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. It also borders the provinces of Heredia to the east, San José to the south, Puntarenas to the southwest, and Guanacaste to the west. As of 2011, the province had a population of 885,571. Alajuela is composed of 16 cantons, which are divided into 111 districts.

The provincial capital is Alajuela. Other large cities include Quesada, Aguas Zarcas, Naranjo, Zarcero, Orotina, Sarchí Norte, Upala, San Ramón, Grecia and Los Chiles.

Provincial history

Pre-Columbia and the arrival of the Spanish

thumb|Traditional indigenous territory of Guatusos

thumb|Indigenous hut

Costa Rica has been inhabited for nearly 10,000 years, but little is known of its pre-Columbian history. Alajuela was occupied by several indigenous groups just before the arrival of the Spanish. Despite being between two major civilizations, indigenous groups sparsely populated the area. The Hueteres lived in the south of the territory, while the Botos, Guatusos, Tices and Catapas lived in the north. In the 15th century, most of the region of modern Alajuela was under the control of Garabito, an indigenous leader of whom little is known. Only the Botos, who lived in Alajuela's northern plains, resisted conquest until the early 1800s.

Starting in the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors arrived in the Central Valley from Guanacaste. The natives who survived epidemics and conquest were placed in the encomienda system of labor, which exploited natives and funneled money to the Spanish Crown. In 1574, the first reservation for natives was created at Santa Catalina, the Canton of Mateo.

Esteban Lorenzo de Tristán, Bishop of Nicaragua, Nicoya, and Costa Rica, tried organizing Catholic communities west of Heredia. In doing so, he inaugurated a small oratory to unite the scattered settlers. The oratory was centered in the village of "La Lajuela", between the Ciruelas and Alajuela rivers. Because of its creation, the city of Alajuela was officially founded on 12 October 1782. The Alajuelan side won. Costa Rica left the Mexican Empire shortly before it dissolved.

Settlement of the northern portion of Alajuela began in earnest only in the latter half of the 19th century. It did not reach grand proportions until the second half of the 20th century, owing mainly to difficult access. Much of the original colonization came from Nicaragua since numerous navigable rivers flow north from their origins in the cordilleras and empty into either Lake Nicaragua or the San Juan River. By 1850, the province had a population of approximately 15,540.

20th century

On 16 February 1921, Pope Benedict XV issued a papal bull that reorganized Alajuela into an Ecclesiastic Province run by the incumbents of two new positions: the Archbishop of Alajuela and the Apostolic Vicar of Limón.

A seminal event in Alajuela's history was the 1968 eruption of Volcán Arenal. Residents previously referred to it as Mount Arenal. In the years before the eruption, residents reported rising groundwater temperatures and slight tremors. Beginning on 28 July 1969, residents of surrounding towns reported constant tremors. The eruptions began on 29 July, spewing ash into the neighboring provinces and launching boulders into the sky.

Geography

The province is located in the North Central Plains and borders Nicaragua (Departamento de Rivas, Departamento del Río San Juan) to the north and the Costa Rican provinces of Heredia to the east, San José to the south, and Guanacaste to the west. Alajuela's San Carlos (canton) is larger than the provinces of Heredia and Cartago. It is the largest canton in Costa Rica, occupying 34.32% of the provincial territory and 6.55% of the national territory.

Mountains

thumbnail|[[Poás Volcano National Park|Poás Volcano Crater, Poás Volcano National Park with acidic lake]]

thumb|Arenal Volcano in [[La Fortuna, San Carlos|La Fortuna of San Carlos remains active, and volcanic eruptions can be seen.]]

The Central Mountain Range (Cordillera Central de Costa Rica) passes through the province's borders, as do the Tilarán and Guanacaste ranges. This province is also home to the two most active Costa Rican Volcanoes: Poás Volcano and the Arenal Volcano.

