The Mule Trail and the Caribbean Railway: The routes as a mean of political, economial and cultural transmission in Costa Rica

Abstract

This article examines the way in which routes such as “El Camino de Mulas” (16th–17th centuries) and the Caribbean Railroad (19th–20th centuries) demonstrated political, cultural, and economic transmission, as well as their legacy within national history. These paths reveal the human nature that seeks to connect with other territories to acquire goods and, in the process, display political power alongside cultural integration. In this way, the cultural context in which each route was created will be analyzed, along with the essential agents, identity exchange, and the manner in which they affected the national economy. Thereby, the aforementioned terrestrial routes will be visualized as tools that directly influence Costa Rican history.