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In 2005, Costa Rica had an estimated population of 4,016,173 persons. The majority of people in Costa Rica are descended from Spanish settlers. In contrast to its neighboring populations, little mixing of the Spanish settlers and the indigenous populations occurred. Therefore, a vast majority of Costa Ricans are either of Spanish or to a lesser extent of mixed meztizo heritage. In addition, there are significant numbers of Costa Ricans of Italian, German, Jewish, and Polish descent. Together, European and Meztizos descendants make up a full 94% of the population. 3% of the population is of black African descent who are called Afro-Costa Ricans and a few are of English-speaking descendants of 19th-century black Jamaican immigrant workers. Another 1% is composed of ethnic Chinese. As of today, the indigenous population numbers around 1.7%, or around 55000 individuals. In Guanacaste Province, a significant portion of the population descends from a mix of local Amerindians, Africans and Spaniards. There is also a small expatriate community of American and Canadian retirees. |
Costa Rica Information: Inside
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