Uvita Island
Encyclopedia
Uvita Island, or Isla Uvita, is a small (0.8 km²) island
in Costa Rica
about 1,200 yards off the coast of Limón
in the Caribbean Sea
. The island is about 400 yards long from north to south and about 250 yards wide.
The island has had several names over the years, especially in English. These names include Grape Cay, Grape Island, and Uvia Island. In Spanish, the names Isla Uvita and La Uvita are now most common. The Cariari Indians called the island Quiribrí. In 1986 the Comisión Nacional de Nomenclatura (National Commission of Nomenclature) approved of restoring the name Isla Quiribrí to the island, and the Academia de Geografía e Historia de Costa Rica (Academy of Geography and History of Costa Rica) asked that the Comisión Nacional de Nomenclatura and the Municipality of Limón to make the name change public in 2002 during the 500th anniversary of Columbus' arrive to the island. Isla Quiribrí is now the official name but that name is seldom used; locally the island is still referred to as Isla Uvita and even official government maps continue to use the name Isla Uvita.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
about 1,200 yards off the coast of Limón
Limón
Puerto Limón, commonly known as Limón , is the capital city and main hub of Limón province, as well as of the cantón of Limón in Costa Rica. It has a population of about 60,000 , and is home to a thriving Afro-Caribbean community...
in the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
. The island is about 400 yards long from north to south and about 250 yards wide.
The island has had several names over the years, especially in English. These names include Grape Cay, Grape Island, and Uvia Island. In Spanish, the names Isla Uvita and La Uvita are now most common. The Cariari Indians called the island Quiribrí. In 1986 the Comisión Nacional de Nomenclatura (National Commission of Nomenclature) approved of restoring the name Isla Quiribrí to the island, and the Academia de Geografía e Historia de Costa Rica (Academy of Geography and History of Costa Rica) asked that the Comisión Nacional de Nomenclatura and the Municipality of Limón to make the name change public in 2002 during the 500th anniversary of Columbus' arrive to the island. Isla Quiribrí is now the official name but that name is seldom used; locally the island is still referred to as Isla Uvita and even official government maps continue to use the name Isla Uvita.