The Baháʼí Faith in Costa Rica begins when ʻAbdu'l-Bahá mentions it as one of the places Baháʼís should take the religion to in 1919. However the first pioneers began to settle in Coast Rica in 1940 followed quickly by the first Baháʼí Local Spiritual Assembly being elected in San José in April 1941. The National Spiritual Assembly was first elected in 1961. As of 2009 Baháʼís sources indicate the national community includes various peoples and tribes and over 4,000 members organized groups in over 30 locations throughout the country. The Association of Religion Data Archives (relying mostly on the World Christian Encyclopedia) estimated some 13000 Baháʼís in 2005.