{| class="wikitable"

! colspan="4" | Mountain Peaks of Alajuela Province

| Cerro Barquero

| 6,944

| 2,117

| Cerro Camacho

| 6,672

| 2,034

| Cerro Platanar

| 6,572

| 2,003

|unmonitored, active stratovolcano

| Cerro La Barranca

| 5,882

| 1,696

| Volcán Arenal

| 5,479

| 1,670

| active stratovolcano, deadly 1968 eruption began an active period

| Cerro Porvenir

| 4,734

| 1,443

| active stratovolcano

| Cerro Espíritu Santo

| 3,983

| 1,214

| home of abandoned church and school near the peak

| Cerro Chato

| 3,740

| 1,140

| inactive volcano on the southeast side of Arenal, location of Crater Lake

| Cerro Nispero

| 1,110

| 338

Rivers

thumb|[[Río Grande de Tárcoles]]

In the northern plains, the San Carlos and Frío rivers flow into the San Juan River basin, which separates Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The Tárcoles River, which flows to the Gulf of Nicoya, is known for its crocodile population.

{| class="wikitable"

! colspan="2" | Major Rivers in Alajuela Province

Flora and fauna

thumb|Mother and juvenile [[Baird's tapir near Rio Celeste]]

Costa Rica is a biodiversity hotspot, and Alajuela is no exception. Thousands of species are native to the province.

Nearly a third of the country's 1,400 types of orchids can be found in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, which straddles the border between Alajuela and Guanacaste.

Birds such as the quetzal, scarlet macaw, hummingbird, woodpecker, kingfisher, toucan, and three-wattled bellbird are native to Alajuela. There are many species of bats as well, like the spectral bat, Honduran white bat, and the thumbless bat. Many insect species, including butterflies and moths, are native to Alajuela. Because of this, the Butterfly Farm in La Garita was established to further scientific research into the different species.

The white-headed capuchin is native to the forests of the province, as is the mantled howler. Other mammals native to Alajuela include Baird's tapir, the giant anteater, the silky anteater, margays, ocelots, and other wild cats. Jaguars, while rarely seen, also inhabit the province's national parks. Deer are native to the highlands and the Northern Plains.

Machaca and bass are two fish found throughout the province. In addition, there are many other species of invertebrates and amphibians.

Climate

Temperature extremes in Alajuela range from 36.6 Fahrenheit (2.6 Celsius) to 95.6 Fahrenheit (35.2 Celsius). The year is generally split into two seasons: the dry season, or summer, from December to April, and the rainy season, or winter, from May to November. The winter corresponds with the Atlantic hurricane season, so rain can be a daily part of Alajuelan life. The highlands and the Northern Plains can vary significantly in temperature and precipitation.

Economy

thumb|Cattle ranching under the Arenal Volcano

Agriculture

The base of Alajuela's economy remains agricultural production. In the southern highlands of the province, tropical ornamentals, coffee, tubers, and green vegetables are the major crops. Rice, corn, pineapple, bananas, and sugarcane are important crops in the north and northeast. Alajuela ranks first nationwide in national coffee production and national sugar cane production. Many of the agricultural products are exported overseas.

This region has extensive pastoral areas, especially in the San Carlos area, where a significant cattle ranching sector is located. The cattle industry has spawned the production of leather, milk, dairy products, and beef. The municipality of Upala serves as a supply center for cattle ranchers north of the province. Naranjo, so named because "Naranjo" means orange in Spanish, produces oranges largely for domestic consumption. For a short time in the 1800s, tobacco was a cash crop in the Palmares region, though production has since declined. There is growing small-scale organic farming industry in Alajuela.

Industry and commerce

In recent years, Alajuela has attracted many export-oriented manufacturing companies, especially within the free trade zones around the municipality of Alajuela. Free trade zones include Coyol, Saret, Montecillos, and Bes, among others. Major companies in these zones include medical equipment manufacturers like Allergan, Baxter, Hospira, and Boston Scientific.

Tourism

thumb|La Fortuna Waterfall

Alajuela has a well-developed tourist sector throughout the province. Tourism is promoted by the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT) (Costa Rican Tourism Institute). However, some Alajuelan politicians would like to see a separate bureau for Alajuela. Alajuela has various national parks including Poás Volcano National Park, Arenal Volcano National Park, Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park, Juan Castro Blanco National Park, Los Ángeles Cloud Forest, and Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, as well as other reserves and protected areas.

Some of the province's tourist industry is centered around La Fortuna, a small town at the base of Arenal Volcano. There, tourists can visit Arenal Eco Zoo, hot spring resorts, tour a large lake below the volcano, go fishing, and visit nature reserves. The Tabacón hot springs, which reach temperatures up to 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit), are a popular destination for national and international tourists.

