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."Indigenous peoples in Costa Rica." International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs. Retrieved 2 Dec 2013.
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 non-Indigenous 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 creationTérraba Teribe people Buenos AiresPuntarenas Province Spanish and Teribe 1956Guatuso Guatuso people Guatuso and San CarlosAlajuela Province Spanish and Maléku 1977Kéköldi Bribri people TalamancaLimón Province Bribri and Spanish 1977Quitirrisí Huetar people MoraSan José Province Spanish 1979Matambú Chorotega people Hojancha and Nicoya Guanacaste Province Spanish 1980Abrojos Montezuma Ngabe peopleCorredores Puntarenas Province Ngäbere 1980Coto Brus Ngabe peopleCoto Brus and Buenos Aires Puntarenas Province Ngäbere 1981Conte Burica Ngabe peopleGolfito and Corredores Puntarenas Province Ngäbere 1982Ujarrás Cabécar peopleBuenos Aires Puntarenas Province Cabécar 1982Salitre Bribri people Buenos Aires Puntarenas Province Bribri and Spanish 1982Cabagra Bribri peopleBuenos Aires Puntarenas Province Bribri and Spanish 1982Tayní Cabécar peopleLimón Limón Province Cabécar 1984Telire Cabécar peopleTalamanca Limón Province Cabécar 1985Cabecar Talamanca Cabécar peopleTalamanca Limón Province Cabécar 1985Bribri Talamanca Bribri peopleTalamanca Limón Province Bribri and Spanish 1985Zapatón Huetar peoplePuriscal San José Province Spanish 1986Ngobe-Bugle Ngabe peopleGolfito and Osa Puntarenas Province Ngäbere 1990Nairi-Awari Cabécar peopleTurrialba, Matina and SiquirresCartago Province Limón Province Cabécar 1991Bajo Chirripó Cabécar peopleTurrialba and LimónCartago Province Limón Province Cabécar 1992Alto Chirripó Cabécar peopleTurrialba and MatinaCartago Province Limón Province Cabécar 1993Curré Brunca peopleBuenos Aires Puntarenas Province Boruca 1993Boruca Brunca peopleBuenos Aires Puntarenas Province Boruca 1993China Kichá Cabécar peoplePérez Zeledón San José Province Cabécar 2001Altos de San Antonio Ngabe peopleGolfito Puntarenas Province Ngäbere 2001
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