Barrios etc. | Males.| Females.| Total.
----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Villa San Mateo (Centro) | 340 | 361 | 701
Barrio de Santo Domingo | 384 | 357 | 741
” de Desmonte | 244 | 217 | 461
” de Ramadas | 198 | 186 | 384
” de Mastate | 293 | 226 | 519
” de Jesus Maria | 146 | 125 | 271
” de Maderal | 141 | 135 | 276
----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
Total | 1,746 | 1,607 | 3,353
----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
_Canton de Naranjo._
-------------------------------+------+--------+------
Barrios, etc. |Males.|Females.|Total.
-------------------------------+------+--------+------
Villa del Naranjo (Centro) | 777 | 830 | 1,607
Barrio de San Juanillo | 444 | 546 | 990
” de Zarcero | 374 | 334 | 708
” de San Miguel | 392 | 413 | 805
” de Candelaria | 281 | 283 | 564
” de Buena Vista y Tapesco| 291 | 267 | 558
” de Barranca | 280 | 219 | 499
” de Concepcion | 259 | 246 | 505
” de San Carlos | 189 | 112 | 301
” de Laguna | 161 | 149 | 310
-------------------------------+------+--------+------
Total |3,448 | 3,399 | 6,847
-------------------------------+------+--------+------
Province of Cartago.
_Canton de Cartago._
---------------------------------+------+--------+-------
Barrios, etc. |Males.|Females.| Total.
---------------------------------+------+--------+-------
Ciudad de Cartago (Centro) | 1,638| 1,853 | 3,491
Barrio de San Nicolas | 1,357| 1,407 | 2,764
” de Los Angeles | 1,192| 1,338 | 2,530
” de San Francisco | 1,134| 1,203 | 2,337
” de Carmen | 988| 1,066 | 2,054
” de San Rafael | 892| 995 | 1,887
” de La Concepcion | 891| 920 | 1,811
” de Guadalupe | 961| 1,075 | 2,036
” de Pascon y Pacayas | 786| 714 | 1,500
” de Santa Cruz y Capelladas| 667| 550 | 1,217
” de Corralillo | 350| 312 | 662
” de San Juan de Tobosi | 270| 278 | 548
” de Quebradilla y Bermejo | 201| 194 | 395
” de Tablón | 170| 171 | 341
Pueblo de Cot | 399| 418 | 817
” de Tobosi | 395| 360 | 755
Aldea de Cervantes | 397| 356 | 753
---------------------------------+------+--------+-------
Total |12,688| 13,210 | 25,898
---------------------------------+------+--------+-------
_Canton de Paraiso._
-------------------------------+------+--------+-------
Barrios, etc. |Males.|Females.| Total.
-------------------------------+------+--------+-------
Villa del Paraiso (Centro) | 932| 967 | 1,899
Barrio de Juan Viñas y Turialba| 1,293| 870 | 2,163
” de La Flor | 366| 331 | 697
Pueblo de Orosi | 590| 596 | 1,186
” de Tucurrique | 347| 292 | 639
” de Chirripo | 158| 122 | 280
Aldea de Cachi | 278| 238 | 516
” de Palomo y Ujarrás | 227| 212 | 439
-------------------------------+------+--------+-------
Total | 4,191| 3,628 | 7,819
-------------------------------+------+--------+-------
_Canton de la Union._
-----------------------+-------+----------+--------
Barrios, etc. |Males. | Females. | Total.
-----------------------+-------+----------+--------
Villa de la Union | 530 | 547 | 1,077
Barrio de San Diego | 394 | 408 | 802
” de San Rafael | 333 | 328 | 661
” de Concepcion | 293 | 259 | 552
” de Dulce Nombre | 185 | 182 | 367
” de San Juan | 243 | 238 | 481
” de San Ramon | 167 | 149 | 316
-----------------------+-------+----------+--------
Total | 2,145 | 2,111 | 4,256
-----------------------+-------+----------+--------
Province of Heredia.
_Canton de Heredia._
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
Barrios, etc. | Males.| Females.| Total.
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
Ciudad de Heredia (Centro) | 2,873 | 3,174 | 6,047
Barrio de San Pablo | 891 | 904 | 1,795
” de San Joaquin | 815 | 826 | 1,641
” de San Isidro | 970 | 1,003 | 1,973
” de Mercedes | 547 | 588 | 1,135
” de San Antonio | 559 | 648 | 1,207
” de El Barreal | 356 | 347 | 703
” de Sarapiqui | 307 | 164 | 471
” de La Rivera | 292 | 330 | 622
” de San Francisco | 430 | 456 | 886
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
Total | 8,040 | 8,440 | 16,480
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
_Canton de Barba._
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
Barrios, etc. | Males.| Females.| Total.
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
Villa de Barba (Centro) | 419 | 493 | 912
Barrio de San Pedro | 490 | 496 | 986
” de San Pablo | 251 | 262 | 513
” de Santa Lucia | 122 | 130 | 252
” de San Roque | 161 | 140 | 301
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
Total | 1,443 | 1,521 | 2,964
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
_Canton de Santa Barbara._
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
Barrios, etc. | Males.| Females.| Total.
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
Villa de Santa Barbara (Centro) | 326 | 362 | 688
Barrio de San Pedro | 290 | 278 | 568
” de San Juan | 294 | 302 | 596
” de Santo Domingo | 167 | 136 | 303
” de Jesus | 315 | 375 | 690
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
Total | 1,392 | 1,453 | 2,845
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
_Canton de Santo Domingo._
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
Barrios, etc. | Males.| Females.| Total.
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
Villa de Santo Domingo (Centro) | 948 | 1,032 | 1,980
Barrio de San Miguel | 516 | 477 | 963
” de Santo Tomas | 393 | 417 | 810
” de Santa Rosa | 359 | 395 | 754
” de San Vicente | 177 | 214 | 391
” de Paraisito | 95 | 95 | 190
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
Total | 2,488 | 2,630 | 5,118
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
_Canton de San Rafael._
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
Barrios, etc. | Males.| Females.| Total.
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
Villa de San Rafael (Centro) | 808 | 804 | 1,612
Barrio de San José | 481 | 494 | 975
” de Los Angeles | 277 | 257 | 534
” de Santiago | 341 | 383 | 724
” de Concepcion | 172 | 187 | 359
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
Total | 2,079 | 2,125 | 4,204
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+--------
Province of Guanacaste.
_Canton de Liberia._
-----------------------------------+-------+----------+-------
Barrios, etc. | Males.| Females.| Total.
-----------------------------------+-------+----------+-------
Ciudad de Liberia (Centro) | 1,095 | 1,131 | 2,226
Barrio de Sardinal | 567 | 540 | 1,107
” de Filadelfia | 388 | 390 | 778
” de Cañas Dulces | 463 | 335 | 798
” de Palmira | 296 | 257 | 553
” de Buenos Aires | 254 | 167 | 421
-----------------------------------+-------+----------+-------
Total | 3,063 | 2,820 | 5,883
-----------------------------------+-------+----------+-------
_Canton de Cañas._
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Barrios, etc. | Males.| Females.| Total.
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Villa de Cañas (Centro) | 179 | 222 | 401
Barrio de Colorado | 434 | 207 | 641
” de Sandillal | 147 | 134 | 281
” de Hotel | 124 | 132 | 256
” de Santa Rosa | 91 | 65 | 156
” de Buenaventura | 94 | 80 | 174
” de Bebedero | 102 | 61 | 163
” de Javia | 46 | 47 | 93
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Total | 1,217 | 948 | 2,165
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
_Canton de Bagaces._
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Barrios, etc. | Males.| Females.| Total.
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Villa de Bagaces (Centro) | 180 | 239 | 419
Barrio de Bebedero | 112 | 77 | 189
” de Agua Caliente | 52 | 48 | 100
” de Tamarindo | 85 | 37 | 122
” de Monte Negro | 51 | 56 | 107
” de Montaña | 68 | 59 | 127
” de Pijijé | 68 | 54 | 122
” de Rio Blanco | 63 | 48 | 111
” de Salitial | 32 | 25 | 57
” de Joreo | 26 | 18 | 44
” de Cofradia | 38 | 40 | 78
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Total | 775 | 701 | 1,476
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
_Canton de Santa Cruz._
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Barrios, etc. | Males.| Females.| Total.
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Villa de Santa Cruz (Centro) | 346 | 386 | 732
Barrio de Belen | 368 | 399 | 767
” de Veintisiete de Abril | 352 | 382 | 734
” de Santa Rosa | 296 | 300 | 596
” de Limon | 220 | 223 | 443
” de Tempate y Arenal | 297 | 294 | 591
” de Lagunilla | 160 | 174 | 334
” de San Juan | 150 | 139 | 289
” de Porte Golpe | 151 | 162 | 313
” de Arado | 144 | 137 | 281
” de Santa Barbara | 244 | 263 | 507
” de Bolsón | 175 | 186 | 361
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Total | 2,903 | 3,045 | 5,948
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
_Canton de Nicoya._
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Barrios, etc. | Males.| Females.| Total.
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Villa de Nicoya (Centro) | 376 | 428 | 804
Barrio de Corralillo | 222 | 186 | 408
” de Matina | 181 | 175 | 356
” de San Antonio | 161 | 167 | 328
” de Santa Rita | 167 | 130 | 297
” de Matambú | 158 | 153 | 311
” de Dulce Nombre | 127 | 134 | 261
” de Sabana grande | 176 | 172 | 348
” de Humo | 118 | 121 | 239
” de Santa Ana | 87 | 102 | 189
” de San Joaquin | 85 | 93 | 178
” de San Lazaro | 60 | 62 | 122
” de San Pablo | 38 | 51 | 89
” de San Vicente | 71 | 70 | 141
” de Zapote | 126 | 138 | 264
” de Pueblo Viejo | 132 | 110 | 242
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Total | 2,285 | 2,292 | 4,577
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Comarca de Puntarenas.
_Canton de Puntarenas._
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Barrios, etc. | Males.| Females.| Total.
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Ciudad de Puntarenas (Centro) | 1,188 | 1,350 | 2,538
Barrio de los Quemados | 704 | 567 | 1,271
” de Pitahaya | 148 | 100 | 248
” de Lagartos | 85 | 67 | 152
” de Abangares | 81 | 57 | 138
” de Rio Grande | 81 | 62 | 143
” de Paquera | 146 | 130 | 276
” de Chomes | 190 | 132 | 322
” de Ciruelitas | 120 | 83 | 203
” de Puerto Alto | 98 | 60 | 158
” de Cabo Blanco | 105 | 106 | 211
” de Corosal | 128 | 106 | 234
” de Barranca | 136 | 100 | 236
” de Jicaral | 66 | 47 | 113
” de Chacarita | 77 | 55 | 132
” de Lepanto | 75 | 63 | 138
” de Chira | 51 | 45 | 96
” de San Miguel | 55 | 43 | 98
” de Jigaute | 52 | 53 | 105
” de Morales | 57 | 45 | 102
” de Tambar | 53 | 36 | 89
” de Las Agujas | 85 | 58 | 143
” de Curú | 29 | 36 | 65
” de Presidio de San Lucas | 153 | -- | 153
” de Golfo Dulce (Centro) | 303 | 220 | 523
” de Cabagra | 43 | 40 | 83
” de Buenos Aires | 125 | 154 | 279
Pueblo de Terraba | 107 | 124 | 231
” de Baruca | 175 | 214 | 389
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Total | 4,716 | 4,153 | 8,869
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
_Canton de Esparza._
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Barrios, etc. | Males.| Females.| Total.
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Ciudad de Esparza (Centro) | 607 | 638 | 1,245
Barrio de San Jerónimo | 159 | 140 | 299
” de San Rafael | 275 | 232 | 507
” de San Juan Grande | 89 | 83 | 172
” de San Juan Chiquito | 53 | 50 | 103
” de Macacona | 131 | 113 | 244
” de Los Nances | 118 | 87 | 205
” el Barón | 52 | 40 | 92
” de Paires | 91 | 86 | 177
” de Marañonal | 69 | 66 | 135
” de Juanilama | 80 | 39 | 119
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Total | 1,724 | 1,574 | 3,298
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Comarca de Limon.
