On September 15, 1821, Costa Rica joined Nicaragua in a decree of independence. On January 10, 1822, she proclaimed her union with the Iturbide Empire of Mexico under “the plan of Iguala,” but in 1824 she resumed her independence, declared herself a Republic, elected Juan Mora as President, who remained in office for eight years, and became one of the United Provinces of Central America. This weak, unmanageable union underwent a slow disintegration from 1838 to 1839. It fell in pieces for want of internal communications, like the old Columbian federation of New Granada, Venezuela and Ecuador. Among the twenty-four presidents and dictators who have governed Costa Rica since 1824, several have been men of marked intelligence and devoted patriotism, and under their administration the country has slowly emerged from its former depression, until to-day it may be said to be in a healthy political and commercial condition. Costa Rica is very much indebted to its first President, Juan Mora. Other successful Presidents were: Juan Rafael Mora, from 1850 to 1859; General Tomas Guardia, from 1872 to 1876, and again from 1878 to 1882; Bernardo Soto, from 1885 to 1889, and Rafael Iglesias, since 1894. Since its independence there have been but few stirring events to agitate the country. The most important of them was the efficacious aid it gave to Nicaragua in 1857 in crushing the filibuster Walker, whose object was to add Nicaragua as slave territory to the United States. [Illustration: CENTRAL AMERICA Rand, McNally & Co’s. Indexed Atlas of the World Map of Central America Copyright 1888, by Rand, McNally & Co. Copyright 1892, by Rand, McNally & Co. RAND, MCNALLY & CO., ENGRAVERS, CHICAGO.] [Illustration: (overlay on lower left portion of above illustration) MAP SHOWING Proposed Line of NICARAGUA CANAL. ] [Illustration: CENTRAL AMERICA. (reverse side of the CENTRAL AMERICA map) Listing of Provinces, Lakes, Towns etc. in each Central American country.] COSTA RICA.—Provinces, Lakes, Mountains, Rivers, and Towns. Provinces. Pop. Alajuela, P-21 53,087 Cartago, R-22 35,571 Comarca de Puntarenas, S-21 8,114 Comarca de Limon, S-24 3,447 Guanacaste, Q-19 17,191 Heredia, Q-21 31,084 San Jose, R-21 65,261 Total 213,745 Lakes. Manatu, P-21. San Carlos, P-21. Sierpe, T-23. Mountains. Aguacate, Q-20. Barba, Q-21. Blanco, S-24. Cordillera de Chirique, T-25. Cordillera de Dota, R-22. Herradura, S-21. Irasu, Q-22. Mira Valles, P-19. Orosi, P-19. Poas, Q-21. Rincon de La Viega, P-19. Rovalo, S-25. Sierra de Tilaran, Q-20. Tenorio, P-20. Turialba, R-22. Ujum, S-23. Rivers.