[SIBO]

Since Costa Rica does not have a military can they be considered an independent state? Or would you say they can be considered a protectorate of the U.S?

The same can be asked for Panama and Grenada to a certain degree.

[Igor Antunov]

They are protectorates/dependent territories.

[Varax]

They're de jure independent / de facto client states.

[redcarpet]

Yes, the Republic of Costa Rica.

I think people are getting mixed up with Puerto Rico

[Husky]

Costa Rica became an independent state in 1821. Before that, it was a part of Spain. It was the first country in the world that constitutionally abolish its army. There were various reasons why this state wanted to become independent. First of land, there was poverty in the country and Costa Rican settlers in Spain had to work on their own land themselves. The entire region of Costa Rica was left or neglected by Spain to develop on its own. Through time, many idiosyncrasies were built up as Costa Rica began to develop as a more egalitarian society than the regions located near to it. In 1938, Costa Rica formally proclaimed itself as an independent and sovereign state.

[PeterPaulRubens]

Yes, Costa Rica is obviously an independent state. It has a clearly defined territory over which it exerts control and legitimate rule and it lives up to the normal basic obligations of a sovereign state. The fact that it has no Army has no bearing on this.

[Full Spectrum]

Since Costa Rica does not have a military can they be considered an independent state? Or would you say they can be considered a protectorate of the U.S?

The same can be asked for Panama and Grenada to a certain degree.

They are independent as they don't have to adhere to US laws, but rely on the US for military support, same can be said for Canada, and Western Europes poor excuses for militaries.