Guanacaste is a
provinceCosta Rica consists of seven provinces :The provinces are further divided into cantons , which are subdivided into districts .-See also:* ISO 3166-2:CR...
of
Costa RicaCosta Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east.Costa Rica, which translates literally as "Rich Coast", constitutionally...
located in the northwestern part of the country, along the coast of the
Pacific OceanThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Tepre Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. It extends from the Arctic in the north to Antarctica in the south, bounded by Asia and...
. To the north it borders
NicaraguaNicaragua officially the Republic of Nicaragua , is a representative democratic republic. It is the largest country in Central America with an area of 130,373 km
2. The country is bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west of...
. To the east is the
Alajuela ProvinceAlajuela is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the north-central part of the country, bordering Nicaragua to the north, and clockwise the provinces Heredia, San José, Puntarenas and Guanacaste...
, and to the southeast is the
Puntarenas ProvincePuntarenas is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the western part of the country, covering most of Costa Rica's Pacific Ocean coast, and it is the largest province in Costa Rica. Clockwise from the northwest it borders on the provinces Guanacaste, Alajuela, San José and Limón, and the...
. It is the most sparsely populated of all the provinces of Costa Rica. The province covers an area of and as of 2000, had a population of 264,238.
Guanacaste's capital is
LiberiaLiberia is a city in Guanacaste, Costa Rica located roughly four hours from San José by bus. Over 35,000 people live in the city. Though small by North American standards, it is quite large in comparison to its Guanacastecan neighbors to the southeast, Santa Cruz, and Nicoya...
. Other important cities include
CañasCanas or Cañas may refer to:People:* Alberto Cañas Escalante, Costa Rican politician* Antonio José Cañas, Salvadoran military officer, diplomat and politician* Carlos Cañas, Salvadoran painter...
and
NicoyaNicoya is a town in Costa Rica's Guanacaste province, and one of its most important tourist zones. It serves as a transport hub to Guanacaste's beaches and national parks. According to the 2000 census, the city's population is 13,334—second only to Liberia in the province...
.
Etymology
The province is named for the guanacaste tree, also known as the ear pod tree which is the national tree of
Costa RicaCosta Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east.Costa Rica, which translates literally as "Rich Coast", constitutionally...
.
History
Before the
SpanishSpanish people or Spaniards constitute the nationality and ethnic group of natives of Spain, a European country in the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. The Spanish nationality is in essence made up of regional nationalities, reflecting the complex history of Spain...
arrived, ths territory was inhibited by
ChorotegaChorotega is the name of an indigenous people of Honduras, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The ethnic population number around 795 according to the ethnologue 2000 survey...
Indians form the town of Zapati, Nacaome, Paro, Cangel, Nicopasaya, Pocosí,
DiriáDiria is a municipality in the Granada department of Nicaragua....
, Papagayo, Namiapí and
Orosi- Geography :* Orosí, Costa Rica* Orosí Volcano in Costa Rica* Orosi, California in the USA- Arts :* Orosi a kind of art made of wood ....
. The Corobicies lived on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Nicoya and the Nahuas or Aztecan in the zone of
BagacesBagaces is a district in Bagaces Canton, in the Guanacaste Province of Costa Rica....
.
The first church was built out of straw in
NicoyaNicoya is a town in Costa Rica's Guanacaste province, and one of its most important tourist zones. It serves as a transport hub to Guanacaste's beaches and national parks. According to the 2000 census, the city's population is 13,334—second only to Liberia in the province...
in the 17th Century.
In the 18th Century some neighbors of Rivas established their houses and cattle farms in the northern part of the Nicoya Peninsula at crossroads that connected the towns of Bagaces, Nicoya and Rivas. The place was baptized after a famous Guanacaste tree that grows in the neighborhood.
At the end of 1824 beginning 1825 the territory of Guanacaste annexed to
Costa RicaCosta Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east.Costa Rica, which translates literally as "Rich Coast", constitutionally...
, because nobody exactly knew to where they belonged, the inhabitants decided by their own will to be part of
Costa RicaCosta Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east.Costa Rica, which translates literally as "Rich Coast", constitutionally...
. The 25th of July 1824 the town people of Nicoya and Santa Cruz decided to join
Costa RicaCosta Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east.Costa Rica, which translates literally as "Rich Coast", constitutionally...
. In 1836 the town of Guanacaste was declared capital of Guanacaste. Until 1854 the name was changed to
LiberiaLiberia is a city in Guanacaste, Costa Rica located roughly four hours from San José by bus. Over 35,000 people live in the city. Though small by North American standards, it is quite large in comparison to its Guanacastecan neighbors to the southeast, Santa Cruz, and Nicoya...
