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Provinces of Costa Rica |
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| San
José |
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| San
José City |
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The province of San Jose includes areas representative of practically
every climatic regime possible in Costa Rica. Its territory extends
from almost sea level at several points near the central Pacific coast,
up to the country's highest peak, Mt. Chirripó, at an elevation
of 3,820 meters. Additionally, a small portion of the province protrudes
down the very wet eastern slopes of the Central Volcanic Cordillera
in a section of Braulio Carrillo National Park. Thus, the entire range
of temperatures and rainfall patterns that affect Costa Rica can be
experienced somewhere in this province. .
Noheless, the majority of the province of San José is blessed
by a moderate climate where nothing more than a sweater or lightweight
jacket and an umbrella are all the protection from the elements you'll
ever need. This mild climatic region lies in an altitudinal band between
700 and 1,300 meters above sea level, and is under the influence of
a distinct dry season from mid-November through mid-May and a corresponding
wet season during the remaining half of the year -- the characteristic
weather pattern for essentially all of the nation's territory on the
western side of the continental divide.
The province of San José is the most populated of Costa Rica's
seven provinces and is the seat of the nation's capital, the city
of San José
IIn the early years of the Central Valley's colonization (during the
1560's), families began spreading west from the colonial capital of
Cartago. One of the first places settled was the valley of Aserrí
(to the south of what is now the city of San José). Some 170
years later, in 1736, authorities ordered the inhabitants of the valley
of Aserrí to move to a site known as "Boca del Monte,"
and to this end erected a church dedicated to Saint Joseph. The church
was finished in 1738, on a site that is across the street from the
east side of what is now the Central Bank. The parish became known
as "San José de la Boca del Monte en el Valle de Aserrí.”
Because of problems with lack of water in the immediate area around
the church, however, the inhabitants of Aserrí refused to move
to the new site. In 1751, water was finally piped to the area, also
known as Villa Nueva, but the residents of Aserrí still had
to be almost forced to move to the new town.
By 1824, the population of San José had grown to more than
15,000 inhabitants. A year earlier, the city had become the capital
of the newly independent country -- following a brief civil war over
whether to remain independent (a view backed by residents of San José
and Alajuela) or become a part of the Mexican empire (supported by
the citizens of Cartago and Heredia). Following the victory of those
favoring independence, the capital was moved from Cartago to San José.
1) Braulio Carrillo National Park
2) Chirripó National
Park
3) Carara Biological Reserve
| Other
Points of Interest: |
1)Cerro de la Muerte:
Along this approximately 50-kilometer stretch of the Inter-American
Highway, one can see practically all of the country's highland flora
and fauna, thus making a drive across Cerro de la Muerte similar to
a visit to Mount Chirripó, but without all the strenuous effort.
To the North American who is familiar with the vegetation back home,
many plants along the summit of Cerro de la Muerte will look familiar.
Alders, blueberries (not a very juicy variety), gooseberries, lady's
slippers, Indian paintbrush, giant thistles and St. John's wort are
all present in varying degrees. Noheless, botanical surveys of the
area show an even stronger affinity with Andean flora. As a result
of geographic isolation from their ancestral species, a high percentage
of the life forms in these highlands have evolved into distinct, but
closely related, species.
In the case of birds, nearly 50% of the species recorded from Cerro
de la Muerte are endemic, that is, species found in the mountains
of Costa Rica and adjacent western Panama and nowhere else in the
world. Examples of these endemics include the fiery-throated hummingbird,
timberline wren, sooty robin, black-billed nightingale-thrush and
volcano junco.
Characteristic elements of the forest understory along the roadside
are tree ferns, poor man's umbrella (Gunnera spp.) and scandent bamboo
(Chusquea sp.). This bamboo is the dominant understory vegetation
in many forested areas and becomes the most conspicuous plant once
the tree line is reached between kilometers 88 and 90 on the highway.
A gravel road heading off to the right leads up to the summit of the
highest peak in this part of the range, towering more than 3,300 meters
above sea level. Numerous local television and radio stations have
populated the summit with repeaters. |
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