San José, Costa Rica
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
| San José de Costa Rica San José |
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| Nickname: Chepe | |||
  San José de Costa Rica
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | Costa Rica | ||
| Province | San José Province | ||
| Canton | San José Canton | ||
| Founded | 1738 | ||
| Capital as of | May 16, 1823 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Johnny Araya Monge (PLN) | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 44.62 km² (17.2 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 1,161 m (3,809 ft) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| - City | 346,799 | ||
| - Metro | 1,611,616 | ||
| Time zone | Central Standard Time (UTC-6) | ||
| Website: http://www.msj.go.cr | |||
San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. It is the center of Gran Area Metropolitana (large metropolitan area or Metroplex) in the Central Valley. San José is the location of national government. It is the center of political and economic activity and the major transportation center of Costa Rica.
San José was founded in 1738 and became the capital of Costa Rica in 1823[1]. It is one of the youngest capitals of Latin America.
The official population of the city is 346,799[2] as of 2006. The entire metropolitan area around San José has a population over of 1.6 million people. This is a third of the country's total population.
San José has at an average elevation of 1,161 m above sea level. The climate is generally the same throughout the year. The city has an average temperature is 23C gets about 150 mm of rain each month.[3]
The University of Costa Rica was created here in 1843. It was named "University of Santo Tomás" when it was created. San José is also the headquarters of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Juan Santamaría International Airport is located 23 km west of downtown, in the city of Alajuela.
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[change] San Jose downtown
In San Jose downtown, important government buildings, historic parks, churches, markets, boulevards and stores can be found.
The local government is working to recover the beauty of the downtown area from years ago. Also, the government wants to turn San Jose into a green and clean city.
[change] Museums
There are many different museums in the city:
- National Museum: Visitors can see the history of pre-Columbian culture, the weapons of the 1948 civil war, and religious pieces.
- The Children’s museum: The old national penitentiary was changed to create the actual Children’s Museum. At the museum, children can learn about the Costa Rica’s natural resources. They can also lean about famous people like Franklin Chang, Carmen Lyra, and Clodomiro Picado. There are also fun areas of knowledge and recreation.
- Gold Museum: The Gold Museum is a place to show the gold pieces which were created by the first Costa Rican indigenous communities.
[change] Architecture
There are several special buildings that have historic importance in San José. Some of them are:
- National Theater: This was built in 1897. It is still used for some shows.
- Colegio Superior de Señoritas: It was founded in 1888. The building has a renaissance style.
- Mail Central building: This building has many of the first mail boxes in the history of Costa Rica.
- Many old houses in Barrio Amon are now used as hotels. Their architecture is considered national history.
[change] Recreational location
The most visited area is the Central Avenue. There is a boulevard with many stores, restaurants and hotels. On the east side is located the Culture Square with entertainment on weekend nights. Examples of this entertainment include urban clowns and juggling, Christian music, urban bands and dance groups.
In San Jose downtown, there are other parks like:
- Spain Park
- Central Park: there is a sculpture in honor of men who sweep the street.
- Morazan Park
[change] Other websites
- San Jose, Costa Rica Travel Guide, Powered by Wikitravel.
- Municipalidad de San José. Mayor of San José's Office
- Infoweb.co.cr. Galería San José. Some pictures of the city
- San Jose Costa Rica Maps. Google Maps of the City
- Photos San José
- Events calendar for San Jose and Costa Rica
- Maps and aerial photos for Coordinates:
