# 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:
| Territory | Ethnicity | Canton | Province | Language | Year of creation |
| Térraba | Teribe people | Buenos Aires | Puntarenas Province | Spanish and Teribe | 1956 |
| Guatuso | Guatuso people | Guatuso and San Carlos | Alajuela Province | Spanish and Maléku | 1977 |
| Kéköldi | Bribri people | Talamanca | Limón Province | Bribri and Spanish | 1977 |
| Quitirrisí | Huetar people | Mora | San José Province | Spanish | 1979 |
| Matambú | Chorotega people | Hojancha and Nicoya | Guanacaste Province | Spanish | 1980 |
| Abrojos Montezuma | Ngabe people | Corredores | Puntarenas Province | Ngäbere | 1980 |
| Coto Brus | Ngabe people | Coto Brus and Buenos Aires | Puntarenas Province | Ngäbere | 1981 |
| Conte Burica | Ngabe people | Golfito and Corredores | Puntarenas Province | Ngäbere | 1982 |
| Ujarrás | Cabécar people | Buenos Aires | Puntarenas Province | Cabécar | 1982 |
| Salitre | Bribri people | Buenos Aires | Puntarenas Province | Bribri and Spanish | 1982 |
| Cabagra | Bribri people | Buenos Aires | Puntarenas Province | Bribri and Spanish | 1982 |
| Tayní | Cabécar people | Limón | Limón Province | Cabécar | 1984 |
| Telire | Cabécar people | Talamanca | Limón Province | Cabécar | 1985 |
| Cabecar Talamanca | Cabécar people | Talamanca | Limón Province | Cabécar | 1985 |
| Bribri Talamanca | Bribri people | Talamanca | Limón Province | Bribri and Spanish | 1985 |
| Zapatón | Huetar people | Puriscal | San José Province | Spanish | 1986 |
| Ngobe-Bugle | Ngabe people | Golfito and Osa | Puntarenas Province | Ngäbere | 1990 |
| Nairi-Awari | Cabécar people | Turrialba, Matina and Siquirres | Cartago Province Limón Province | Cabécar | 1991 |
| Bajo Chirripó | Cabécar people | Turrialba and Limón | Cartago Province Limón Province | Cabécar | 1992 |
| Alto Chirripó | Cabécar people | Turrialba and Matina | Cartago Province Limón Province | Cabécar | 1993 |
| Curré | Brunca people | Buenos Aires | Puntarenas Province | Boruca | 1993 |
| Boruca | Brunca people | Buenos Aires | Puntarenas Province | Boruca | 1993 |
| China Kichá | Cabécar people | Pérez Zeledón | San José Province | Cabécar | 2001 |
| Altos de San Antonio | Ngabe people | Golfito | Puntarenas Province | Ngäbere | 2001 |