jan 4, 1700 - 1700's - COSTA RICA CONSIDERED A VERY POOR/MISERABLE SPANISH COLONY

Description:

Costa Rica's distance from the capital in Guatemala, its legal prohibition under Spanish law against trading with its southern neighbors in Panama, , and the lack of resources such as gold and silver, resulted in Costa Rica attracting few inhabitants. It was a poor, isolated, and sparsely inhabited region within the Spanish Empire. Spanish governor in 1719 described Costa Rica as "the poorest and most miserable Spanish colony in all America."