Indigenous territory (Costa Rica)


According to Costa Rica’s 1977 Indigenous Law, the Indigenous Territories are the traditional lands of the legally recognized indigenous peoples of Costa Rica. The Republic of Costa Rica recognizes eight native ethnicities; Bribris, Chorotegas, Malekus, Ngöbe, Huetars, Cabecars, Borucas and Terrabas.
The Law also provides the territories of self-government and autonomy according to the traditional organization of the tribes, yet this is hardly applied. According to the Law all non-indigenous residents with properties in the areas acquired before the promulgation of the Law should be relocated and/or indemnified, and all posterior acquisition of lands is illegal and should be expropriated with no compensation, but this hasn’t been endorsed by Costa Rica’s government. Tension between indigenous and white residents of the areas of Salitre and Cabagra has become violent to the point of mutual aggressions.

Territories

Currently there are 24 officially recognized indigenous territories:
TerritoryEthnicityCantonProvinceLanguageYear of creation
TérrabaTeribe peopleBuenos AiresPuntarenas ProvinceSpanish and Teribe1956
GuatusoGuatuso peopleGuatuso and San CarlosAlajuela ProvinceSpanish and Maléku1977
KéköldiBribri peopleTalamancaLimón ProvinceBribri and Spanish1977
QuitirrisíHuetar peopleMoraSan José ProvinceSpanish1979
MatambúChorotega peopleHojancha and NicoyaGuanacaste ProvinceSpanish1980
Abrojos MontezumaNgabe peopleCorredoresPuntarenas ProvinceNgäbere1980
Coto BrusNgabe peopleCoto Brus and Buenos AiresPuntarenas ProvinceNgäbere1981
Conte BuricaNgabe peopleGolfito and CorredoresPuntarenas ProvinceNgäbere1982
UjarrásCabécar peopleBuenos AiresSan José Province
Puntarenas Province		Cabécar1982
SalitreBribri peopleBuenos AiresPuntarenas ProvinceBribri and Spanish1982
CabagraBribri peopleBuenos AiresPuntarenas ProvinceBribri and Spanish1982
TayníCabécar peopleLimónLimón ProvinceCabécar1984
TelireCabécar peopleTalamancaLimón ProvinceCabécar1985
Cabecar TalamancaCabécar peopleTalamancaLimón ProvinceCabécar1985
Bribri TalamancaBribri peopleTalamancaLimón ProvinceBribri and Spanish1985
ZapatónHuetar peoplePuriscalSan José ProvinceSpanish1986
Ngobe-BugleNgabe peopleGolfitoPuntarenas ProvinceNgäbere1990
Nairi-AwariCabécar peopleTurrialba, Matina and SiquirresCartago Province
Limón Province		Cabécar1991
Bajo ChirripóCabécar peopleTurrialba and LimónCartago Province
Limón Province		Cabécar1992
Alto ChirripóCabécar peopleTurrialba and MatinaCartago Province
Limón Province		Cabécar1993
CurréBrunca peopleBuenos AiresPuntarenas ProvinceBoruca1993
BorucaBrunca peopleBuenos AiresPuntarenas ProvinceBoruca1993
China KicháCabécar peoplePérez ZeledónSan José ProvinceCabécar2001
Altos de San AntonioNgabe peopleGolfitoPuntarenas ProvinceNgäbere2001