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35-493: Guanacaste's capital is Liberia . Other important cities include Cañas and Nicoya . The province is named for the guanacaste tree , also known as the ear pod tree, which is the national tree of Costa Rica . Before the Spanish arrived, this territory was inhabited by Chorotega Indians from the towns of Zapati, Nacaome, Paro, Cangel, Nicopasaya , Pocosí , Diriá , Papagayo , Namiapí and Orosí . The Corobicies lived on

70-452: A government decree changed the name of the City of Guanacaste (Ciudad de Guanacaste) to the City of Liberia (Ciudad de Liberia). The name of the province of Guanacaste was changed to Moracia in honor of then Costa Rican president Juan Rafael Mora Porras . In August 1859, Juan Rafael Mora Porras was overthrown in a coup d'état orchestrated by Dr. Jose Maria Montealegre. On 20 June 1860 during

105-624: A high diversity of tropical dry forest, rainforest, cloud forest, and marine habitats. The park contains about two-thirds of the endangered animals of Costa Rica. It formally became part of National System of Conservation Areas—SINAC in 1994, and a World Heritage Site in 1999. In 2004, the World Heritage Site was extended with a private property measuring 15,000 ha in the Santa Elena rain forest. The World Heritage Site includes: This Costa Rican protected area article

140-464: A large festival as the capital of Guanacaste where one can find folk dances, parades, cattle shows, local food, and other cultural traditions in the area. Music is a large part of the festival and the traditional "marimba" is very popularly heard. A parade also takes place in the centre of the city at which children wear masks and costumes. Liberia's importance continued to grow and it became a major center for agriculture and livestock. The construction of

175-449: A large part of the city. It had a population of 56,899 in 2013. Modern-day Liberia was founded as a hermitage without any legal or formal act of foundation on 4 September 1769. It was located in a strategic location where the roads from the towns of Rivas, Bagaces, and Nicoya met. The hermitage was used primarily as a place of rest by travelers. The area's giant guanacaste trees provided shade for travelers and livestock, and over time

210-543: 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 of San José , consisting of showers daily and moderate temperatures. Guanacaste is, however, considerably warmer than other provinces in

245-467: A prominent crop. Since the late 20th century, tourism has emerged as the new and growing activity in the local economy. The combination of beaches like Playas 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. These include

280-551: A vast alluvial plain drained by the Rio Tempisque , which empties through swampy wetlands into the Golfo de Nicoya . The Rio Tempisque defines one side of the horsehead-shaped Península de Nicoya enclosing the gulf to the west. 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 ubiquitous tropical dry forests as

315-572: Is a district and the largest city in the Guanacaste Province of Costa Rica , located 215 kilometres (134 mi) northwest of the national capital, San José . Part of the Liberia canton , it is a major center for the country's tourism industry. Liberia has been nicknamed la ciudad blanca (the white city) due to the white gravel that was once used to make the city's roads and the whitewashed colonial houses which used to make up

350-478: Is a network of protected areas and a World Heritage Site in Guanacaste Province , in northwestern Costa Rica . The World Heritage Site contains an unbroken tract of tropical dry forest and important habitat for several vulnerable species, including the Central American tapir , mangrove hummingbird , and the great green macaw . Over 7,000 plant species and 900 vertebrate species have been located in

385-428: Is central to the six locations and is complete with an airport . Animal rehab center, Centro de Rescate Las Pumas , is located in the heart of Area de Conservación Guanacaste World Heritage Site . The Guanacaste province is home to the bulk of Costa Rica's all-inclusive resorts. Most of the population descends from Chorotega Natives and Spaniards , with some Africans as a result of a large number of slaves working

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420-505: Is quite dry in comparison to the rest of Costa Rica. If weather is a concern as a traveler, the best time to visit this city would be towards the start of the dry season where the climate is only beginning to get warm, and precipitation from the wet season has decreased. The dry season can get quite hot and sometimes becomes uncomfortable for those who are not accustomed to such dry heat. Area de Conservaci%C3%B3n Guanacaste World Heritage Site The Area de Conservación Guanacaste

