Alajuela
Alajuela is the capital city of the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica. It is also the name of the district (distrito) that includes the city. Alajuela serves as the capital for the canton of Alajuela, an area much larger than the district. It is the birthplace of Juan Santamaría, the national hero of Costa Rica. It hubs the Juan Santamaría International Airport, the main airport serving Costa Rica (IATA: SJO / ICAO: MROC), which is located 3 kilometers south of the city.
Area: 8.88 km2 (3.4 sq mi)
Population: 46,554
Coordinates: 10°01?N 84°13?W? / ?10.017°N 84.217°W? / 10.017; -84.217
Nickname: Ciudad de los Mangos ” City of Mangoes “
Geography
The district of Alajuela covers an area of 8.88 km², and has a population of 46,554. It lies at an elevation of 952 meters above sea level in the Central Valley (Valle Central), 19 kilometers northwest of the national capital city of San José.
It was created by law Nº 36, of December 7, 1848 with two cantons and eight parochial districts. In the pre-Columbian era, the land that today is Alajuela was inhabited to the south by indigenous Garabito tribes, and to the north by that of the Votos.
The province of Alajuela is one of the largest in the country. It borders to the north with Nicaragua, to the south with the province of San Jose, to the east with the province of Heredia and to the west with the provinces of Guanacaste and Puntarenas.
Its participation in important historical events has ensured it has a privileged place in Costa Rican history. The national hero Juan Santamaría, who died during the campaign in 1856 to remove invaders threatening Costa Rica’s sovereignty, was born in Alajuela. This historical event is celebrated and remembered every year on the 11th of April and it is a national holiday.
Alajuela’s climate is renowned as one of the best worldwide.
The area often experiences earthquakes; the 2009 6.1Mw earthquake was the strongest to hit the area, causing several landslides.
History
In pre-Columbian times the land where Canton of Alajuela is today, was part of the so-called Huetar Kingdom of the West, which was inhabited by native tribes, who at the time of the Spanish conquest were led by Chief Garabito.
The First Spanish settlers came in 1650, and established themselves in the untouched lands of the region. La Lajuela was first quoted in official protocols of Cartago, in the deed of Mrs Juana Vera y Sotomayor, widow of top Sergeant García Ramiro Corajo granted in 1657. Later in a writing of obligation granted in 1864 the place is mentioned as La Lajuela in the Valley of Barva, near the Canoas river.
In 1777 the dwellers of La Lajuela and Ciruelas, having been served with notice to move to Villa Vieja (today’s Heredia), requested the provisional construction of a public place of prayer in the house of Don Dionysius Oconitrillo, of Spanish origin, 30 meters north of where Alajuela’s cathedral is today. After increases of population in the five existing quarters then: Targuaz, Puás, Ciruelas, La Lajuela and Rio Grande, the citizens faced difficulties to maintain their religious obligations, so they requested the Bishop of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, Monsignor don Esteban Lorenzo de Tristán, permission to erect a parish and a public place of prayer.
According to a motion issued in the Spanish Parliament of Cadiz (Spain, May 19, 1812), the first Town hall of Alajuela started life in 1813. On December 18th of the same year, the quarter La Lajuela obtained the title of Town and it was renamed first Villa Hermosa, then it was called San Juan Nepomuceno de Alajuela and finally the title of city was granted on November 20th 1824 and with it the name of Alajuela which remains until today.
Alajuela is also the hometown of one of the most popular soccer teams of the country, Liga Deportiva Alajuelense soccer club.
Economy
The main exports are coffee, sugar-cane, corn, beans, tobacco, citrus fruits, strawberries, tubers like cassava, flowers and ornamental plants. Other commercial activities include poultry farming, beekeeping, pig farming and the dairy industry.
Administrative divisions
This city is conformed for the following neighbourhoods, known as “distritos”:
- Alajuela ( Main )
- San Jose
- Carrizal
- San Antonio
- Guacima
- San Isidro
- Sabanilla
- San Rafael
- Rio Segundo
- Desamparados
- Turrúcares
- Tambor
- Garita
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alajuela
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