Languages of Costa Rica

Costa Rica's official and predominant language is Spanish; the variety spoken there, Costa Rican Spanish, is a form of Central American Spanish. However, Costa Rica is also home to at least five local indigenous languages (Maléku, Cabécar, Bribri, Guaymí, and Bocotá), as well as Costa Rican Sign Language. An English-based creole language called Mekatelyu is spoken to varying degrees in Limón Province. Mennonite immigrants to the country also speak Plautdietsch.

Indigenous languages

Currently, in Costa Rica, there are five indigenous languages that are still used by their respective populations. All of them belonging to the Chibcha language family. Those languages are:

• Maléku language, also known as Guatuso. It is spoken by around 800 people in north-eastern Alajuela Province.
• Cabécar, spoken in the Talamanca mountain range
• Bribri language
• Guaymí language
• Bocotá

The Oto-Manguean language Chorotega is extinct, but was once spoken in Costa Rica.

References

• Ethnologue report for Costa Rica
• Staaten und Territorien der Erde und ihre Sprachen - Costa Rica (German)
• Costa Rica, L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde (French)