Other tourist centers in Alajuela include La Marina Wildlife Rescue Center, Zarcero, and a town known for its public topiary garden. Starting in the 1960s, gardener Evangelisto Blanco began transforming the bushes and cypress trees in Francisco Alvarado Park in the center of town. In the municipality of Palmares, there is a large festival every January. The festival has been going on since 1987 and has live music, horse parades, and other traditional events that attract nearly 20,000 visitors each year. Many visitors and businesses go to San Carlos in April each year for an annual cattle market. Grecia is a common stop for tourists traveling from the Central Valley to the Pacific Coast because of El Mundo de los Serpientes (The World of Snakes), a snake zoo and breeding center founded in 1994.

The municipality of Alajuela is also a major tourist attraction. The city's center is a centuries-old cathedral with a plaza where mangoes regularly fall from the trees. Known as "The City of Mangoes", there is a mango festival each June. Next to the plaza, there is a museum dedicated to folk hero Juan Santamaría. This museum is in the old Alajuela Prison building. As of 1999, it encompasses the old city armory, both buildings constructed in the second half of the 19th century. The Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center (formerly Rescate Animal Zoo Ave), established in 1990, is a bird rehabilitation and breeding center where visitors can view and learn about rare birds. There is also the Botanical Orchid Garden which houses dozens of species of orchids, as well as other plants native to the region. The University of Costa Rica maintains children's literature outreach centers primarily in Alajuela, in Grecia, San Ramón, Naranjo, Palmares and Zarcero. The municipality of Alajuela frequent holds storytelling contests and festivals, as well.

Because of its rich literary tradition, San Ramón is often called "la Tierra de las poetas" ("land of poets"). Many poets and authors were born in the San Ramón area, including José Joaquín Salas Pérez, Carlomagno Araya, Ema Gamboa, and Feliz Ángel Salas. San Ramón's favorite son is often listed as Lisímaco Chavarría. Born in 1878, Chavarría's romantic and naturalist poetry brought him into correspondence with many well-known Latin American authors, such as Rubén Darío, José Enrique Rodó and Joaquín García Monge. Author Fernando Contreras Castro, also born and raised in San Ramón, is an internationally recognized author writing in what is described as the "urban generation" style. Contreras teaches literature at the University of Costa Rica. Dobles' work concentrates on the plight of people experiencing poverty in Costa Rica. Dobles, a member of the Popular Vanguard Party, later spent time in prison for his political beliefs. Historian and journalist Ángela Ulibarri lives in Ciudad Quesada. Contemporary playwright Jorge Arroyo also grew up in Alajuela. His work has been staged in half a dozen countries.

Indigenous peoples

thumb|Palenque Margarita

Most of the indigenous tribes of Alajuela were killed during Spanish colonization, although the Botos held out until the mid-1800s. Today, the Maleku are among the few remaining indigenous tribes from the Spanish colonial period. Their reserve is in northern Alajuela, an hour north of La Fortuna at San Rafael de Guatuso. There are three Maleku villages near Guatuso: Palenque Sol, Palenque Tonjibe, and Palenque Margarita, where residents subsist largely from the tourist economy. It is the fifth public university in the country and maintains five campuses, including three in Alajuela at San Carlos, Atenas, and close to the municipality of Alajuela. INCAE was founded with the help of US during the Cold War with the intention of promoting business education in Central America. The Universidad Adventista de Centroamérica (UAC) (Central American Adventist University) is a private Adventist university in Ceiba. The Universidad Santa Lucía (Santa Lucia University) has a campus in the municipality of Alajuela and San Carlos. San Carlos also has a branch of the Costa Rica Institute of Technology. Founded in 1995, the Universidad de Ciencias Empresariales (UCEM) Business Science University is also located in Alajuela. In addition, there are other higher learning centers with campuses in Costa Rica, such as the Colegio Universitario Boston (Boston University College), which is not associated with Boston University, and the National Learning Institute (INA).

Architecture and public art

thumb|[[Grecia, Costa Rica|Grecia's sheet metal church]]

thumb|[[Ciudad Quesada's art deco cathedral]]

Alajuela has a rich and diverse architectural history, reflected in various styles of churches, schools, houses, and public works projects.