455-521: The 2011 census , Liberia had a population of 53,382 inhabitants. With more than 50,000 inhabitants, Liberia is the regional hub of the Costa Rican northwest. The city center features a modern church , as many Costa Rican towns do, facing a plaza surrounded by locally owned shops and restaurants . Liberia is also home to an expo that takes place in the month of July, celebrating the annexation of Guanacaste Province on 25 July 1824. Located in

490-702: The Costa Rican Primera División after winning promotion in 2001. They play their home games in the Estadio Edgardo Baltodano Briceño . This area typically has a pronounced dry season. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Liberia has a tropical savanna climate , abbreviated Aw on climate maps. In Liberia, as in the rest of Costa Rica outside the perennially humid Caribbean coast, there are essentially two seasons –

525-565: The Pan-American Highway further increased Liberia's importance and increased commerce in and out of the city. By the late 20th century, Liberia had become a major stopping point for tourists traveling to the Pacific Coast beaches of Guanacaste . Today Liberia and the province of Guanacaste accept 25 July 1824 as their annexation day to Costa Rica. Liberia has an area of 563.57 km and an elevation of 144 metres. For

560-533: The Santa Rosa , Guanacaste and Rincon de la Vieja National Parks . Guanacaste is subdivided into eleven cantons . The cantons (with their capitals in parentheses) are: A major portion of the peninsula of Nicoya is now under the jurisdiction of the province of Puntarenas . This may change in the future, as there is constant debate over the remapping of the area. Liberia, Costa Rica Liberia ( Spanish pronunciation: [li.ˈβe.ɾja] )

595-463: The United States and Canada , as well as London and Amsterdam . Liberia Airport is very close to the most beautiful beaches from Guanacaste province, such as Tamarindo, Nosara, Sámara, Carrillo, Playa del Coco, Montezuma, Malpaís, and Santa Teresa. The Liberia River bears the same name as the town. Municipal Liberia is the city's major football team, having spent almost 10 years in

630-418: The "dry" and the "wet." The dry season runs from November to April, when the temperature is high and very little rainfall, if any, is experienced. The wet season runs from May to October when it often rains throughout the entire country. However, Liberia is considered to be one of the drier cities in the province of Guanacaste, which experiences much less rain than the rest of country. Even in wet seasons, Liberia

665-477: The Federal Republic of Central America began to dissolve, Costa Rica formally withdrew and proclaimed itself a sovereign state. On 7 December 1848 Costa Rica divided its national territory into provinces , cantons , and districts . The territory encompassing Nicoya, Bagaces, Santa Cruz, Guanacaste (modern day Liberia) and Cañas became part of the newly formed province of Guanacaste . On 30 May 1854,

700-557: The Papagayo Peninsula. An African safari attraction or zoo called " Africa Mia " is 4 kilometers south of town. The Museo de Sabanero is also located in Liberia. Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park is located just to the northeast of Liberia. Volcanic hot springs, bubbling clay pots, and numerous waterfalls and rivers may be found along the park's many kilometres of hiking trails. Hot springs are also located to

735-497: The administration of new Costa Rican president Dr. Jose Maria Montealegre, the name of the province was switched back from Moracia to Guanacaste . Montealegre kept the name City of Liberia but saw it unfit to keep a province named after a political enemy. Today, the Annexation of Guanacaste is celebrated annually on 25 July to celebrate the date in which the province became a part of Costa Rica instead of Nicaragua. Liberia holds

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770-637: The area became known as Guanacaste (El Poblado de Guanacaste). The settlement itself shares a history with Nicaragua and Costa Rica . In 1812 the Cortes of Cádiz created a single autonomous province, covering Nicaragua and Costa Rica, with its capital in León . Nicaragua and Costa Rica achieved independence from Spain on 15 September 1821 after the Spanish defeat in the Mexican War of Independence . After

