Alajuela
Encyclopedia
Alajuela is the second largest city in Costa Rica
after the capital, San José. It is also the capital of the namesake province
. Because of its location in the Costa Rican Central Valley
, Alajuela is nowadays englobed in the conurbation of Great Metropolitan Area
(GAM). The city is the birthplace of Juan Santamaría
, the national hero of Costa Rica and the figure who gives the name to the country's main international airport
, which is located south of Alajuela downtown.
's first district limits, even though nowadays the city's population and urban area stretches beyond the district limits.
The district of Alajuela covers an area of 8.88 km², It lies at an elevation of 952 meters above sea level in the Central Valley
, 19 kilometers northwest of San José
.
Alajuela's climate is tropical
, typical of the altitude of Central Valley, but slightly warmer than San José's. Temperatures are at a moderate 23 – 26 degrees Celsius with a low humidity rate of 20% almost all year round. Alajuela and its surroundings are famed for having "the best weather in the world".
According to the 2000 Census
, the urban area of the city of Alajuela had a population of 123,481 (including the district of Alajuela and the urban population of other districts in Alajuela Canton
). The current population (as of 2009) of the district of Alajuela is of 50,753.
The first Spanish settlers came in 1650, and established themselves in the untouched lands of the region. Later, in a letter 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 was founded in 1813. On December 18th of the same year, the La Lajuela quarter obtained the title of town and it was renamed: it was first called "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 "Alajuela" which remains today.
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.
The area often experiences earthquake
s; the 2009 magnitude 6.1 earthquake
was the strongest to hit the area, causing several landslides.
, 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. More recently, Alajuela has seen important investment in free zone parks and heavy industry companies.
Alajuela is an important transport hub for the country, communicating the capital city with regions in Western and Northern Costa Rica. As a part of the GAM
, most of the inhabitants of Alajuela work in other cities or regions of the Central Valley, and everyday receives residents from other locations to come to work in factories of the canton, a fact that gives very high human mobility.
Central America
's second busiest airport, Juan Santamaría International Airport
, is located 3 kilometers south of the city center.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
after the capital, San José. It is also the capital of the namesake province
Alajuela Province
Alajuela is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the north-central part of the country, bordering Nicaragua to the north, and clockwise the provinces Heredia, San José, Puntarenas and Guanacaste...
. Because of its location in the Costa Rican Central Valley
Costa Rican Central Valley
The Central Valley is a plateau and a geographic region of central Costa Rica. The land in the valley is a relative plain, despite being surrounded by several mountains and volcanos, the latter part of the Central Range. The region houses almost three quarters of Costa Ricans, and includes the...
, Alajuela is nowadays englobed in the conurbation of Great Metropolitan Area
San José Metropolitan Area
San Jose Metropolitan Area is the largest urban agglomeration in Costa Rica, comprising areas of high population density surrounding the capital, San José...
(GAM). The city is the birthplace of Juan Santamaría
Juan Santamaría
Juan Santamaría , is officially recognized as the national hero of the Republic of Costa Rica. A national holiday in Costa Rica, Juan Santamaría Day, is held every April 11 to commemorate his death....
, the national hero of Costa Rica and the figure who gives the name to the country's main international airport
Juan Santamaría International Airport
Juan Santamaría International Airport is located in Alajuela Province, about from downtown San José, Costa Rica. It is a hub airport for TACA/Lacsa, and focus city airport for Copa Airlines. It is named after Costa Rica's national hero Juan Santamaría, a courageous drummer boy who died in 1856...
, which is located south of Alajuela downtown.
Geography and Population
The limits of the city of Alajuela formally corresponds to the cantonAlajuela Canton
Alajuela is the name of the first canton in the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of , and has a population of 237,966...
's first district limits, even though nowadays the city's population and urban area stretches beyond the district limits.
The district of Alajuela covers an area of 8.88 km², It lies at an elevation of 952 meters above sea level in the Central Valley
Costa Rican Central Valley
The Central Valley is a plateau and a geographic region of central Costa Rica. The land in the valley is a relative plain, despite being surrounded by several mountains and volcanos, the latter part of the Central Range. The region houses almost three quarters of Costa Ricans, and includes the...
, 19 kilometers northwest of San José
San José, Costa Rica
San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, San José is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation.Founded in 1738 by order of Cabildo de León, San...
.
Alajuela's climate is tropical
Tropical climate
A tropical climate is a climate of the tropics. In the Köppen climate classification it is a non-arid climate in which all twelve months have mean temperatures above...
, typical of the altitude of Central Valley, but slightly warmer than San José's. Temperatures are at a moderate 23 – 26 degrees Celsius with a low humidity rate of 20% almost all year round. Alajuela and its surroundings are famed for having "the best weather in the world".
According to the 2000 Census
Costa Rica 2000 Census
The Costa Rica 2000 Census was undertaken by the National Institute of Statistics and Census .-Description:...
, the urban area of the city of Alajuela had a population of 123,481 (including the district of Alajuela and the urban population of other districts in Alajuela Canton
Alajuela Canton
Alajuela is the name of the first canton in the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of , and has a population of 237,966...
). The current population (as of 2009) of the district of Alajuela is of 50,753.
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. Later, in a letter 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 was founded in 1813. On December 18th of the same year, the La Lajuela quarter obtained the title of town and it was renamed: it was first called "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 "Alajuela" which remains today.
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.
The area often experiences earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s; the 2009 magnitude 6.1 earthquake
2009 Costa Rica earthquake
The 2009 Costa Rica earthquake , occurred at 1:21:34 pm local time on January 8, 2009. The epicenter of the 6.1 Mw earthquake was in northern Costa Rica, north-northwest of San José...
was the strongest to hit the area, causing several landslides.
Economy
The main exports of the region are coffeeCoffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
, sugar-cane, corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, beans, tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, citrus fruits, strawberries, tubers like cassava, flowers and ornamental plants. Other commercial activities include poultry farming, beekeeping, pig farming and the dairy industry. More recently, Alajuela has seen important investment in free zone parks and heavy industry companies.
Transport
San José Metropolitan Area
San Jose Metropolitan Area is the largest urban agglomeration in Costa Rica, comprising areas of high population density surrounding the capital, San José...
, most of the inhabitants of Alajuela work in other cities or regions of the Central Valley, and everyday receives residents from other locations to come to work in factories of the canton, a fact that gives very high human mobility.
Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
's second busiest airport, Juan Santamaría International Airport
Juan Santamaría International Airport
Juan Santamaría International Airport is located in Alajuela Province, about from downtown San José, Costa Rica. It is a hub airport for TACA/Lacsa, and focus city airport for Copa Airlines. It is named after Costa Rica's national hero Juan Santamaría, a courageous drummer boy who died in 1856...
, is located 3 kilometers south of the city center.