_Canton de Limon._
------------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Barrios, etc. | Males.| Females.| Total.
------------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Ciudad de Limon (Centro) | 1,517 | 627 | 2,144
Barrio de Reventazon | 656 | 119 | 775
” de Matina | 530 | 103 | 633
” de Jimenez | 879 | 106 | 985
” de Hospital in 12 millas | 340 | 171 | 511
” de Tortuguero | 124 | 48 | 172
| | |
” de Estrella, Cieneguita, } | 269 | 160 | 429
” de Bananito y Cahuita } | | |
” de Talamanca | 926 | 909 | 1,835
------------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Total | 5,241 | 2,243 | 7,484
------------------------------------+-------+---------+-------
Costa Rica had in 1892, taking this census as a basis, 313
communities distributed as follows:
76 in the province of San José with 76,718 inhabitants} 203,505
73 ” ” Alajuela ” 57,203 ” } inhabitants
32 ” ” Cartago ” 37,973 ” } in _tierra
31 ” ” Heredia ” 31,611 ” } templada_ or
} temperate zone.
53 ” ” Guanacaste ” 20,049 ” } 39,700
40 ” comarca de Puntarenas ” 12,167 ” } inhabitants
8 ” ” Limon ” 7,484 ” } in _tierra
} caliente_ or
} warm zone.
As may have been observed, there is a great repetition of names in
Costa Rica, especially of places named in honor of saints, which for
commercial convenience will probably be changed. Of communities there
are not less than
Key to column headings:
A: In the Department of San José.
B: In the Department of Alajuela.
C: In the Department of Cartago.
D: In the Department of Heredia.
E: In the Department of Guanacaste.
F: In the Comarca de Puntarenas.
A B C D E F
10 named San Rafael 3 2 3 1 1 1
7 ” San Juan 2 2 1 1 1 -
7 ” San Isidro 1 4 1 1 - -
7 ” Concepcion - 4 2 1 - -
6 ” San Antonio 3 1 - 1 1 -
5 ” San Pedro 1 2 - 2 - -
5 ” San Francisco 2 - 1 1 1 -
5 ” Los Angeles - 3 1 1 - -
5 ” San José 1 3 - 1 - -
5 ” San Pablo 2 - - 2 1 -
4 ” San Miguel 1 1 - 1 - 1
4 ” Santiago 1 1 1 1 - -
3 ” San Vicente 1 - - 1 1 -
3 ” San Jerónimo 1 1 - - 1 -
3 ” Mercedes 1 1 - 1 - -
3 ” Buenos Aires - 1 - - 1 1
3 ” Santa Rosa - - - 1 2 -
2 ” Santa Ana 1 - - - 1 -
2 ” San Ramon - 1 1 - - -
2 ” San Roque - 1 - 1 - -
2 ” Jesus - 1 - 1 - -
2 ” San Joaquin - - - 1 1 -
2 ” Santa Barbara - - - 1 1 -
Of these 313 communities, distributed in 5 provinces with 28 cantones
and in 2 comarcas with 3 cantones, the following table gives their
relative importance:
In the In the
Centers. Inhabitants. warm zone. temperate zone.
1 had 44 1 --
12 had from 50 to 100 11 1
51 ” 100 ” 250 40 11
79 ” 250 ” 500 25 54
109 ” 500 ” 1,000 17 92
27 ” 1,000 ” 1,500 3 24
18 ” 1,500 ” 2,000 1 17
7 ” 2,000 ” 2,500 2 5
5 ” 2,500 ” 3,000 1 4
2 ” 3,000 ” 4,000 - 2
1 ” 6,000 ” 7,000 - 1
1 ” 20,000 ” 25,000 - 1
--- --- ---
313 101 212
In order to give an idea of the density of the population, there is
roundly presented in the following table the area of each province
and comarca, its total population and its population per square
kilometer:
----------------------+---------+---------+-----------+-------------
| Surface | Total | Population|
|in square| Popula- | in square |
| km. | tion. | km. |
----------------------+---------+---------+-----------+-------------
Province of San José | 4,000 | 80,000 | 20.00 | }
” Alajuela | 11,000 | 60,000 | 5.45 | } Temperate
” Cartago | 3,500 | 40,000 | 11.43 | } zone.
” Heredia | 1,500 | 30,000 | 20.00 | }
| | | |
” Guanacaste| 10,000 | 20,000 | 2.00 | }
Comarca de Puntarenas | 11,000 | 12,000 | 1.09 | } Warm zone.
” Limon | 13,000 | 8,000 | 0.61 | }
----------------------+---------+---------+-----------+-------------
In regard to the age of the population, the census of 1892 shows that
there were:
Males. Females. Years.
4,820 4,348 of less than 1
15,153 14,438 from 1 to 5
16,706 16,688 ” 5 ” 10
14,849 13,865 ” 10 ” 15
11,876 12,450 ” 15 ” 20
11,412 11,764 ” 20 ” 25
11,160 10,838 ” 25 ” 30
9,652 9,520 ” 30 ” 35
6,868 6,283 ” 35 ” 40
5,824 5,878 ” 40 ” 45
3,929 3,817 ” 45 ” 50
3,949 4,032 ” 50 ” 55
2,037 2,084 ” 55 ” 60
2,085 2,145 ” 60 ” 65
913 952 ” 65 ” 70
593 755 ” 70 ” 75
347 426 ” 75 ” 80
147 281 ” 80 ” 85
85 110 ” 85 ” 90
43 58 ” 90 ” 95
32 43 ” 95 to over 100
The military census gives the following figures of able-bodied men in
the different cantones, provinces and comarcas:
_Province of San José._
Total.
San José 3,345 from 18 to 35 years 1,218 from 36 to 50 years, 4,563
Escasú 702 ” ” 241 ” ” 943
Desamparados 1,121 ” ” 372 ” ” 1,493
Puriscal 931 ” ” 289 ” ” 1,220
Aserri 623 ” ” 197 ” ” 820
Mora 767 ” ” 235 ” ” 1,002
Tarrazú 299 ” ” 88 ” ” 387
Goicoechea 362 ” ” 138 ” ” 500
----- ----- ------
8,150 ” ” 2,778 ” ” 10,928
Province of Alajuela.
Alajuela 2,125 from 18 to 35 years 732 from 36 to 50 years, 2,857
San Ramon 1,191 ” ” 409 ” ” 1,600
Grecia 1,121 ” ” 387 ” ” 1,508
Atenas 943 ” ” 151 ” ” 1,094
San Mateo 428 ” ” 142 ” ” 570
Naranjo 697 ” ” 229 ” ” 926
Palmares 442 ” ” 157 ” ” 599
----- ----- -----
6,947 ” ” 2,207 ” ” 9,154
Province of Cartago.
Cartago 2,512 from 18 to 35 years 869 from 36 to 50 years, 3,387
Paraiso 923 ” ” 327 ” ” 1,250
La Union 381 ” ” 163 ” ” 544
----- ----- -----
3,816 ” ” 1,359 ” ” 5,175
Province of Heredia.
Heredia 1,929 from 18 to 35 years 738 from 36 to 50 years, 2,667
Barba 341 ” ” 122 ” ” 463
Santo Domingo 623 ” ” 201 ” ” 824
Santa Barbara 298 ” ” 109 ” ” 407
San Rafael 478 ” ” 136 ” ” 614
----- ----- -----
3,669 ” ” 1,306 ” ” 4,975
Province of Guanacaste.
Liberia 732 from 18 to 35 years 257 from 36 to 50 years, 989
Cañas 122 ” ” 40 ” ” 162
Bagaces 146 ” ” 51 ” ” 197
Santa Cruz 578 ” ” 185 ” ” 763
Nicoya 491 ” ” 139 ” ” 630
----- --- -----
2,069 ” ” 672 ” ” 2,741
Comarca de Puntarenas.
913 from 18 to 35 years 270 from 36 to 50 years, 1,183
Comarca de Limon.
78 from 18 to 35 years 39 from 36 to 50 years, 117
------ ----- ------
Total
Costa Rica 25,642 ” ” 8,631 ” ” 34,273
The movement of the population in regard to _births_, _deaths_ and
_increase_ was in 1892 as follows:
--------------------+--------+--------+----------
Province or Comarca.| Births.| Deaths.| Increase.
--------------------+--------+--------+----------
San José | 3,458 | 1,665 | 1,793
Alajuela | 2,633 | 1,159 | 1,474
Cartago | 1,616 | 802 | 814
Heredia | 1,412 | 835 | 577
Guanacaste | 717 | 284 | 433
Puntarenas | 464 | 264 | 200
Limon | 62 | 58 | 4
--------------------+--------+--------+----------
Total | 10,362 | 5,067 | 5,295
--------------------+--------+--------+----------
During the first half of 1897 there were in the capitals of the same
provinces or comarcas the following _births_ and _deaths_:
----------+----------------------+------+--------+----------------------
| Births. | | | Deaths.
+-------+-------+------+ | +------+--------+------
|Illegi-|Legiti-| |Males.|Females.| | |
|timate.| mate. |Total.| | |Males.|Females.|Total.
----------+-------+-------+------+------+--------+------+--------+------
San José | 179 | 428 | 607 } | | 247 | 209 | 456
Alajuela | 82 | 290 | 372 } | | 117 | 115 | 232
Cartago | 63 | 357 | 420 } | | 133 | 117 | 250
Heredia | 13 | 76 | 89 } 825 | 795 | 85 | 92 | 177
Liberia | 34 | 13 | 47 } | | 13 | 14 | 27
Puntarenas| 35 | 15 | 50 } | | 44 | 35 | 79
Limon | 28 | 7 | 35 } | | 38 | 24 | 62
----------+-------+-------+------+------+--------+------+--------+------
Total | 434 |1,186 |1,620 | 825 | 795 | 677 | 606 |1,283
----------+-------+-------+------+------+--------+------+--------+------
_Deaths by Ages._
From 1 to 5 years 709
From 6 to 20 years 65
From 21 to 50 years 317
From 51 and upward 192
----
Total 1283
These data show in favor of births over deaths an increase of 337, of
whom 148 were males and 189 females.
The causes of death in each 1000 cases were as follows:
Fever 220
Cholera infantum 112
Diarrhea 52
Dysentery and colic 77
Typhoid fever 26
Bronchitis and pneumonia 91
Phthisis 42
Influenza 17
Dropsy 31
Heart failure 31
Apoplexy and paralysis 81
Indigestion 12
Gastro-enteritis 15
Enteritis 28
Inflammation 35
Cancer 16
Blood-poison 17
Syphilis 5
In regard to social conditions, the population of Costa Rica was
distributed in 1892, by percentages, as follows:
------------+---------+----------+----------+--------+--------+--------
Province or | | | | | Single | Single
Comarca. | Married.| Divorced.| Widowers.| Widows.| Male. | Female.
------------+---------+----------+----------+--------+--------+--------
San José | 27.52 | 0.38 | 0.89 | 2.98 | 33.77 | 34.46
Alajuela | 28.71 | 0.11 | 0.87 | 3.17 | 34.16 | 32.98
Cartago | 26.76 | 0.08 | 1.16 | 3.98 | 34.82 | 33.20
Heredia | 28.33 | 0.07 | 1.06 | 3.22 | 32.94 | 34.38
Guanacaste | 22.82 | 0.64 | 1.60 | 3.59 | 37.53 | 33.82
Puntarenas | 18.17 | 0.30 | 1.17 | 3.51 | 40.07 | 36.78
Limon | 5.05 | 0.16 | 0.39 | 0.70 | 69.18 | 24.52
------------+---------+----------+----------+--------+--------+--------
With respect to instruction there were 28,208 individuals who could
read, and 48,215 persons who could read and write, leaving 166,782
illiterates, or 68.58 per cent of the entire population who could not
read or write.
