorotegas translates to "The Fleeing People", as they fled to Costa Rica in AD 500 to escape slavery in Southern Mexico.

There is also the fact that the schools which the indigenous attend are not funded properly, and the students aren't given the same resources to learn.

[1] The major issues facing the indigenous groups of Costa Rica today mainly relate to land.

Indigenous peoples oppose the current El Diquís Hydroelectric Project that will flood some of the lands and affect many of the other groups.

[13] Indigenous peoples of Costa Rica often do not receive adequate healthcare services due to lack of access: they are situated in difficult terrain, particularly in the mountains.