805-629: The area, such as the settlements of Nicoya and Santa Cruz, held economic ties to Costa Rican territory such as the growing port of Puntarenas . The settlement of Guanacaste (modern day Liberia), on the other hand, held closer economic ties to Nicaraguan territory like the town of Rivas. Under the leadership of the villages of Nicoya and Santa Cruz, the Partido de Nicoya voted to annex themselves to Costa Rica on 25 July 1824. The inhabitants of Guanacaste (modern day Liberia) chose to continue to be part of Nicaragua in 1824. In 1826, after years of dispute,

840-528: The congress of the Federal Republic of Central America added Guanacaste (modern day Liberia) to Costa Rica. The village of Guanacaste grew in importance and gradually overtook the village of Nicoya as the most important settlement in the area. On 23 July 1831, the settlement of Guanacaste was given the title of Villa de Guanacaste. Just a few years later on 3 September 1836 it was given the name Ciudad de Guanacaste (City of Guanacaste). In 1838 after

875-621: 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 capital San José . The province is bounded on the east by a group of green-swathed volcanoes forming the Cordillera de Guanacaste (which features Orosi, Rincón de la Vieja, Miravalles and Tenorio volcanoes) and the Cordillera de Tilarán . The rivers that tumble out of these steep mountains flow down to rolling flatlands, forming

910-474: The country located in higher elevations. Tourism spreads across Guanacaste's 10,141 square kilometres (3,915 sq mi) and more than 640 km (400 mi) 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, and Tamarindo . Liberia

945-794: The eastern shore of the Gulf of Nicoya, the Huetares in Abangares and the Nicarao in Bagaces . The first church was built out of grass in Nicoya in the 17th century. In the 18th century some neighbors from Rivas, 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

980-520: The heart of Liberia, Guanacaste, the Museo de Guanacaste represents the civility of Costa Rica, and the embodiment of military abolishment. The Museo de Guanacaste portrays many of the local and national artists. Volunteers come from both internationally and locally to help restore the location and also preserve the cultural heritage. Tourists pass through Liberia en route to Pacific Coast beaches such as Playa del Coco , Playa Hermosa , Playa Tamarindo or

1015-556: The land during the colonial period. As in Nicaragua and elsewhere in Costa Rica Usted is the form of address used by Guanacastecans upon initial meetings and typically among adults. The vos verb-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 the Spanish culture have successfully integrated; among

1050-419: The main cultural elements are their music, literature (folklore), musical instruments, bullfighting, and religious events. 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 Brahman cattle and related breeds graze. Historically, the main source of income of Guanacaste

1085-503: The park. The area of the national parks combined totals 1,470 square kilometers (570 sq mi) as of 2004. This reflects a long-term process of growth, which started with the establishment of Santa Rosa National Park in 1971. Over several decades, surrounding lands were purchased and nearby national parks connected to the growing protected area, so that the Guanacaste Conservation Area came to encompass

Guanacaste Province - Misplaced Pages Continue

1120-431: The short-lived First Mexican Empire (1821–1823), Costa Rica (considered a minor provincial outpost at the time) became part of the newly formed Federal Republic of Central America in 1823. The Partido de Nicoya (Nicoya's Party) served as an administrative unit for the Federal Republic of Central America. The Partido de Nicoya comprised much of the territory that today is the province of Guanacaste , Costa Rica. Most of

1155-556: The southeast of Liberia along the west slopes of Miravalles volcano. The district is covered by the following road routes: The Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport is 13 kilometres (8 miles) west of the city, following the road to Nicoya . This is the second international airport in the country, after the Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José, and serves a variety of cities in

1190-598: Was baptized after the guanacaste trees that grow in the neighborhood. After a plebiscite in 1824-25, the territory of Guanacaste was annexed to Costa Rica. In 1836 it was invaded by Nicaraguan forces and Costa Rican exiles but they were repelled.After this,the town of Guanacaste was declared the capital of the Guanacaste province. In 1854 the town of Guanacaste was renamed Liberia . In 2013, Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega claimed Guanacaste province belonged to Nicaragua. Taking over Guanacaste would greatly increase

1225-504: Was cattle ranching. Cattle ranching is declining in Guanacaste due to an international drop in the demand for beef . 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 from Lake Arenal after passing through several power generating stations), rice has become

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