It will be interesting for the economist to know the percentage of
the population capable of reading, or writing and reading. It is as
follows:
Province of San José.
-------------+---------+---------
| | Readers
| Readers.| and
| | writers.
-------------+---------+---------
San José | 20.00 | 38.98
Escasú | 8.08 | 9.52
Desamparados | 15.40 | 20.01
Puriscal | 9.16 | 11.82
Aserri | 5.32 | 6.55
Mora | 6.05 | 6.21
Tarrazú | 9.09 | 10.95
Goicoechea | 12.83 | 21.64
-------------+---------+---------
| 14.72 | 25.69
-------------+---------+---------
Province of Alajuela.
------------+----------+---------
| | Readers
| Readers. | and
| | writers.
------------+----------+---------
Alajuela | 10.09 | 20.17
San Ramon | 8.48 | 10.02
Grecia | 8.32 | 11.22
Atenas | 5.51 | 9.45
San Mateo | 7.84 | 12.55
Naranjo | 10.06 | 12.98
Palmares | 6.06 | 15.45
------------+----------+---------
| 8.71 | 14.33
------------+----------+---------
Province of Cartago.
------------+----------+---------
| | Readers
| Readers. | and
| | writers.
------------+----------+---------
Cartago | 11.50 | 16.83
Paraiso | 6.42 | 8.92
La Union | 10.83 | 17.10
------------+----------+---------
| 10.38 | 15.23
------------+----------+---------
Province of Heredia.
--------------+----------+---------
| | Readers
| Readers. | and
| | writers.
--------------+----------+---------
Heredia | 15.42 | 27.81
Barba | 12.72 | 20.27
Santo Domingo | 14.16 | 19.50
Santa Barbara | 11.53 | 17.40
San Rafael | 9.08 | 14.81
--------------+----------+---------
| 13.77 | 22.45
--------------+----------+---------
Province of Guanacaste.
--------------+----------+---------
| | Readers
| Readers. | and
| | writers.
--------------+----------+---------
Liberia | 14.65 | 19.08
Cañas | 7.71 | 10.85
Bagaces | 8.94 | 18.63
Santa Cruz | 10.47 | 13.14
Nicoya | 11.84 | 15.05
--------------+----------+---------
| 11.60 | 15.48
--------------+----------+---------
Comarca de Puntarenas.
-----------------+---------+---------
| | Readers
| Readers.| and
| | writers.
-----------------+---------+---------
Puntarenas | 7.05 | 16.55
Esparza | 7.43 | 11.76
-----------------+---------+---------
| 7.15 | 15.25
-----------------+---------+---------
Comarca de Limon.
-----------------+---------+---------
| | Readers
| Readers.| and
| | writers.
-----------------+---------+---------
Limon | 5.76 | 31.25
=================+=========+=========
Total Costa Rica | 11.60 | 19.82
-----------------+---------+---------
The total literates were 76,423 persons, or 31.42 per cent of the
population.
In the capitals of the different provinces and comarcas the
proportion was as follows:
Readers. Readers and Writers.
San José 25.37 per cent. 44.62 per cent.
Alajuela 16.92 ” 31.58 ”
Cartago 19.99 ” 37.83 ”
Heredia 15.66 ” 36.31 ”
Liberia 9.38 ” 21.96 ”
Puntarenas 17.25 ” 26.24 ”
Limon 13.47 ” 39.55 ”
----- -----
20.53 ” 38.77 ”
For these cities the total literates were 23,488 persons or 59.5 per
cent. of their population.
There were, out of the total number, 17,483 school children, who were
taught by 451 teachers in public schools.
There were also 6289 foreigners in the country, of which
2,516 were in the Province of San José.
395 ” ” ” Alajuela.
362 ” ” ” Cartago.
138 ” ” ” Heredia.
634 ” ” ” Guanacaste.
1,293 ” Comarca de Puntarenas.
1,051 ” ” ” Limon.
These foreigners were distributed by nationalities as follows:
1,302 Nicaraguans,
831 Spaniards,
812 Colombians,
634 Jamaicans,
622 Italians,
342 Germans,
246 Englishmen,
204 Americans,
195 Salvadorans,
189 Frenchmen,
160 Guatemalans,
156 Cubans,
175 Chinamen,
132 Hondurans.
With respect to occupations, there were in Costa Rica in 1892:
896 Cattle-farmers,
8,314 Agriculturists, male,
194 Agriculturists, female,
22,190 Laborers,
349 Servants, male,
2,348 ” female,
40 Cooks, male,
3,801 ” female,
4,541 Seamstresses,
1,031 Laundry ironers,
5,873 Laundry cleaners,
366 Tailors,
378 Shoemakers,
980 Carpenters,
2,102 Carmen,
96 Mule drivers,
565 Masons,
279 Butchers,
900 Merchants,
911 Clerks,
92 Lawyers,
46 Surveyors,
131 Barbers,
913 Government employes,
541 Cigarmakers,
265 Hat makers,
111 Bakers,
54 Pharmacists,
11 Commission merchants,
36 Watchmen,
82 Blacksmiths,
88 Hotel keepers,
42 Physicians,
243 Musicians,
16 Engineers,
12 Mechanics,
6 Miners,
41 Painters,
20 Silversmiths,
15 Watchmakers,
27 Saddlers,
49 Tanners,
12 Dyers,
77 Printers,
84 Sailors,
28 Carpet makers.
A distribution of the people by their principal occupations in the
different cantones was as follows:
Province of San José.
(Part 1 of 2)
------------+------+----+------+----+------+----+----+
| | C | | | | | |
| | a | | | | | |
| | t | | | | | |
| | t | | | | | |
| | l | | | | | |
| | e | | | | M | |
| | | L | S | | e | |
| F | f | a | e | | r | |
| a | a | b | r | | c | C |
| r | r | o | v | C | h | l |
| m | m | r | a | o | a | e |
| e | e | e | n | o | n | r |
| r | r | r | t | k | t | k |
| s | s | s | s | s | s | s |
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
------------+------+----+------+----+------+----+----+
San José | 1,091| 150| 5,432| 524|{ }| 198| 568|
Escasú | 409| 19| 772| 39|{ }| 6| 8|
Desamparados| 598| 30| 763| 52|{ }| 15| 12|
Puriscal | 385| 23| 412| --|{1620}| 4| 5|
Aserri | 497| 8| 475| 42|{ }| 4| 5|
Mora | 493| 16| 898| 33|{ }| 3| 3|
Tarrazú | 442| 10| 257| 17|{ }| 2| 4|
Goicoechea | 226| 20| 286| 13|{ }| 9| 7|
------------+------+----+------+----+------+----+----+
(Part 2 of 2)
------------+----+----+----+----+----+-----+-----+-----
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | C |
| | | | | B | | i |
| | | S | C | l | H | g | G
| | | h | a | a | a | a | o
| | | o | r | c | t | r | v e
| | T | e | p | k | | | e m
| C | a | m | e | s | m | m | r p
| a | i | a | n | m | a | a | n l
| r | l | k | t | i | k | k | m o
| m | o | e | e | t | e | e | e y
| e | r | r | r | h | r | r | n e
| n | s | s | s | s | s | s | t s
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . | .
------------+----+----+----+----+----+-----+-----+-----
San José | 316| 231| 196| 423|{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
Escasú | 168| --| 1| 9|{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
Desamparados| 107| 2| 5| 39|{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
Puriscal | 49| --| 1| 5|{21}|{169}|{222}|{463}
Aserri | 89| --| 1| 12|{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
Mora | 85| --| 2| 8|{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
Tarrazú | 35| --| 2| 3|{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
Goicoechea | 27| 1| 5| 8|{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
------------+----+----+----+----+----+-----+-----+-----
Province of Alajuela.
(Part 1 of 2)
----------+-----+----+------+----+-----+---+---+
| | C | | | | | |
| | a | | | | | |
| | t | | | | | |
| | t | | | | | |
| | l | | | | | |
| | e | | | | M | |
| | | L | S | | e | |
| F | f | a | e | | r | |
| a | a | b | r | | c | C |
| r | r | o | v | C | h | l |
| m | m | r | a | o | a | e |
| e | e | e | n | o | n | r |
| r | r | r | t | k | t | k |
| s | s | s | s | s | s | s |
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
----------+-----+----+------+----+-----+---+---+
Alajuela | 687 | 86 | 2,037| 211|{ }| 92| 32|
San Ramon | 218 | 30 | 891| 139|{ }| 31| 8|
Grecia | 282 | 32 | 781| 99|{ }| 29| 12|
Atenas | 59 | 6 | 372| 24|{704}| 15| 7|
San Mateo | 94 | 9 | 278| 69|{ }| 10| 8|
Naranjo | 150 | 21 | 971| 61|{ }| 12| 10|
Palmares | 124 | 26 | 328| 39|{ }| 9| 9|
----------+-----+----+------+----+-----+---+---+
(Part 2 of 2)
----------+----+---+---+---+----+----+-----+------
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | C |
| | | | | B | | i |
| | | S | C | l | H | g | G
| | | h | a | a | a | a | o
| | | o | r | c | t | r | v e
| | T | e | p | k | | | e m
| C | a | m | e | s | m | m | r p
| a | i | a | n | m | a | a | n l
| r | l | k | t | i | k | k | m o
| m | o | e | e | t | e | e | e y
| e | r | r | r | h | r | r | n e
| n | s | s | s | s | s | s | t s
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . | .
----------+----+---+---+---+----+----+-----+------
Alajuela | 203| 11| 19| 52|{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
San Ramon | 97| 6| 6| 23|{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
Grecia | 92| 4| 4| 36|{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
Atenas | 32| 3| 3| 12|{16}|{--}|{131}|{118}
San Mateo | 21| 3| 2| 5|{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
Naranjo | 51| 2| 2| 18|{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
Palmares | 13| 2| 2| 13|{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
----------+----+---+---+---+----+----+-----+------
Province of Cartago.
(Part 1 of 2)
--------+----+---+------+----+-----+---+---+
| | C | | | | | |
| | a | | | | | |
| | t | | | | | |
| | t | | | | | |
| | l | | | | | |
| | e | | | | M | |
| | | L | S | | e | |
| F | f | a | e | | r | |
| a | a | b | r | | c | C |
| r | r | o | v | C | h | l |
| m | m | r | a | o | a | e |
| e | e | e | n | o | n | r |
| r | r | r | t | k | t | k |
| s | s | s | s | s | s | s |
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
--------+----+---+------+----+-----+---+---+
Cartago | 510| 84| 1,527| 156|{ }| 72| 32|
Paraiso | 261| 21| 453| 61|{422}| 10| 6|
La Union| 192| 15| 148| 61|{ }| 18| 12|
--------+----+---+------+----+-----+---+---+
(Part 2 of 2)
--------+----+---+---+---+----+----+----+-----
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | C |
| | | | | B | | i |
| | | S | C | l | H | g | G
| | | h | a | a | a | a | o
| | | o | r | c | t | r | v e
| | T | e | p | k | | | e m
| C | a | m | e | s | m | m | r p
| a | i | a | n | m | a | a | n l
| r | l | k | t | i | k | k | m o
| m | o | e | e | t | e | e | e y
| e | r | r | r | h | r | r | n e
| n | s | s | s | s | s | s | t s
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . | .
--------+----+---+---+---+----+----+----+-----
Cartago | 203| 17| 25| 47|{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
Paraiso | 20| 2| 2| 10|{10}|{22}|{33}|{103}
La Union| 41| 3| 3| 18|{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
--------+----+---+---+---+----+----+----+-----
Province of Heredia.