.
Geography
The province is bounded on the east by a group of green-swathed volcanoes forming the
Cordillera de GuanacasteThe Guanacaste Cordillera, also called Cordillera de Guanacaste, are a range of mountains in northern Costa Rica near the border with Nicaragua...
and the
Cordillera de TilaranThe Cordillera de Tilarán is a range of mountains in Costa Rica, part of the Continental Divide east of Lake Arenal and the nearby active volcano Arenal, and running into the Cordillera Central range further east. It is located in the Abangares district of the province of Guanacaste.At the edge of...
. The rivers that tumble out of these steep mountains flow down to rolling flatlands, forming a vast alluvial plain drained by the Rio Tempisque, which empties through swampy wetlands into de Golfo de Nicoya. The Rio Tempisque defines one side of the horsehead-shaped Peninsula de Nicoya enclosing the gulf to the west.
The province is heavily forested in parts.
Climate
Guanacaste's climate and culture are unique among Costa Rican provinces. The province experiences little
rainRain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to other kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. On Earth, it is the condensation of atmospheric water vapor into drops heavy enough to fall, often making it to the surface...
and consistent heat from November to April. Tourists seek out this dry heat during the
North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
n winter to enjoy the breathtaking Guanacastecan beaches. Irrigation of the agricultural land is necessary during the long dry season.
From May to October, the climate is similar to that of
San JoséSan is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, San José is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation....
, consisting of showers daily and moderate temperatures. Guanacaste is, however, considerably warmer than provinces residing in higher elevations.
Demography
Most of the population descends from a mix of
ChorotegaChorotega is the name of an indigenous people of Honduras, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The ethnic population number around 795 according to the ethnologue 2000 survey...
natives and
SpaniardSpanish people or Spaniards constitute the nationality and ethnic group of natives of Spain, a European country in the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. The Spanish nationality is in essence made up of regional nationalities, reflecting the complex history of Spain...
s. As in Nicaragua and elsewhere in Costa Rica, Guanacastecans use the
usted conjugationThis is a paradigm of Spanish verbs, that is, a set of conjugation tables, for the model regular verbs and for some of the most common irregular verbs .The tables include only the simple tenses...
upon initial meetings, but once they have established a friendship, they use the
vosIn Spanish, voseo is the use of the second person singular pronoun vos instead of tú. It can also be used in the context of using verb conjugation of vos with tú as the subject pronoun, as in the case of Chilean Spanish....
verb-form.
The Chorotega culture and the
SpanishSpanish people or Spaniards constitute the nationality and ethnic group of natives of Spain, a European country in the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. The Spanish nationality is in essence made up of regional nationalities, reflecting the complex history of Spain...
culture have successfully integrated; among the main cultural elements are their music, literature (folklore), musical instruments, bullfighting, and religious events.
Economy
The province has an economic and cultural heritage based on beef cattle ranching. Most of the area is covered by small patches of forest, scattered trees and large pastures of coarse grasses where
BrahmaBrahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. He is not to be confused with the Supreme Cosmic Spirit in Hindu Vedanta philosophy known as Brahman. Brahmā's consort is Saraswati, the goddess of learning...
cattle and related breeds graze.
Historically, the main source of income of Guanacaste was cattle ranching. Cattle ranching is declining in Guanacaste due to an international drop in the demand for
beefBeef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle . Beef is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of Australia, Europe and America, and is also important in Africa, East Asia, and Southeast Asia...
. Many pastures are naturally reverting back to dry forest or are being converted to tree plantations.
The other agricultural products of relative importance in the province are sugar cane and cotton, and since the late 1980s, with the creation of a large-scale irrigation program (the water comes from
Lake ArenalLake Arenal is a reservoir in Costa Rica, formed by enlarging an existing small lake of the same name by the completion of a dam in 1979. It is located near the Arenal Volcano and the Monteverde cloud forest. Lake Arenal is the key driver in a nationwide hydroelectric project that currently...
after passing through several power generating stations), rice has become a prominent crop.
Today tourism has emerged as the new and growing activity in the local economy. The combination of beautiful beaches like Playa Tamarindo and the sun-drenched dry season that coincides with the winter months in northern latitudes have made tourism the most lucrative revenue.
A lot of tourist are also attracted by the abundance of natural beauty. The Province has no less than seven national parks like
Santa RosaSanta Rosa National Park, in Spanish the , is a National Park, part of the Area de Conservación Guanacaste World Heritage site, in the northern western part of Costa Rica, originally created to protect the scene of the Battle of Santa Rosa, at its eastern edge lies the Interamerican Highway where...
