Costa Rica

Spanish colonisation of Costa Rica began in the 1520s, though the indigenous population declined sharply due to disease and displacement. Because Costa Rica lacked the large indigenous labour force found elsewhere in the Americas, Spanish settlers developed a relatively homogeneous mestizo society where Castilian Spanish quickly dominated. After independence in 1821, Spanish remained the sole official language of the new republic. Costa Rican Spanish is noted for its conservative phonology and wide use of voseo, and is often cited as among the most clearly enunciated varieties in Latin America. A small Afro-Caribbean community on the Caribbean coast speaks Mekatelyu, an English-based creole.