(Part 1 of 2)
-------------+----+---+------+----+-----+----+---+
| | C | | | | | |
| | a | | | | | |
| | t | | | | | |
| | t | | | | | |
| | l | | | | | |
| | e | | | | M | |
| | | L | S | | e | |
| F | f | a | e | | r | |
| a | a | b | r | | c | C |
| r | r | o | v | C | h | l |
| m | m | r | a | o | a | e |
| e | e | e | n | o | n | r |
| r | r | r | t | k | t | k |
| s | s | s | s | s | s | s |
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
-------------+----+---+------+----+-----+----+---+
Heredia | 541| 88| 1,247| 239|{ }| 79 | 52|
Barba | 201| 21| 378| 58|{ }| 13 | 5|
Santo Domingo| 276| 34| 501| 84|{657}| 28 | 12|
Santa Barbara| 161| 16| 261| 63|{ }| 14 | 4|
San Rafael | 94| 21| 250| 32|{ }| 8 | 5|
-------------+----+---+------+----+-----+----+---+
(Part 2 of 2)
-------------+----+---+---+----+----+----+----+-----
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | C |
| | | | | B | | i |
| | | S | C | l | H | g | G
| | | h | a | a | a | a | o
| | | o | r | c | t | r | v e
| | T | e | p | k | | | e m
| C | a | m | e | s | m | m | r p
| a | i | a | n | m | a | a | n l
| r | l | k | t | i | k | k | m o
| m | o | e | e | t | e | e | e y
| e | r | r | r | h | r | r | n e
| n | s | s | s | s | s | s | t s
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . | .
-------------+----+---+---+----+----+----+----+-----
Heredia | 201| 31| 42| 102|{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
Barba | 51| 5| 5| 12|{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
Santo Domingo| 86| 4| 3| 13|{14}|{59}|{40}|{85}
Santa Barbara| 38| --| 2| 7|{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
San Rafael | 21| 1| 2| 13|{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
-------------+----+---+---+----+----+----+----+-----
Province of Guanacaste.
(Part 1 of 2)
----------+----+----+-----+----+-----+----+----+
| | C | | | | | |
| | a | | | | | |
| | t | | | | | |
| | t | | | | | |
| | l | | | | | |
| | e | | | | M | |
| | | L | S | | e | |
| F | f | a | e | | r | |
| a | a | b | r | | c | C |
| r | r | o | v | C | h | l |
| m | m | r | a | o | a | e |
| e | e | e | n | o | n | r |
| r | r | r | t | k | t | k |
| s | s | s | s | s | s | s |
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
----------+----+----+-----+----+-----+----+----+
Liberia | 82| 25 | 608 | 113|{ }| 57 | 17 |
Cañas | 31| 3 | 97 | 24|{ }| 6 | 5 |
Bagaces | 87| 3 | 138 | 66|{267}| 7 | 3 |
Santa Cruz| 126| 7 | 442 | 52|{ }| 19 | 5 |
Nicoya | 52| 6 | 392 | 42|{ }| 5 | 4 |
----------+----+----+-----+----+-----+----+----+
(Part 2 of 2)
----------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | C |
| | | | | B | | i |
| | | S | C | l | H | g | G
| | | h | a | a | a | a | o
| | | o | r | c | t | r | v e
| | T | e | p | k | | | e m
| C | a | m | e | s | m | m | r p
| a | i | a | n | m | a | a | n l
| r | l | k | t | i | k | k | m o
| m | o | e | e | t | e | e | e y
| e | r | r | r | h | r | r | n e
| n | s | s | s | s | s | s | t s
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . | .
----------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----
Liberia | -- | 12 | 13 | 23 |{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
Cañas | 9 | 1 | 1 | 3 |{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
Bagaces | 10 | -- | 1 | 4 |{10}|{12}|{62}|{50}
Santa Cruz| 13 | 5 | 4 | 9 |{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
Nicoya | -- | 2 | 5 | 17 |{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
----------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----
Comarca de Puntarenas.
(Part 1 of 2)
----------+----+----+-----+----+-----+----+----+
| | C | | | | | |
| | a | | | | | |
| | t | | | | | |
| | t | | | | | |
| | l | | | | | |
| | e | | | | M | |
| | | L | S | | e | |
| F | f | a | e | | r | |
| a | a | b | r | | c | C |
| r | r | o | v | C | h | l |
| m | m | r | a | o | a | e |
| e | e | e | n | o | n | r |
| r | r | r | t | k | t | k |
| s | s | s | s | s | s | s |
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
----------+----+----+-----+----+-----+----+----+
Puntarenas| 21 | 9 | 371 | 93 |{217}| 76 | 28 |
Esparza | 83 | 12 | 198 | 34 |{ }| 12 | 5 |
----------+----+----+-----+----+-----+----+----+
(Part 2 of 2)
----------+----+----+----+----+---+---+----+-----
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | C |
| | | | | B | | i |
| | | S | C | l | H | g | G
| | | h | a | a | a | a | o
| | | o | r | c | t | r | v e
| | T | e | p | k | | | e m
| C | a | m | e | s | m | m | r p
| a | i | a | n | m | a | a | n l
| r | l | k | t | i | k | k | m o
| m | o | e | e | t | e | e | e y
| e | r | r | r | h | r | r | n e
| n | s | s | s | s | s | s | t s
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . | .
----------+----+----+----+----+---+---+----+-----
Puntarenas| 15 | 9 | 8 | 12 |{8}|{3}|{30}|{55}
Esparza | 9 | 2 | 5 | 9 |{ }|{ }|{ }|{ }
----------+----+----+----+----+---+---+----+-----
Comarca de Limon.
(Part 1 of 2)
-----+----+----+-----+----+-----+----+----+
| | C | | | | | |
| | a | | | | | |
| | t | | | | | |
| | t | | | | | |
| | l | | | | | |
| | e | | | | M | |
| | | L | S | | e | |
| F | f | a | e | | r | |
| a | a | b | r | | c | C |
| r | r | o | v | C | h | l |
| m | m | r | a | o | a | e |
| e | e | e | n | o | n | r |
| r | r | r | t | k | t | k |
| s | s | s | s | s | s | s |
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
-----+----+----+-----+----+-----+----+----+
Limon| 35 | 18 | 276 | 157| 71 | 37 | 18 |
-----+----+----+-----+----+-----+----+----+
(Part 2 of 2)
-----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | C |
| | | | | B | | i |
| | | S | C | l | H | g | G
| | | h | a | a | a | a | o
| | | o | r | c | t | r | v e
| | T | e | p | k | | | e m
| C | a | m | e | s | m | m | r p
| a | i | a | n | m | a | a | n l
| r | l | k | t | i | k | k | m o
| m | o | e | e | t | e | e | e y
| e | r | r | r | h | r | r | n e
| n | s | s | s | s | s | s | t s
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . | .
-----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----
Limon| -- | 7 | 6 | 15 | 3 | -- | -- | 39
-----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----
The criminal statistics of Costa Rica for 1896 were as follows:
There were 4022 delinquencies punished by the police courts, namely:
1,295 in San José, 626 in Alajuela, 678 in Cartago, 520 in Heredia,
200 in Liberia, 424 in Puntarenas and 279 in Port Limon. Of these
there were convictions of
1686 for drunkenness and disorder.
861 for slight misdemeanors.
340 for fighting, domestic scandals and inflicting slight injuries.
274 for violations of sanitary and moral ordinances.
280 for vagrancy.
80 for carrying arms.
65 for petty larceny.
6 for larceny.
There were also 989 criminal sentences recorded in the Court of
Second Instance, together with 124 criminal and civil judgments in
the Court of Cassation.
The national “Presidio de San Lucas” contained at the same time 170
prisoners. Costa Rica in 1896 had 1744 prostitutes, mostly between
sixteen and twenty-five years of age, under supervision. Nearly
half of this number were in San José, the rest in the ports and in
Heredia, Alajuela and Cartago. Nearly 300 women were in the hospitals
being treated for venereal diseases, while 502 individuals were
registered in the “Department de profilaxis venerea.”
There were during the same year thirteen commercial insolvencies, two
cases of absolute and three of partial divorce.
The different courts of the country, during the year of 1896, entered
5417 civil and testamentary judgments, including a number concerning
mining and national land claims.
The people of Costa Rica must be considered as standing high
above those of the neighboring countries in regard to morals and
civilization. The mass of the people is industrious, honest, sober,
clean, comparatively well-clothed, economical, obedient to the
authorities and respectful of the laws.
VII.
IMMIGRATION AND COLONIES.
Immigration to Costa Rica has been small. During the first half of
1897 there entered 1533 individuals by Port Limon and 389 by the Port
of Puntarenas; but during the same time 1150 persons left Costa Rica
through Port Limon and 344 through Puntarenas. The result is a gain
of only 428 persons in favor of the country. In 1896, the excess of
registered immigrants over emigrants was 1112 persons, there having
entered 3980 and departed 2868 persons. Several times attempts have
unsuccessfully been made by foreigners to establish colonies.
Still there is a colony in the Department of Guanacaste, called
“Colonia de Nicoya,” which was commenced by Cubans, headed by Maceo,
the late Cuban revolutionist chief. This colony possesses a sugar
factory and five trapiches, producing 720 quintals of sugar and about
3000 quintals of mascabado. Only five colonists still cultivate
tobacco. The colony has a school for boys and another for girls, the
latter attended by thirty and the other by forty pupils. Besides
there is here postal service and a telegraph office.
A second colony located in the San Carlos district is known as
“Colonia de Aguas Zarcas,” and has 500 lots, but it does not progress
for lack of roads and markets easy to reach.
A third colony was established in Santa Clara, on a branch of the
Atlantic Railroad. But there are actually there only eight families
with about seventy hectares of cultivated land, one trapiche and a
saw-mill.
Another colony was started by the River Plate Trust, Loan and Agency
Company, Limited, in Turialba, near the railroad between Limon and
San José. There were 500 acres sold for 15 pesos each, 2071.9 acres
for 20 pesos each, 750 acres for 25 pesos each, and 1381.1 acres for
30 pesos each, the land being situated on the Tuis River and Cabeza
de Buey. Besides a contract was made with W. C. Beal from Portland,
Oregon, U. S. A., for the sale of 14,000 acres on condition of
procuring each year for seven years the settlement of a number of
families to cultivate these lands. In order to give easy access to
the markets, a cart-road is in process of construction, which will
connect the colony with the nearest railroad station.
The Government of Costa Rica is now preparing new laws in regard to
immigration, colonization and sale of national lands. The former laws
have been suspended, the Government being convinced that the lands
appropriated in former years are more than sufficient to respond to
the requirements of the next twenty years. The Government also thinks
it to be preferable to promote by restrictive laws the subdivision
of these lands and their cultivation than to consent to new grants
under the former statutes. Exceptions are to be made for colonization
companies and enterprises adapted to the economic development of the
country.
In former years the Government of Costa Rica has often offered
inducements in the way of land-grants for European immigration. In
1849 a grant of land of twenty leagues in length by twelve in breadth
was made to a French company for 1000 colonists. The conditions of
the contract were not carried out, though a considerable number of
immigrants formed under it an establishment. A similar grant was made
on the Atlantic coast to a British company, which had no result.
Still another concession was made, May 7, 1852, to a German company
organized at Berlin with Baron von Bülow as Director. This enterprise
died with its manager in 1856.
A further attempt was made in 1852, by Crisanto Medina, to whom
a large grant of land was made for colonization purposes at
Miravalles, about 2500 feet above the sea, but this project too was
abandoned after settling about thirty-seven Germans on the grant. In
1856, some French immigrants came, and in 1858 another colonization
law was passed, and ever since the Government has persisted in the
policy of augmenting the population by offering inducements to
foreigners to settle in Costa Rica. All these Government proffers
have, however, proved ineffectual.
VIII.
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.
Elementary instruction of both sexes is compulsory and at the expense
of the Government.
