Editing Coat of arms of Costa Rica (section)

== Pre-1821 colony of Spanish Empire ==
Before 1821, [[Costa Rica]] was part of the [[Spanish Empire]] and did not have a local coat of arms. The arms of the reigning monarch were used instead. The only city that had a local coat of arms was the city of [[Cartago, Costa Rica|Cartago]], awarded by King [[Philip II of Spain|Phillip II]] in 1565. After its independence from [[Spain]] in 1821, Costa Rica established different government boards trying to decide its future, debating between being independent (republicans) or join the [[First Mexican Empire|Mexican Empire]] (imperialists). Lack of decision led to the [[Battle of Ochomogo]] on 5 April 1823, with the decision to remain independent and moving the capital city from Cartago to San José. Due to the long distances and difficult communication at the time, imperialists realized the Mexican Empire no longer existed since March 1823.