Montes de Oca is the name of the 15th canton

Cantons of Costa Rica

This is a list of the cantons of Costa Rica.Cantons are the second-level administrative division of Costa Rica. The country's seven provinces are subdivided into 81 cantons , and these are further subdivided into districts .A unique feature of the cantons is that they are the only administrative...

 in the province of San José

San José Province

San José is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the central part of the country, and borders the provinces of Alajuela, Heredia, Cartago, Limón and Puntarenas. The provincial capital is San José. The province covers an area of 4,965.9 km²...

 in Costa Rica

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....

. The canton covers an area of 15.16 square kilometres (5.9 sq mi), and has a population of 54,288. The capital city of the canton is San Pedro.

The elongated canton reaches from the suburbs of the national capital 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...

 eastward to the province of Cartago, and neighbors the cantons of Curridabat

Curridabat

Curridabat is a city of the San José Province in Costa Rica.It is situated on the eastern border of the city, San José, above the Desamparados Canton, and below the Montes de Oca Canton.Curridabat has a population of around 34,000 people...

, 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...

, Cartago

Cartago Province

Cartago is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the central part of the country. Bordering provinces are Limón to the east and San José to the west. The capital is Cartago and it was formerly the capital city of Costa Rica until 1823 when the capital was changed to San Jose...

, and Goicoechea. The Río Torres delineate a portion of the northern boundary, while the Río Ocloro and Quebrada Poró mark the southern boundary.

The canton is known for its high level of commercial development, the number of universities and other centers of higher education, and its active night life. It is one of the most urbanized and vibrant cantons in the San José area, both day and night.

Districts

The canton of Montes de Oca is subdivided into four districts

Districts of Costa Rica

| The cantons of Costa Rica are subdivided into 473 districts .-References:...

 (distritos):

District	Postal code	Alt. (m)	Area (km2)	Pop. (2008)	Coordinates
San Pedro	11501		4.82		09°56′02"N 84°03′16"W
	Barrios (neighborhoods): Alhambra, Azáleas, Carmiol, Cedral, Dent (part), Francisco Peralta (part), Fuentes, Granja, Kezia, Lourdes, Monterrey, Nadori, Oriente, Pinto, Prados del Este, Roosevelt, San Gerardo (part), Santa Marta, Saprissa, Vargas Araya, Yoses
Sabanilla	11502		1.79		09°56′48"N 84°02′11"W
	Barrios (neighborhoods): Arboleda, Bloquera, Cedros, El Cristo (part), Españolita, Luciana, Marsella, Maravilla, Rodeo, Rosales, San Marino
Mercedes	11503		1.39		09°56′28"N 84°03′12"W
	Barrios (neighborhoods): Alma Máter, Damiana, Dent (part), Guaymí, Paso Hondo, Paulina
San Rafael	11504		7.16		09°56′42"N 84°01′08"W
	Barrios (neighborhoods): Alameda, Andrómeda, Begonia, Cuesta Grande (part), El Cristo (parte), Estéfana (part), Europa, Liburgia, Mansiones (part), Maruz, Salitrillos

Education

Montes de Oca is known in Costa Rica as the Cradle of Higher Education as it is home to the University of Costa Rica

University of Costa Rica

The University of Costa Rica is a public university in the Republic of Costa Rica, in Central America. Its main campus, Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio, is located in San Pedro, in the province of San José. It is the oldest, largest, and most prestigious institution of higher learning in...

 as well as other university-level centers of study, such as the Universidad Latina and the Universidad Americana (UAM) Escuela Laboratorio. The canton can boast of 99% literacy, compared with 95% in Costa Rica at large.

Points of interest

• Fuente de la Hispanidad, a large fountain in a major intersection that focuses on Costa Rica's cultural heritage. It is a major landmark in the area.
• Mall San Pedro, a shopping center built in the mid-90s, contains tattoo parlors, a movie theater, a food court, video game shops, and clothing stores.
• Iglesia de San Pedro (San Pedro Catholic Church)
• Calle de la Amargura
  Calle de la Amargura
  The Calle de la Amargura is a four-block-long street locatedin San Pedro de Montes de Oca and is one of the best-known zones in San José, Costa Rica...
  
  , a street centered around the nightlife of the University of Costa Rica.

History

The canton was established by law on August 2, 1915. Its name honors a former congressional representative from the area, Don Faustino Montes de Oca (1859–1902).

External links

• Montes de Oca, official site