The following data are obtained from the Minister of Public
Instruction, Licentiate Ricardo Pacheco. In 1896 Costa Rica had 327
primary schools with 21,913 enrolled pupils, or 53 per cent. of all
the children of school age, as can be seen in the following table:
(Part 1 of 2)
-----------+-----------------+-----------------------+
| NUMBER OF | NUMBER OF PUPILS. |
| OFFICIAL SCHOOLS| |
+----+----+---+---+-------+-------+-------+
| | G | M | T | | G | T |
| B | i | i | o | B | i | o |
| o | r | x | t | o | r | t |
| y | l | e | a | y | l | a |
| s | s | d | l | s | s | l |
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
-----------+----+----+---+---+-------+-------+-------+
San José | 43| 43| 6| 92| 3,766| 3,766| 7,118|
Alajuela | 46| 45| 16|107| 3,028| 2,862| 5,890|
Cartago | 25| 24| 1| 50| 1,817| 1,475| 3,292|
Heredia | 20| 20| 7| 47| 2,132| 1,728| 3,880|
Guanacaste | 11| 9| 1| 21| 649| 513| 1,162|
Puntarenas | 5| 4| --| 9| 297| 199| 496|
Limon | --| --| 1| 1| 30| 45| 75|
-----------+----+----+---+---+-------+-------+-------+
| 150| 145| 32|327| 11,719| 10,194| 21,913|
-----------+----+----+---+---+-------+-------+-------+
(Part 2 of 2)
-----------+-------------------------------------
| NUMBER OF PUPILS.
|
+-------+--------+---------+----------
| | | |
| | | | For each
| Per | Per | Per 100 | 100
|school.|teacher.| Inhab- | children
| | | itants. | of school
| | | | age.
-----------+-------+--------+---------+----------
San José | 78.45 | 28.81 | 9.27 | 54.57
Alajuela | 55.04 | 32.36 | 10.29 | 60.57
Cartago | 65.84 | 24.75 | 8.66 | 51.07
Heredia | 82.56 | 26.76 | 12.27 | 72.19
Guanacaste | 55.33 | 21.92 | 5.79 | 34.09
Puntarenas | 55.11 | 22.59 | 4.07 | 23.98
Limon | 75.00 | 37.50 | 1.00 | 58.96
-----------+-------+--------+---------+----------
| 67.01 | 27.94 | 9.01 | 53.
-----------+-------+--------+---------+----------
This great number shows a marked predisposition of the people in
favor of education. It is also a fact that Costa Rica holds the first
place of all Latin American nations in regard to public instruction.
The number of school buildings is 215, besides 29 in process of
construction and 50 projected. These 215 buildings are the property
of the “Juntas de Educacion.” Besides these, 107 buildings are rented
and 6 loaned. There are
92 schools in 48 different localities in the Department of San José.
107 ” 67 ” ” ” Alajuela.
50 ” 27 ” ” ” Cartago.
47 ” 29 ” ” ” Heredia.
21 ” 22 ” ” ” Guanacaste.
9 ” 8 ” ” ” Puntarenas.
1 ” 1 ” ” ” Limon.
--- --
327 schools in 202 different localities.
Costa Rica has more teachers than soldiers. The number of the former
reaches the figure of 784, of whom 337 are men and 447 women,
distributed in the following way:
----------+-----+-------+-------+--------+-------------
| | | | Costa | Yearly
| Men.| Women.| Total.| Ricans.| Salaries in
| | | | | Pesos.
----------+-----+-------+-------+--------+-------------
San José | 98 | 149 | 247 | 221 | 128,540
Alajuela | 80 | 102 | 182 | 167 | 79,920
Cartago | 59 | 74 | 133 | 126 | 58,020
Heredia | 63 | 82 | 145 | 137 | 61,260
Guanacaste| 30 | 23 | 53 | 45 | 25,680
Puntarenas| 7 | 15 | 22 | 13 | 11,700
Limon | -- | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2,100
----------+-----+-------+-------+--------+------------
| 337 | 447 | 784 | 711 | 367,020
----------+-----+-------+-------+--------+------------
Among the foreign teachers are:
38 Spaniards,
12 Colombians,
9 Nicaraguans,
2 Guatemalans,
2 Salvadorans,
2 Germans,
1 Honduran,
1 Mexican,
1 Venezuelan,
1 Frenchman,
1 Englishman,
1 Italian.
The average monthly salary is 45 pesos.
There are over 250 “Juntas de Educacion” in the different
Departments, Cantones and Districts.
The National Government aided them with 95,587.59 pesos, in the
following manner:
16,572.99 pesos to the Juntas of the Department of San José.
14,686.10 ” ” ” ” Alajuela.
2,100.00 ” ” ” ” Cartago.
31,768.50 ” ” ” ” Heredia.
30,100.00 ” ” ” ” Guanacaste.
360.00 ” ” ” ” Puntarenas.
To aid these Juntas a special school-loan has been made; besides the
taxes on slaughtering are turned over to them.
Higher education is given in the Liceo de Costa Rica, with 206
enrolled students, and in the Colegio Superior de Señoritas, with
223 students, both in San José; also in the provincial Institutes of
Cartago, Alajuela and Heredia.
There is in addition a school for medicine and pharmacy in San José
with seventeen students, and a law-school dependent on the “college
of lawyers.”
For other higher studies the Government pays the expenses of ten
Costa Ricans in European universities and high schools. Further, the
Government of Chile allows six Costa Ricans to study at its expense
in the pedagogical Institute of Santiago.
Another very important national institution is the “Instituto
fisico-geográfico,” under the direction of the very competent
Professor H. Pittier, with three sections; a geographical section for
topographical study and a construction of maps, also a meteorological
and a botanical section. Their excellent publications have proved the
great usefulness of this institution, and it is to be wished that
its able and learned director will get adequate aid to carry out his
promising studies of the physical features of Costa Rica.
Another useful institution is the “National Museum,” under the
intelligent direction of a young Costa Rican scientist. Mr. Anastasio
Alfaro. It has an interesting section of archæology and ethnography,
and a section of zoology, already rich in cabinets, to which is
attached a small zoological garden.
A third useful institution is the “National Library” with 10,242
catalogued books and about 5,000 more ready to be registered and
incorporated.
The first steps towards the organization of educational institutions
were taken in 1824, under the administration of Don Juan Mora
Fernandez. Then public instruction was declared an obligatory duty
of the State. The institution, which afterward became the University
of Santo Tomas, was founded in 1844, at the instigation of Dr.
Castilo. The efforts of Costa Rica to advance education have been
great and sustained, and it is to be remarked that those in office
have constantly shown laudable interest in the matter. In 1869 the
Normal School was opened and a system adopted in harmony with modern
standards.
As related to the subject of public education, the following list
enumerates the names of the principal daily and weekly papers,
periodicals and annual publications:
The principal _newspapers_ are:
_Dailies:_
La Gaceta oficial,
Diario de Costa Rica,
La República,
El Heraldo,
El Fígaro,
La Prensa libre,
El Diarito,
El Imparcial,
El Pabellon Liberal,
La Union Católica.
_Weekly publications_ are:
La Abeja médica,
Boletin de las Escuelas Primarias,
La Gaceta médica,
El Latiguillo,
El Sancho Panzo,
El Bocaccio,
La Voz del Pueblo.
_Annual publications_ are:
Anales del Museo Nacional,
Anales del Instituto fisico-geográfico,
Anuario estadístico,
Anuario de la Inspeccion general de enseñanza,
Memorias de los Ministerios.
IX.
TRANSPORTATION, POST AND TELEGRAPH.
_Port Limon_ on the Atlantic and _Puntarenas_ on the Pacific Ocean
are first in importance among the means of communication of Costa
Rica.
In 1894 there entered the Port of Limon 294 vessels (271 steamers, 20
barks and 3 goletas), with a tonnage of 348,355 tons. Of these, 16
vessels bore the national flag, 142 the English, 12 the French, 26
the German, 27 the Swedish-Norwegian, 47 that of the United States,
11 the Nicaraguan, and 3 the Colombian flag.
During the same year there entered the Port of Puntarenas 158 vessels
(125 steamers, 24 barks, 5 paileboats 4 launches), having a tonnage
of 155,869 tons. Of these, 14 carried the national flag, 34 the
English, 1 the Italian, 23 the German, 3 the Swedish-Norwegian, 4 the
Danish, 74 that of the United States, and 5 the Colombian flag.
In 1895 there entered the Port of Limon 311 vessels, with a tonnage
of 281,361, while in the Port of Puntarenas there entered 147
vessels, with a tonnage of 146,313.
In 1896 there entered the Port of Limon 258 steamers and 41 sailing
vessels, while 152 vessels entered Puntarenas, of which 73 were
steamers of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, 28 steamers of an
English cattle transporting company, 8 German steamers of the Cosmos
and Kirsten lines, 9 Colombian paileboats, 16 German barks, 11
Norwegian barks, 3 English barks, 2 Italian barks, and 1 French bark.
The agents of the different steamship lines in the capital, San José,
are, for the Port of _Limon_: Mr. Juan Knöhr for the Hamburg American
Steamship Company; Mr. John M. Keith for the Atlas Line; Mr. I. R.
Sasso for the Italian Line, La Veloce; Messrs. Lyon & Co. for the
Royal Mail Line; Messrs. W. J. Field & Co. for the Prince Line; Mr.
Minor C. Keith for the Spanish Transatlantic Line; Messrs. Alvarado
& Co. for the French Transatlantic Line; Mr. Minor C. Keith for the
New Orleans lines; while Messrs. Rohrmoser & Co. are the agents for
the Port of Puntarenas of the Hamburg Pacific Steamship Company, the
Kosmos Line and the Pacific Mail Steamship Company.
There are two important railroads, the Atlantic and the Pacific
Railroads. The Atlantic Railroad goes from the Port of Limon westerly
to Alajuela, a distance of 190 kilometers. The stations on the line
are Limon, Moin, S. Mouth, Matina, Siquirres, La Junta, Pascua,
Torito, Turialba, Las Pavas, Tucurique, Juan Viñas, Santiago,
Paraiso, Cartago, Tres Rios, Curridabat, San Pedro, San José, San
Juan, Santo Domingo, Heredia, San Joaquin, Rio Segundo, Alajuela.
A branch of this road starts from La Junta, a point about thirty-four
kilometers west of Port Limon, and runs first northward and then
westward until it reaches Guapiles, a recently founded colony on the
plains of Santa Clara. It was originally intended to lay the track to
Carrillo and through the La Palma Pass to San José, but this plan has
not been carried out.
Another branch goes from Port Limon to the Banana River, a distance
of about five kilometers.
The gross earnings of this road were:
In 1891-1892 1,409,598 pesos.
” 1892-1893 1,973,936 ”
” 1893-1894 2,250,979 ”
” 1894-1895 2,446,701 ”
” Second half of 1895 892,932 ”
” 1896 2,618,113 ”
The net earnings were as follows:
In 1891-1892 362,066 pesos.
” 1892-1893 697,479 ”
” 1893-1894 674,452 ”
” 1894-1895 1,030,160 ”
” Second half of 1895 677,986 ”
” 1896 1,114,290 ”
It moved during the fiscal year of 1896:
574,723 passengers.
10,315 tons of goods for export.
23,245 ” imported goods.
34,558 ” local freight.
52,335 tons or 1,570,060 bunches of bananas.
3,801 animals.
This road has a number of good station-buildings, and a pier at
Port Limon with all facilities for the quick handling of freight,
especially of bananas. The freight rates are relatively very high.
The Pacific Railroad, about fourteen miles (or twenty-two kilometers)
in length, belongs to the Government, and runs from Puntarenas east
to Esparta, about seven hundred feet above the sea. It received
in 1896, 18,486.60 pesos from freights and 19,392.80 pesos from
passengers.
During the same time the Government expended 24,288.31 pesos in
improvements.
Another railroad, on Government account, is under construction to
connect San José with the Pacific coast, and a million pesos are
annually set aside for the work. It is to be about ninety kilometers
long and to run most of the way through the valley of the Rio Grande.
