Editing Costa Rica (section)

=== Independence ===
{{See also|Free State of Costa Rica|First Costa Rican Republic}}
Like the rest of [[Central America]], Costa Rica never fought for independence from Spain. On 15 September 1821, after the final Spanish defeat in the [[Mexican War of Independence]] (1810–1821), the authorities in Guatemala declared the independence of all of Central America. That date is still celebrated as Independence Day in Costa Rica<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.mep.go.cr/calendario/aniversario-independencia-nacional |title=Aniversario de la Independencia Nacional |website=Ministerio de Educación Pública |language=es |access-date=13 September 2018 |archive-date=14 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180914022706/https://www.mep.go.cr/calendario/aniversario-independencia-nacional |url-status=live }}</ref> even though, technically, under the [[Spanish Constitution of 1812]] that had been readopted in 1820, [[Nicaragua]] and Costa Rica had become an autonomous province with its capital in [[León, Nicaragua|León]].{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

On March 3, 1824, the government of the State of Costa Rica officially proposed to the municipality of Nicoya its voluntary incorporation into the country, through a document in which it invited it "if it was convenient to join its Province without going against its will." On July 4, an open town hall was convened in Nicoya to discuss the matter, but attendees declined the invitation under the argument "that this Party... cannot be dissident."{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

On July 25, 1824, a second [[plebiscite]] was called in the city of Nicoya. After deliberation, the incorporation into Costa Rica was decided in an open town hall meeting, preparing a record in which the main reasons for it were noted, pointing out the advantages in terms of trade, the desire to participate in the advances that are palpable in Costa Rica, the economic, administrative and public service benefits, the creation of schools, security and quiet, referring to the state of war that Nicaragua was experiencing at that time and the fear that it would spread to the Partido populations, in addition to point out the poverty in which its towns find themselves and the geography of the territory as justifications for the union. Three days later, another similar plebiscite was held in [[Santa Cruz (canton), Costa Rica|Santa Cruz]], with the same result. The election was by majority vote, with 77% of the Party's population in favor of incorporation, and 23% against it. The town of Guanacaste was the only one that declined annexation, due to the ties its residents had with the city of [[Rivas, Nicaragua]].{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

Upon independence, Costa Rican authorities faced the issue of officially deciding the future of the country. Two bands formed: the Imperialists, defended by [[Cartago, Costa Rica|Cartago]] and [[Heredia Province|Heredia cities]], which were in favor of [[Central America under Mexican rule|joining]] the [[First Mexican Empire|Mexican Empire]], and the Republicans, represented by the cities of [[San José, Costa Rica|San José]] and [[Alajuela]] who defended full independence. Because of the lack of agreement on these two possible outcomes, the first civil war in Costa Rica occurred. The [[Battle of Ochomogo]] took place on the Hill of [[Ochomogo]], located in the [[Costa Rican Central Valley|Central Valley]] in 1823. The conflict was won by the Republicans and, as a consequence, the city of [[Cartago, Costa Rica|Cartago]] lost its status as the capital, which moved to [[San José, Costa Rica|San José]].<ref>{{Cite book|title = Cartilla Histórica de Costa Rica|publisher = EUNED|year = 2005|isbn = 9789968313759}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title = Apuntes para la historia de la ciudad de Alajuela|last = Alarmvogel|publisher = Impr. Nacional|year = 1966|location = San José, Costa Rica|oclc = 14462048}}</ref><ref>Obregón Loría, Rafael. "Hechos Militares y Políticos de Nuestra Historia Patria". Museo Histórico Cultural Juan Santamaría, Costa Rica, 1981.</ref>
[[File:First postal stamp CR 4 Reales 1863.jpg|thumb|upright|1849 [[Coat of arms of Costa Rica|national coat of arms]] was featured in the first postal stamp issued in 1862.]]

In 1838, long after the [[Federal Republic of Central America]] ceased to function in practice, Costa Rica formally withdrew and proclaimed itself sovereign. The considerable distance and poor communication routes between [[Guatemala City]] and the Central Plateau, where most of the Costa Rican population lived then and still lives now, meant the local population had little allegiance to the federal government in Guatemala. Since colonial times, Costa Rica has been reluctant to become economically tied with the rest of Central America. Even today, despite most of its neighbors'{{Efn|Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Panama}} efforts to increase regional integration,<ref>{{cite web |title=Central America |url=http://www.cotf.edu/earthinfo/camerica/caeco.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802142535/http://www.cotf.edu/earthinfo/camerica/caeco.html |archive-date=2 August 2017 |access-date=12 August 2017 |website=www.cotf.edu}}</ref> Costa Rica has remained more independent.

Until 1849, when it became part of [[Panama]], [[Chiriquí province|Chiriquí]] was part of Costa Rica. Costa Rican pride was assuaged for the loss of this eastern (or southern) territory with the acquisition of [[Guanacaste Province|Guanacaste]], in the north.