,
GuanacasteGuanacaste National Park, in Spanish , is part of the Area de Conservación Guanacaste World Heritage Site, is a National Park in the northern part of Costa Rica, from the slopes of the Orosí and Cacao volcanoes west to the Interamerican Highway where it is adjacent to the Santa Rosa National Park....
and Rincon de la Vieja National Park.
Political divisions
Guanacaste is subdivided into eleven
cantonsA canton is a type of administrative division of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared to other administrative divisions such as counties, departments or provinces. Internationally the best-known cantons, and the most politically...
. The cantons (with their capitals in parenthesis) are:
- Abangares
Abangares is the seventh canton in the province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 675.76 km² , and has a population of 17,289 . Its capital city is Las Juntas....
(Las Juntas)
- Bagaces
Bagaces is the fourth canton in the province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 1,273.49 km², and has a population of 17,087. Its capital city is also called Bagaces....
(BagacesBagaces is a district in Bagaces Canton, in the Guanacaste Province of Costa Rica....
)
- Cañas
Cañas is the sixth canton in the province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 682.20 km², and has a population of 25,897. Its capital city is also called Cañas.The elongated canton touches the Río Tempisque in the southwest...
(CañasCanas or Cañas may refer to:People:* Alberto Cañas Escalante, Costa Rican politician* Antonio José Cañas, Salvadoran military officer, diplomat and politician* Carlos Cañas, Salvadoran painter...
)
- Carrillo
Carrillo is the fifth canton in the province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 577.54 km², and has a population of 29,298. Its capital city is Filadelfia...
(FiladelfiaFiladelfia is the first district and main city of Carrillo in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. This district has 7,814 inhabitants and 125.01 km². It was declared an archaeological city because of all the indigenous cemeteries found near the Tempisque River. The town was formerly known as Siete Cueros . It...
)
- Hojancha
Hojancha is the 11th canton in the province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 261.42 km², and has a population of 6,960. Its capital city is also called Hojancha.The canton is in the midsection of the Nicoya Peninsula...
(Hojancha)
- La Cruz
La Cruz is the tenth canton in the province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 1,383.90 km², and has a population of 18,004. Its capital city is also called La Cruz.The canton is the northernmost in the country...
(La CruzLa Cruz is the tenth canton of Guanacaste province, established since 1969. La Cruz bounded on the north with Nicaragua and is where the main border crossing is . La Cruz is located on the shores of what is known as the viewpoint La Cruz...
)
- Liberia
Liberia is the first canton in the province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 1,436.47 km², and has a population of 50,359. Its capital is the provincial capital city of Liberia....
(LiberiaLiberia is a city in Guanacaste, Costa Rica located roughly four hours from San José by bus. Over 35,000 people live in the city. Though small by North American standards, it is quite large in comparison to its Guanacastecan neighbors to the southeast, Santa Cruz, and Nicoya...
)
- Nandayure
Nandayure is the ninth canton in the province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 565.59 km², and has a population of 10,567. Its capital city is Carmona....
(CarmonaCarmona may be:Places* Carmona, a town in Seville, Spain.* Carmona, Cavite, a municipality in the Philippines* Carmona, Goa* Carmona, Costa Rica, a city in Guanacaste province.* The former name of the Angolan town of Uíge.People...
)
- Nicoya
Nicoya is the second canton in the province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 1,333.68 km², and has a population of 44,834...
(NicoyaNicoya is a town in Costa Rica's Guanacaste province, and one of its most important tourist zones. It serves as a transport hub to Guanacaste's beaches and national parks. According to the 2000 census, the city's population is 13,334—second only to Liberia in the province...
)
- Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz is the name of the third canton in Guanacaste Province in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 1,312.27 km², and has a population of 43,333. Its capital city is also called Santa Cruz....
(Santa Cruz)
- Tilarán
Tilarán is the eighth canton in the province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 638.39 km², and has a population of 19,045. Its capital city is also called Tilarán....
(TilaránTilarán is a small town in the Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica. It is the seat of the Tilarán Canton located in the hills overlooking the west shore of Lake Arenal...
)
A major portion of the peninsula of Nicoya is now under the jurisdiction of the
province of PuntarenasPuntarenas is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the western part of the country, covering most of Costa Rica's Pacific Ocean coast, and it is the largest province in Costa Rica. Clockwise from the northwest it borders on the provinces Guanacaste, Alajuela, San José and Limón, and the...
. This may change in the future, as there is constant debate over the remapping of the area.
External links