The western end for about twenty-four kilometers will cross a roughly
broken country in order to reach the roadstead of Tívives.
An important line of railway is projected to run from Jimenez, on the
Guapiles branch of the Costa Rica Railway, fifty-six miles from Port
Limon, to the mouth of the Rio Frio, near its entrance into the Lake
of Nicaragua.
It is to cross the River San Carlos near El Muelle, from which
point it is proposed to extend the line through a low pass of the
Miravalles mountains, about two thousand feet above sea-level,
to Culebra Bay on the Pacific. Such a railway would contribute
enormously to the development of northern Costa Rica. The region
traversed by the line is highly fertile. A connection of the Costa
Rica Railway with Lake Nicaragua would also give to the State of
Nicaragua a much needed convenient access to the Atlantic Ocean for
nearly its entire trade.
Another important project President Iglesias contemplates. It is a
ship-canal along the coast line from Matina to the Colorado River,
and even on to the mouth of the San Juan, a total distance of over
sixty-five miles. This coast consists of a continuous narrow sand
bank between which and the mainland there is an inlet or arm of the
sea, said to be navigable now for the whole distance.
This ship-canal would open an extensive banana region as well as
excellent lands for the cultivation of cacao and rubber trees and
many other tropical plants.
With respect to other internal communications, there exists a fairly
good cart-road, opened about sixty years ago, from Cartago _via_
San José to Puntarenas. Over this road nearly all export and import
traffic was done until the Atlantic Railroad was opened in 1891.
Another cart-road runs across Guanacaste to Nicaragua. Besides these
roads there is a small number of shorter and more local roads, not
counting a well-paved one, about twenty-five miles long, now partly
abandoned. It goes through the La Palma Pass towards Carrillo, Santa
Clara and the Atlantic coast.
There is a tramway in Cartago, connecting the city with its
suburbs and Aguacaliente. In San José a trolley line is soon to be
established. Away from the conveniences now enumerated the people
are wont to ride on horse or mule trails. The Government, however,
takes care to increase and improve the cart-roads and other means
of communications. During the last fiscal year over one hundred and
ninety-four thousand pesos were spent on roads and bridges, and there
is no doubt that Costa Rica, in this respect, too, is far ahead
of the other Central American countries. Most of the Government
expenditure named was spent on the national cart-road, the roads to
San Carlos, Puriscal, Tablazo and Sarapiqui and on bridges over the
Rio Grande, Reventazon, Bagaces, etc. In each district there is a
“_Junta Itineraria_” for the conservation and improvement of roads,
every proprietor participating in proportion to his property.
The following itinerary of roads and water routes, their distances
and character, is reproduced from Mr. Richard Villafranca’s “Costa
Rica:”
Distances from San José, the capital of Costa Rica.
-------------------------+----------+--------------------
| Distance |
Towns. | in miles.| Character.
-------------------------+----------+--------------------
Alajuela | 13 | Rail, cart road.
Atenas | 24 | Cart road.
Aguacaliente | 15 | Tramway, cart road.
Aserri | 6 | Cart road.
Alajuelita | 3 | ”
| |
Boca de Toro | 160 | Navigation from Limon.
Bustamante | 21 | Saddle road.
Boruca | 120 | ”
Buenos Aires | 120 | ”
Buena Vista | 48 | Cart road.
Boca de San Carlos | 123 | Navigation.
Boca del Rio Frio | 132 | ”
Bebedero | 132 | ”
Baguces | 147 | Cart road.
Belen | 183 | ”
| |
Chile | 18 | ”
Candelarita | 30 | Saddle road.
Curridabat | 3 | Railroad, cart road.
Carrillo | 25½ | Cart road.
Cartago | 12 | Railroad, cart road.
Cangrejal | 123 | Cart road.
Chirripo | 42 | Saddle road.
Cot | 18 | Cart road.
Carrizal | 12 | ”
Chilamate | 60 | Saddle road.
| |
Desamparados | 3 | Cart road.
| |
Escasú | 4½ | ”
Estero Grande | 78 | Navigation.
Esparta | 47 | Cart road.
| |
Filadelfia | 177 | ”
| |
Grecia | 24 | ”
Guatuzo | 25½ | ”
Guaitil | 18 | Saddle road.
Guadalupe | 3 | Cart road.
| |
Heredia | 6 | Railroad, cart road.
Hacienda Vieja | 72 | Navigation.
| |
Juan Viñas | 27 | Railroad, cart road.
| |
La Vibora | 27 | Saddle road.
La Palma | 12 | Cart road.
La Laguna | 15 | Cart road.
La Boca del Infierno | 18 | ”
Limon | 98 | Railroad.
Los Frailes | 18 | Saddle road.
Las Cruces | 18 | ”
La Laguna de Aserri | 10½ | ”
La Virgen | 54 | ”
Los Ojos de Agua | 18 | Cart road.
Los Angeles | 27 | ”
La Barranca | 25½ | ”
La Cuesta Vieja | 54 | ”
Las Cañas | 139 | ”
Liberia | 165 | ”
La Cruz | 201 | Saddle road.
| |
Muelle de San Carlos | 69 | ”
Muelle de Sarapiqui | 66 | ”
| |
Nueva Santa Maria | 60 | ”
Naranjo | 33 | Cart road.
Nicoya | 213 | ”
| |
Orosi | 18 | ”
| |
Palmira | 180 | ”
Puntarenas | 60 | Railroad, cart road.
Peje | 60 | Cart road.
Paraiso | 16½ | Railroad, cart road.
Pirris de Aserri | 30 | Saddle road.
Paquita | 75 | ”
Pacaca | 14 | Cart road.
| |
Rosario | 12 | Saddle road.
| |
Santa Rosa | 220 | Cart road.
Santa Cruz | 198 | ”
Santo Domingo | 39 | ”
San Mateo | 36 | ”
Salimos | 42 | ”
Sarchi | 30 | ”
Sapotal | 27 | Saddle road.
Santiago de Puriscal | 24 | Cart road.
Sarcero | 40½ | ”
San Jerónimo | 30 | ”
San Roque | 27 | ”
San Rafael | 19½ | ”
Sabanilla | 18 | ”
San Pedro de la Calabaza | 18 | ”
San Ramon | 51 | Saddle road.
San Miguel | 42 | ”
San Joaquin | 9 | Railroad, cart road.
Santo Domingo | 3½ | ”
San Cristobal | 24 | Cart road.
San Miguel | 27 | Saddle road.
Sabanilla de Aserri | 24 | Saddle road.
San Ignacio | 12 | ”
Santa Maria | 36 | Cart road.
San Marcos | 30 | ”
San Pablo Dota | 27 | ”
San Cristobal | 12 | ”
San Miguel | 4¼ | ”
San Jerónimo | 7½ | ”
San Isidro | 6 | ”
San Vicente | 3 | ”
San Pablo | 30 | Saddle road.
Santa Ana | 7½ | Cart road.
| |
Tres Rios | 7 | Railroad, cart road.
Tabarcia | 9 | Cart road.
Tucurrique | 36 | ”
Turialba | 33 | Railroad, cart road.
Tambor | 15 | Cart road.
Tapezco | 43½ | ”
Tempate | 213 | ”
| |
26 de Abril | 209 | ”
| |
Villa Santa Barbara | 12 | ”
Villa Barba | 9 | ”
Varablanca | 30 | ”
| |
Zapote | 45 | ”
-------------------------+----------+---------------------
The _postal service_ is performed by seventy local post-offices.
Correspondence is dispatched twenty-six times per month to foreign
countries by steamers, and four times per month overland to the
neighboring countries. From the port of Limon the mail goes to
Europe, _via_ Hamburg, twice a month, the 12th and 29th; by the Royal
Mail on the 9th day of each month; and _via_ Marseilles on the 12th
of each month; to Europe and the United States _via_ New York every
Friday, and to Europe, the United States and Mexico _via_ New Orleans
every Monday.
From the Port of Puntarenas the mail goes to the West Indies and
South America, _via_ Panamá, three times a month, and as often also
to the States of Central America. Overland to Nicaragua the mail is
sent, _via_ Liberia, every Thursday. In the Gulf of Nicoya are three
steamers in the postal service, namely the “Puntarenas,” “Fernandez”
and “Dr. Castro.” The principal post-offices in Costa Rica are these:
Alajuela,
Aserri,
Atenas,
Barba,
Bagres,
Ballena,
Boruca,
Bebedero,
Cartago,
Carrillo,
Curridabat,
Desamparados,
Desmonte,
Escasú,
Esparta,
Guaitil,
Guadalupe,
Grecia,
Heredia,
Humo,
Jimenez,
Juan Viñas,
Limon,
Liberia,
Las Cañas,
La Union,
La Cruz,
Mojon,
Matina,
Naranjo,
Nicoya,
Old Harbor,
Pacaca,
Puriscal,
Puntarenas,
Palmares,
Paraiso,
Quemadas,
Reventazon,
San Isidro,
Santo Domingo,
Santa Barbara,
San Rafael,
San Antonio,
San Pedro,
San Lucas,
San Marcos,
Santa Ana,
San Juan,
San Vicente,
San Ramon,
San Carlos,
Sardinal,
Santa Cruz,
San Bernardo,
Santa Maria Dota,
Siquirres,
San Mateo,
San Joaquin,
Térraba.
In 1896 there were received from
Pieces.
The United States of America 189,966
Great Britain 64,763
Germany 45,900
France 43,276
Salvador 37,425
Spain 29,966
Guatemala 27,000
Colombia 20,063
The Antilles 13,341
Honduras 10,697
Italy 11,970
Nicaragua 8,835
During the same year there were sent out to
Pieces.
The United States of America 45,547
Guatemala 25,020
Spain 23,230
Salvador 20,194
France 22,738
Italy 8,333
Great Britain 20,425
Germany 17,559
Nicaragua 14,577
Colombia 14,577
The Antilles 10,148
Honduras 9,159
Argentina 6,354
The entire postal service comprised the movement of 3,494,515 pieces,
23,843 money orders and 6919 parcels. The receipts of the postal
department were 48,318.69 pesos. On postal money orders there were
paid 358,280.76 pesos.
There are 1190 kilometers (744 miles) of telegraph lines connecting
the following 65 offices:
Limon,
Matina,
Juan Viñas,
Cachi,
Escasú,
Santa Ana,
Pacaca,
Puriscal,
Naranjo,
San Carlos,
Zarcera,
San Ramon,
Nicoya,
Ballena,
Bolsón,
Santa Cruz,
Paraiso,
Cartago,
La Union,
San Isidro,
San Vicente,
Guadalupe,
Curridabat,
Santa Maria,
San Marcos,
Aserri,
Desamparados,
San José,
Central,
Santo Domingo,
Heredia,
San Isidro,
San Rafael,
Barba,
Santa Barbara,
San Joaquin,
San Antonio,
Alajuela,
Sabanilla,
San Pedro,
Grecia,
Sarchi,
Palmares,
Atenas,
Desmonte,
San Mateo,
Esparta,
Puntarenas,
Quemados,
Guacimal,
La Junta,
La Palma,
Cañas,
Bebedero,
Colonia Cubana,
Filadelfia,
Sardinal,
Bagaces,
Liberia,
Santa Rosa,
La Cruz,
Turialba,
San Ignacio,
Buena Vista,
San Jerónimo.
The number of private telegrams dispatched in 1896 to the interior
was 270,284; of official messages to the interior was 69,172;
official telegrams transmitted to Central America, 1086; private
telegrams to Central America, 6554; telegrams received from Central
America, 5413; cablegrams received, 26,762; cablegrams transmitted,
2845.
The total receipts from the telegraph service amounted in 1896 to
183,791.75 pesos, and the rates are very cheap. The nearest cable
station is San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua.
There are also 203 miles of telephonic wire between San José and
other communities and plantations, with about 2500 daily calls.
X.
AGRICULTURE AND LIVE STOCK.
