Guanacaste Province
Guanacaste | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Seal | |
 | |
| Coordinates:10°26′N85°24′W/ 10.433°N 85.400°W | |
| Country | Costa Rica |
| Capital and largest city | Liberia |
| Area | |
| • Total | 10,141 km2(3,915 sq mi) |
| Population (2013) | |
| • Total | 354,154 |
| • Density | 35/km2(90/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-06:00(CST) |
| ISO 3166 code | CR-G |
| HDI(2019) | 0.793[1] high·5th of 7 |
Guanacaste(Spanish pronunciation:[ɡwanaˈkaste]) is aprovinceofCosta Ricalocated in the northwestern region of the country, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered byNicaraguato the north,Alajuela Provinceto the east, andPuntarenas Provinceto the southeast. It is the most sparsely populated of all the provinces of Costa Rica. The province covers an area of 10,141 square kilometres (3,915 sq mi)[2][3]and as of 2010, had a population of 354,154, with annual revenue of $2 billion.
Guanacaste's capital isLiberia.Other important cities includeCañasandNicoya.
Etymology[edit]
The province is named for theguanacaste tree,also known as the ear pod tree, which is the national tree ofCosta Rica.
History[edit]
Before theSpanisharrived, this territory was inhabited byChorotegaIndians from the towns of Zapati, Nacaome, Paro, Cangel,Nicopasaya,Pocosí,Diriá,Papagayo,NamiapíandOrosí.The Corobicies lived on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Nicoya, theHuetaresinAbangaresand theNicaraoinBagaces.[4][5][6][7]
The first church was built out of grass inNicoyain the 17th century.
In the 18th century some neighbors fromRivas, Nicaragua,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 theguanacaste treesthat grow in the neighborhood.
After aplebiscitein 1824-25, the territory of Guanacaste was annexed to Costa Rica. In 1836 the town of Guanacaste was declared the capital of the Guanacaste province. In 1854 the town of Guanacaste was renamedLiberia.
In 2013, Nicaraguan presidentDaniel Ortegaclaimed Guanacaste province belonged to Nicaragua.[8][9]Taking over Guanacaste would greatly increase the continental shelf area available to Nicaragua for oil exploration concessions, and move the Nicaraguan border to within 70 kilometres (43 mi) of Costa Rican capitalSan José.[10][11]
Geography[edit]
The province is bounded on the east by a group of green-swathed volcanoes forming theCordillera de Guanacaste(which features Orosi, Rincón de la Vieja, Miravalles and Tenorio volcanoes) and theCordillera de Tilarán.The rivers that tumble out of these steep mountains flow down to rolling flatlands, forming a vast alluvial plain drained by theRio Tempisque,which empties through swampy wetlands into theGolfo de Nicoya.TheRio Tempisquedefines one side of the horsehead-shaped Península de Nicoya enclosing the gulf to the west.
Climate[edit]
Guanacaste's climate and culture are unique among Costa Rican provinces. The province experiences little rain and consistent heat from November to April, resulting in ubiquitoustropical dry forestsas a natural adaption to the dry season conditions. Tourists seek out this dry heat during the North American winter to enjoy the Guanacastecan beaches. Irrigation of the agricultural land is necessary during the long dry period. From May to October, the climate is similar to that ofSan José,consisting of showers daily and moderate temperatures. Guanacaste is, however, considerably warmer than other provinces in the country located in higher elevations.
Tourism[edit]
Tourism spreads across Guanacaste's 10,141 square kilometres (3,915 sq mi) and more than 640 km (400 mi)[citation needed]of coast line. The main tourist attractions include water, land, mountains, volcanoes, and coastal ecosystems. The two main commercial areas Santa Cruz and Liberia with six surrounding tourism development centers:Papagayo Peninsula,El Coco,Las Catalinas,Flamingo, Conchal, andTamarindo.Liberia is central to the six locations and is complete with anairport.[12]Animal rehab center,Centro de Rescate Las Pumas,is located in the heart ofArea de Conservación Guanacaste World Heritage Site.The Guanacaste province is home to the bulk of Costa Rica'sall-inclusiveresorts.
Demographics[edit]
Most of the population descends fromChorotegaNatives andSpaniards,with some Africans as a result of a large number of slaves working the land during the colonial period. As in Nicaragua and elsewhere in Costa RicaUstedis the form of address used by Guanacastecans upon initial meetings and typically among adults. Thevosverb-form is used mainly when adults address children, especially their own, and occasionally between adults who are family members or good friends.
The Chorotega culture and theSpanishculture have successfully integrated; among the main cultural elements are their music, literature (folklore), musical instruments, bullfighting, and religious events.
Economy[edit]
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 whereBrahman cattleand 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 forbeef.Many pastures are naturally reverting 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 fromLake Arenalafter passing through several power generating stations), rice has become a prominent crop.
Since the late 20th century, tourism has emerged as the new and growing activity in the local economy.[citation needed]The combination of beaches likePlayas del Coco,Playa Tamarindo,and the sunny dry season that coincides with the winter months in northern latitudes have made tourism a key economic activity. A lot of tourists are also attracted by the Province's seven national parks.[citation needed]These include theSanta Rosa,GuanacasteandRincon de la Vieja National Parks.
Political divisions[edit]
Guanacaste is subdivided into elevencantons.The cantons (with their capitals in parentheses) are:
A major portion of the peninsula of Nicoya is now under the jurisdiction of theprovince of Puntarenas.This may change in the future, as there is constant debate over the remapping of the area.[13]
See also[edit]
- Gulf of Nicoya
- Nicoya Peninsula
- Partido de Nicoya
- Independent Guanacaste Party
- Area de Conservación Guanacaste World Heritage Site
- Guanacaste Day
References[edit]
- ^"Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab".hdi.globaldatalab.org.Retrieved2018-09-13.
- ^Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN), 2009
- ^"Guanacaste, Costa Rica: Things to Do & Where to Go".Costa Rica Escapes.Retrieved25 July2022.
- ^"The Kingdom Of This World".
- ^"The Aboriginals of Costa Rica".
- ^"Las culturas indígenas y su medioambiente".
- ^"Central American Nahua".
- ^"Nicaragua Claims Costa Rica Tourist Area".World Property Journal.Retrieved26 December2018.
- ^"Nicaragua Thinks It Owns Guanacaste".Tropical Daily.Archived fromthe originalon 9 April 2019.Retrieved26 December2018.
- ^"Nicaragua's Ortega threatens to 'reclaim' Costa Rican province".Tico Times.14 August 2013.Retrieved26 December2018.
- ^"Guanacaste on Nicaraguan stamp".Bigthink.The Big Think, Inc.Retrieved8 January2019.
- ^"Guanacaste".Essential Costa Rica.Archived fromthe originalon 25 March 2016.Retrieved1 January2015.
- ^"Information,Art,Pictures and Opinions".
External links[edit]
- El Área de Conservación Guanacaste(in Spanish)
- Conservation efforts and scientific work of biologist Daniel H. Hanzen in Guanacaste
- Costa Rica Guanacaste
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