Agricultural enterprise in Costa Rica is chiefly devoted to coffee.
The proper coffee zone lies between 800 to 1400 meters of elevation
on both ocean slopes. Experiments have proved that the coffee-tree
can also be successfully cultivated at a height of 600 meters, and
still lower down, by moderating the glare of the sun with adequate
shades and by pruning to correct excessive growth and fructification.
“Coffee was introduced into the country from Havana in 1796 by
Francisco Javier Navarro, as were also the mango and the cinnamon.
The first seeds were sown in Cartago. Much credit for the propagation
of coffee culture in Costa Rica is due to Padre Velarde, under
the government of Don Tomas de Acosta, who took great interest in
agriculture.
“During the administration of Don Juan Rafael Mora (1849-1857)
farming received a remarkable development, for it was much promoted
by the construction of important roads. The cultivation of coffee
and sugar cane then absorbed the attention of the country to such an
extent that, in 1861, 100,000 quintals were exported.” (J. B. Calvo’s
book on Costa Rica).
The census of 1892 supplies the following figures concerning coffee:
Province of San José.
------------+------------+-----------+----------+-----------+----------
| Number | Number | Crop | Crop | Value
| of | of | in | in | in
|plantations.| trees. | quintals.| kilogr. | pesos.
------------+------------+-----------+----------+-----------+----------
San José | 1,628 | 7,321,708| 95,942 | 4,413,732| 2,648,239
Escasú | 297 | 913,712| 15,328 | 705,088| 450,840
Desamparados| 313 | 2,115,123| 28,645 | 1,317,670| 859,290
Puriscal | 183 | 85,701| 254 | 11,684| 7,620
Aserri | 223 | 272,809| 701 | 32,246| 21,030
Mora | 137 | 42,312| 191 | 8,786| 5,730
Tarrazú | 83 | 28,121| 112 | 5,152| 3,360
Goicoechea | 89 | 302,143| 10,432 | 479,872| 167,955
------------+------------+-----------+----------+-----------+-----------
Total | 2,953 | 11,081,629| 151,605 | 6,974,230| 4,164,064
------------+------------+-----------+----------+-----------+-----------
Province of Alajuela.
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
| Number | Number | Crop | Crop | Value
| of | of | in | in | in
| plantations.| trees. | quintals.| kilogr. | pesos.
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
Alajuela | 547 | 2,247,809| 26,546 | 1,211,116| 796,380
San Ramon | 214 | 715,592| 5,527 | 254,242| 165,810
Grecia | 497 | 917,201| 10,997 | 505,862| 329,910
Atenas | 50 | 110,599| 1,027 | 47,242| 30,810
San Mateo | 20 | 23,883| 189 | 8,694| 5,670
Naranjo | 171 | 299,829| 40,321 | 1,854,766| 1,209,630
Palmares | 402 | 1,368,689| 22,998 | 1,057,908| 689,940
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
Total | 1,901 | 5,683,602| 107,605 | 4,939,830| 3,228,150
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
Province of Cartago.
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
| Number | Number | Crop | Crop | Value
| of | of | in | in | in
| plantations.| trees. | quintals.| kilogr. | pesos.
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
Cartago | 505 | 727,893| 8,529 | 392,334| 249,870
Paraiso | 91 | 633,995| 4,985 | 229,310| 149,550
La Union | 387 | 1,667,809| 16,295 | 749,570| 488,850
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
Total | 983 | 3,029,697| 29,809 | 1,371,214| 888,270
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
Province of Heredia.
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
| Number | Number | Crop | Crop | Value
| of | of | in | in | in
| plantations.| trees. | quintals.| kilogr. | pesos.
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
Heredia | 1,371 | 3,249,901| 36,893 | 1,697,078| 1,106,790
Barba | 247 | 885,891| 11,792 | 542,432| 351,870
Santo Domingo| 391 | 2,147,824| 32,810 | 1,509,260| 984,300
Santa Barbara| 399 | 496,809| 3,201 | 147,246| 96,030
San Rafael | 121 | 335,725| 4,509 | 207,414| 135,270
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
Total | 2,529 | 7,116,150| 89,205 | 4,103,430| 2,674,260
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
Altogether Costa Rica, in 1892, had 8366 coffee-fincas with
26,911,078 coffee-trees, and a crop of 378,224 quintals or 17,388,704
kilograms, valued at 10,954,744 pesos.
It may be interesting to learn the amount of the coffee crops since
1883, given in sacks of fifty-nine or sixty kilograms each.
Sacks.
1883 153,379
1884 277,158
1885 157,515
1886 150,618
1887 218,032
1888 171,898
1889 215,793
1890 256,576
1891 235,703
1892 179,970
1893 190,700
1894 179,613
1895 184,825
1896 195,263
1897 227,582
Another important agricultural product of Costa Rica is the banana.
Its cultivation was begun on the Atlantic coast in 1879, and the
first 360 bunches were shipped, February 7. 1880, by steamer
“Earnholm” from Port Limon to New York.
In 1884 there were 350 farms, comprising over four thousand acres of
land, containing 570,000 banana plants, from which, in that year,
420,000 bunches were obtained. Before 1879 banana plants were set
out in coffee plantations to shade the young trees and shelter their
berries. The bananas were used to feed pigs. The laboring classes
kept a few plants, using the fruit boiled with salt, or roasted on
hot coals instead of bread.
The following table shows the banana export figures since 1883:
Bundles. Tons.
1883 110,801 3,693
1884 420,000 14,000
1885 401,183 13,373
1886 595,970 19,866
1887 889,517 29,651
1888 854,588 28,486
1889 990,898 33,030
1890 1,034,765 34,492
1891 1,133,717 37,791
1892 1,178,812 39,294
1893 1,278,647 42,621
1894 1,374,986 45,833
1895 1,585,817 52,861
1896 1,692,102 56,400
Sugar cane is used largely in Costa Rica as fodder and in the
manufacture of aguardiente; also to produce the raw sugar or dulce,
which is consumed entirely by country people.
In 1889 sugar cane by provinces was raised on the following number of
acres:
In San José on 4819 acres; in Alajuela on 5076 acres; in Cartago on
1466 acres; in Heredia on 1114 acres; in Guanacaste on 719 acres;
in Puntarenas on 1471, and in Limon on 122 acres. The aggregates
were 14,787 acres, and a production of 1,368,000 pounds of sugar and
18,454,000 pounds of dulce.
Cacao culture has received but little attention in Costa Rica,
because the more profitable coffee plantations absorb all the time
and capital. The number of plantations regularly established up to
1888 was 198, having in all 56,426 trees that yielded in the same
year 331,900 pounds valued at 165,770 pesos. Most of the cacao was
cultivated in Aserri, Atenas, Naranjo, Heredia, Paraiso, Guanacaste
and Limon.
Cacao was exported from 1884 to 1889 as follows:
Years. Pounds. Value in Dollars.
1884 9,927 3,227
1885 16,271 4,084
1886 5,776 2,223
1887 10,906 4,708
1888 18,410 3,576
1889 28,830 12,386
------ -------
Total 90,120 30,204
Excellent cacao was grown during Spanish colonial days around Matina,
but none is exported now.
With respect to wheat, up to 1860 there was sufficient for the
consumption of the country. It was so intelligently cultivated that
the finer grades were produced. The rise in the price of coffee and
the competition with the flour of the United States and Chile drove
out the native wheat almost entirely, and to-day the cultivation of
this grain is badly neglected. To-day the only flour-mill in this
country grinds imported wheat.
Tobacco was a monopoly for many years, and only recently has the
culture been taken up by the people.
Other important agricultural products are rice, beans, corn and
potatoes.
The cultivation of rice in Costa Rica demands very little care and no
irrigation to produce two crops a year of a very superior quality.
Beans and corn are successfully grown everywhere in the country,
while the raising of potatoes is almost wholly confined to the
hillsides of Cartago and Alajuela, where they acquire an extremely
fine quality.
According to the census of 1892, the average annual production of
these crops for that and the two preceding years was in liters as
follows:
----------+-----------+----------+----------+-----------
| Corn. | Beans. | Rice. | Potatoes.
----------+-----------+----------+----------+-----------
San José | 8,394,527| 1,842,527| 236,543| 7,915
Alajuela | 6,898,549| 999,652| 867,528| ..
Cartago | 7,874,642| 1,724,628| .. | 1,745,725
Heredia | 2,949,692| 132,842| .. | ..
Guanacaste| 1,862,598| 92,321| 121,342| ..
Puntarenas| 392,721| 21,325| 132,845| ..
Limon | 18,525| 2,822| .. | ..
----------+-----------+----------+----------+-----------
Total | 28,391,254| 4,816,117| 1,358,258| 1,753,640
----------+-----------+----------+----------+-----------
Important agricultural districts are, besides the Central Highlands
about one hundred and fifty kilometers in length by sixty kilometers
in width, the great valleys of Talamanca, Santa Clara, Tortuguero,
San Carlos and Rio Frio. Along the Pacific the great valley of
Térraba and the plains of Golfo Dulce and Guanacaste are fertile
regions, which, if properly tilled, would offer advantages equal to
the Central Highlands, where nearly the entire population of Costa
Rica is concentrated.
Plants characterizing fertile lands, rich in humus, on the Atlantic
slope, are _Piper_, especially that with large leaves, _Loaseæ_,
and certain _Acanthaceæ_. On the Pacific side such characteristic
plants are _Piper_, with smaller leaves, the Pacaya Palm, and some
ferns. Especially are the _Aspidium_ and _Polypodium_ found in large
quantities.
Considering the future of Costa Rica, the question of farm labor
is of vital importance. There are only a few Indians, and they are
rapidly decreasing. It looks as though the fertile lowlands on the
Atlantic and Pacific sides, as well as those in the extensive and
fruitful San Juan valley, must be turned over to the Negro race as
the only one capable of enduring so inhospitable a climate. These
regions are the richest of all and could sustain a large population.
The _live stock_ of Costa Rica, though in general superior to that
of the rest of Central America, is not yet sufficiently large to
supply the local demand. Although there has been recent improvement
in breeding cattle and horses, yet the high grade animals, which
could be easily introduced into a country of so many natural
advantages, are still lacking. At different times the development
of this industry has been attempted. Costa Rica has vast pasture
lands splendidly adapted to cattle. It has very nutritious forage
plants, like arrocillo, cola de venado, zacate de guinea, zacate de
castilla, zacate pará, zacate ancho, grama, guate, caña de azucar,
gamalote, sabanilla, teosinte, lengua de vaca, guácimo, jengibrillo,
platanillo, etc.
The _live stock_ of Costa Rica in 1892 was distributed as follows:
Cattle. Horses. Sheep. Swine.
San José 51,884 17,542 1,538 23,628
Alajuela 62,410 16,774 159 16,185
Cartago 48,555 9,900 715 5,109
Heredia 35,391 6,380 57 13,241
Guanacaste 134,567 24,458 296 2,180
Puntarenas 9,667 1,721 -- 1,128
Limon 3,191 268 -- 857
------- ------ ----- ------
Total 345,665 77,043 2,765 62,328
The consumption of cattle in Costa Rica is exhibited by the following
data:
First half of
1894. 1895. 1896. 1897.
San José 12,851 12,824 13,467 6,942
Alajuela 7,402 7,184 7,180 3,493
Cartago 5,207 4,881 5,297 2,506
Heredia 4,864 4,942 4,249 2,438
Guanacaste 2,701 1,990 1,928 882
Puntarenas 1,472 1,471 1,302 770
Limon 804 789 798 488
------ ------ ------ ------
Total 35,301 34,081 34,221 17,519
Further official reports disclose that in the capital the consumption
of meat is quite uniform during the entire year, while in the country
it is greater from August to January than from February to July.
The total value of the natural, agricultural and live stock products
of the country has been calculated at 19,000,000 pesos.
XI.
COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY.
Joaquin Bernardo Calvo, in his work on Costa Rica published in 1890,
observes that “at the beginning of the Colonial Government the Port
of Suerre, on the Atlantic coast, had some commercial importance, but
that the Port of Rivera on the west coast of the Gulf of Nicoya was
greater, as were also Coronado del Norte on the Island of Caño and
the Golfo de Ossa, now Golfo Dulce.
“All the ships then plying on the Pacific between Mexico, Panama,
Perú and intermediate ports were wont to ride at anchor at the Island
of Caño. The most important centre of commerce in those times was
the City of Santiago de Talamanca, now extinct, whence cargoes were
sent in three days’ time to Porto Bello. The exports of that age were
cacao, potatoes, honey, wax, sarsaparilla and hemp. When the city was
destroyed its traffic was dispersed.
“In 1638 the opening of the Matina road was the beginning of a new
era. The cacao haciendas in the valley of that name acquired a new
importance. At the same time the Gulf of Nicoya became a centre of
traffic. Costa Rica was then in a flourishing condition and would
have prospered finely but for the pirates and Mosquito Indians, who
constantly menaced its welfare and whose vandalism ravaged the coast
settlements.
“After that period Costa Rica was reduced to woeful misery, carrying
on an insignificant commerce overland with Panama by mules and
sending a few unimportant articles to Nicaragua. Thus more than a
century passed.
“In the present century (1813) the Captaincy General imposed severe
restrictions on the commerce of the Province. At the time of
declaring independence the situation of Costa Rica was wretched.
“Just beginning an independent career, struggling to inaugurate a
system of government wholly new and opposed to the preceding one,
contending with poverty, in a state of complete upheaval, the work
undertaken by the forefathers of the present Costa Ricans was full of
difficulties.
“Coffee culture gave a new impulse and importance to Costa Rica. At
the close of the first half of the Nineteenth Century commerce was
carried on with the north through Matina and Sarapiqui, and through
Caldera on the Pacific.
“The greater facilities available on the Pacific coast, however,
especially when a line of steamers connecting with the Panama
Railroad opened a new way to the Atlantic, turned the course of
business to Puntarenas, a new port which soon became the sole
commercial route.
“This state of things, unnecessarily adding to the expense of
importations, continued for years. When the Port of Limon was opened
to commerce the competition of two routes and the new facilities of
a railroad and a wagon road to the Atlantic greatly promoted traffic
and contributed to the general wealth.”
In 1848 seventy vessels entered Puntarenas, having a registration of
7180 tons. In 1884 this number had increased to 113, having 137,368
tons registration, and in the same year there entered Port Limon
121 vessels of 126,875 aggregate tonnage. In 1894 there entered
158 vessels with 155,869 tons at Puntarenas, and 294 vessels with
348,355 tons at Port Limon. The freight in 1858 on coffee to Panama
by steamer alone was five-eighths of a cent per pound. In 1870 the
West India and Pacific Company’s steamers received as freights from
Puntarenas to Liverpool, £5 10s. 0d. per ton; from Puntarenas to
London, £6 2s. 6d. per ton.
In 1888 freights from Puntarenas to European ports were £4 per ton,
and from Port Limon £2. To-day the freight rates are cheaper still.
The present tariff is in many ways inequitable. It is based on no
principle, and, with the exception of some later laws especially
enacted, it does not correspond with the economic condition and
commerce of the country. Yet on a great number of articles the tariff
is less than in Mexico, Guatemala, Salvador, Peru, Bolivia and
Uruguay.
The custom-duties are collected on gross weight, and generally amount
to from twenty to twenty-five per cent. on the valuation of imports.
They are paid one-half down and one-half within three months’ time.
All goods for Costa Rica have to come accompanied by corresponding
consular invoices. The principal importations are silk, wool, linen,
cotton, machinery, implements and tools for agriculture and other
industries, furniture, glassware, tinware, hardware and haberdashery,
ornaments, articles of luxury, mercury and perfumery, beer, wines,
liquors, soap, coffee-sacks, flour, sugar, shoes, saddles, harnesses,
butter, etc.
Table of Exports and Imports of Costa Rica Since 1884.
Exportations. Importations.
1884 $3,745,400 gold. $3,521,900 gold.
1885 2,535,500 ” 3,660,900 ”
1886 2,257,600 ” 3,537,600 ”
1887 4,689,100 ” 5,601,200 ”
1888 4,052,300 ” 5,201,900 ”
1889 4,612,800 ” 6,306,400 ”
1890 6,664,700 ” 6,615,400 ”
1891 6,116,800 ” 8,351,000 ”
1892 4,725,900 ” 5,389,700 ”
1893 4,294,200 ” 5,849,500 ”
1894 { 5,053,113 ” 4,094,853 ”
{12,488,263 silver.
1895 { 5,922,204 gold. 3,851,460 ”
{14,509,440 silver.
1896 5,597,727 gold. 4,748,818 ”
Imports and Exports by Countries.
1892.
Imports in gold. Exports in silver.
Great Britain $1,702,145 $4,916,287
Germany 947,647 386,737
France 526,382 70,004
Spain 189,623 --
Italy 32,412 --
Belgium 7,280 --
United States 1,295,682 3,642,896
Mexico 18,725 --
Colombia 82,326 20,912
Ecuador 125,416 800
Peru 3,890 502
Cuba 123,921 --
Jamaica 81,609 --
Central America 252,691 75,810
1893.
Imports in gold.
Great Britain $1,697,944
Germany 1,123,836
France 807,761
Spain 192,026
Italy 39,829
United States 1,399,615
Mexico 11,993
Colombia 228,036
Ecuador 94,387
Cuba 40,023
Jamaica 25,939
Central America 143,437
----------
Total $5,804,926
1894.
Imports in gold.
Great Britain $907,462
Germany 566,367
France 223,479
Spain (Cuba) 103,276
Italy 40,215
United States 940,640
Colombia 32,138
Ecuador 36,917
Belgium 7,082
_Commodities Imported in 1894._
Gold. Pesos.
General merchandise $2,857,580 56 7,062,224 60
Merchandise not dutiable 944,835 09 2,335,065 44
Coined money 4,183 46 10,339 00
Silver bars 89,018 37 220,000 00
Animals 30,929 84 76,440 00
Animals coming overland 91,041 52 225,000 00
Lumber 15,911 27 39,323 12
Passengers’ baggage 6,352 45 15,699 45
Merchandise from custom houses 5,000 00 12,357 00
Merchandise by post 50,000 00 123,570 00
------------- -------------
Total $4,094,852 56 10,120,018 61
_Total Exports for 1894._
Gold. Pesos.
Coffee $4,198,252 08 10,375,560 19
Bananas 443,315 37 1,095,609 60
Coined money 58,611 78 144,852 95
Gold, not coined 23,500 00 58,078 10
Woods 144,584 66 357,326 53
Various products 115,231 68 284,783 58
Unspecified products 69,617 57 172,052 86
------------- -------------
Total $5,053,113 14 12,488,263 81
_1895._
_Imports by Countries._
Gold.
Great Britain $851,849
Germany 684,118
France 261,534
Spain (Cuba) 223,441
Italy 33,088
Belgium 5,978
United States 1,179,546
Central America 263
South America 65,633
_1896._
Gold.
Great Britain $1,264,856 33
Germany 893,816 66
France 378,906 35
Spain (Cuba) 162,825 54
Italy 71,769 52
Belgium 3,089 48
Denmark 103 05
Portugal 24 00
United States 1,401,074 25
Central America 813 75
Colombia 16,951 48
Ecuador 38,385 27
Peru 15,791 35
_Commodities Imported in 1896._
Gold.
Merchandise entered at custom houses $4,226,925 05
Merchandise sent by post 61,622 93
Baggage of marine passengers 6,095 84
Baggage of overland passengers 5,000 00
Woods 21,481 98
Animals 423,069 23
Coined money 4,623 59
-------------
Total $4,748,818 62
_Total Exports for 1896._
Gold.
Coffee, 11,089,523 kgs., valued at $4,318,285 90
Bananas, 1,692,102 bunches, valued at 670,072 40
Woods, valued at 485,695 35
Coined and other metal, valued at 29,459 50
Re-exports and provisions, valued at 11,328 59
Various commodities 82,885 27
------------
Total $5,597,727 01
_Imports by Countries for First Half of 1897._
Gold.
Great Britain $518,833 37
Germany 357,652 02
France 167,303 77
Spain 55,154 48
Cuba 20,543 78
Italy 83,070 50
Belgium 4,893 50
United States 871,646 91
South America 94,571 90
Santo Tomas 445 00
Nicaragua 10,739 90
Guatemala 288 06
Salvador 21,334 50
Postal packages 44,999 30
Merchandise in passengers goods 1,493 40
-------------
$2,252,970 39
Additional for 3816 animals, valued at 74,743 60
--------------
Total $2,327,713 99
The following list, which I owe to the amiability of the highly
competent Director General of the National Department of Statistics,
Hon. Manuel Aragon, shows the principal articles of import and their
value in gold pesos by countries since 1893:
(Part 1 of 4)
----------------+-------------------------------+
| United States. |
+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| 1893. | 1894. | 1895. | 1896. |
----------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
Wheat flour |289,418|139,421|191,478|234,528|
Wheat | 21,418| 27,768| 31,354| 35,925|
Corn | 42,818| 50,486| 2,001| 2,039|
Beans | 29,416| 9,056| 3,818| 8,777|
Rice | 57,429| 4,561| 34,182| 42,233|
Tobacco | 6,437| .. | .. | 1,472|
Butter, lard | 78,416|114,866|120,283| 65,530|
Beer | 20,436| 13,353| 21,520| 20,015|
Wine | 14,318| 541| 6,915| 18,584|
Drugs and | | | | |
medicines | 37,469| 26,187| 8,107| 12,718|
Perfumes | 5,693| 1,196| 862| 1,064|
Oil paints | .. | 1,326| 2,898| 2,886|
Fence wire | 28,416| 13,264| 18,378| 33,065|
Sacks for coffee| .. | 1,005| 1,459| 2,063|
Furniture | 6,409| 11,359| 21,328| 15,310|
Shoes | 9,416| 14,084| 6,918| 7,460|
Hardware | 30,268| 27,116| 931| 159|
Cashmeres | .. | .. | 2,263| 1,803|
Implements | 6,326| 1,779| .. | 12,720|
Machinery | 19,816| 19,086| 45,237| 52,352|
Mercury | 32,416| .. | .. | 1,720|
Cloth | .. | .. | .. | 202|
Cotton goods | 29,491| 461| 3,314| 27,582|
Mixed cotton | | | | |
and woolen | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Prints | 31,896| 20,821| 18,556| 31,097|
Fancy articles | 23,418| .. | .. | .. |
Sugar | 29,437| 4,561| .. | .. |
Cotton shirts | .. | 1,859| 3,007| .. |
Preserv. meats | 8,211| .. | 8,062| .. |
Coal | 23,416| 7,065| 2,818| .. |
Ready-made | | | | |
Clothing | .. | 1,434| .. | .. |
Cognac | 2,896| 137| 246| .. |
Cotton drills | .. | 1,516| 2,585| .. |
Preserv. Fruits | 13,228| .. | .. | .. |
Railroad | | | | |
material | 77,262| .. | 4,023| .. |
Galvan. iron | .. | 263| 3,498| .. |
Ordinary soap | .. | 1,064| 2,627| .. |
Fine jewelry | 1,028| 321| 115| .. |
Cotton shirting | .. | 380| 1,061| .. |
Chinaware | .. | 521| 256| .. |
Machetes | .. | 4,472| 6,525| .. |
Manta-cruda | 19,416| 16,932| 41,437| .. |
Sewing machines | 21,640| 6,379| 9,156| .. |
Cotton | | | | |
handkerchiefs | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Sardines | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Candles | .. | 1,965| 923| .. |
Matches | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Cigars | .. | 206| .. | .. |
----------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+