The municipality of Grecia is home to the Iglesia de la Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes (Our Lady of Mercy Church), a church constructed almost entirely of sheet metal. The sheet metal was bought by local investors and shipped from Belgium. Today, it is painted dark red. the neo-classical church of Templo San José in the municipality of Alajuela, and the wooden church in Venecia. the neo classical Escuela Pedro Aguirre Cerda in Poas, and the neo-colonial Escuela de Hacienda Vieja. Built in 1881, a project for its restoration began in 2000. It was expanded in 1813, but replaced with the current Cathedral between 1854 and 1863, designed by Francisco Kurtze. The art deco Escuela Ascensión Esquivel Ibarra and Hospital San Rafael are also within the municipality.

The Puente de Las Damas (Ladies' Bridge), built in 1844, is another national monument in Atenas. Other sources claim the name comes from the nearby planting of cestrum nocturnum, which is often called "lady of the night" in Spanish. Outside of Grecia, El Puente de Piedra (the Stone Footbridge) has given rise to so many folk-tales and legends that it is also a national monument. Funding for the statue was first approved in 1887 and it was built by Aristide Croisy, a French sculptor. The statue and the two cannons next to it were installed in 1891. Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío's poem, "¡Bronce al soldado Juan!" was inspired by the statue. Opposite the airport is the Farmer's Park, where the Monumento al Agricultor (Farmer's Monument) is located. It was vandalized in 2014 but quickly restored. In addition, there are numerous murals throughout the urban centers of Alajuela, including César Valverde Vega's in the Clínica de Alajuela.

Sarchí is home to the world's largest ox cart. It is displayed in the central park.

Architect Ibo Bonilla was born in Sarchí. Bonilla designed the Latin American Science and Technology University (ULACIT) and the Ibero American Hospital, among other projects. In addition, Bonilla remodeled the Central Bank of Costa Rica, the International Bank of Costa Rica, and many cultural spots in San José, including the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum.

Sport

thumb|Alejandro Morera Soto Stadium

The municipality of Alajuela is home to the Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, one of Costa Rica's most successful soccer clubs. La Liga was founded in 1919 and became a founding member of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol (National Football League) two years later. Between 1928 and 2018, La Liga won 29 national championships. and Alajuela is no exception. Every January in Palmares, bullfighting is the center of the city's annual festival. In 2013, an amateur rodeo clown was killed while trying to annoy the bulls in the Palmares bullfighting ring. Other smaller events are staged at festivals throughout the province.

Infrastructure

Transportation

thumb|[[Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Santamaría]]

Costa Rica's busiest airport is in southern Alajuela. The Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Santamaría (Juan Santamaría International Airport) is the second busiest airport in Central America. There are other local airports in La Fortuna, Los Chiles, and Upala.

Asphalted roads connect the major cities in Alajuela, whether they are highways or secondary roads. The General Cañas Highway connects the municipality of Alajuela to San José and was the subject of national ridicule when a sinkhole temporarily closed it in 2012, causing enormous traffic problems throughout the metropolitan region. The Colon of Mora to Orotina connects Orotina to San José. The Pan-American Highway runs through the province.

In 1926, Alajuela was the scene of one of the worst railroad disasters in history. High above the Virilla River, a train carrying pilgrims to the Virgen de los Ángeles derailed, killing 248 passengers and injuring a further 93. Two of Alajuela's defunct railroad stations are classified as national monuments: the Estación del Ferrocarril al Pacífico (Pacific Railroad Station) in Orotina and the Antigua Estación del Ferrocarril en Río Grande (Old Río Grande Railroad Station) in Atenas. however, work is underway to reopen the rails. The Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles (INCOFER) (Costa Rican Railroad Institute) is working to reopen the terminals and rails that link Alajuela and the other cities in the Central Valley. It is scheduled to open in 2014. In 2012, a proposal was made to build a train from Alajuela to Cartago but the project never got underway and was eventually scrapped.

Health services

thumb|Typical EBAIS

The entire province is serviced through the Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social (Caja) (Costa Rican Department of Social Insurance). Cities and towns of significant size have Equipos Básicos de Atención Integral en Salud (EBAIS) (Basic Medical Attention Center) facilities. In addition, one of Costa Rica's largest hospitals, Hospital San Rafael, is in the municipality of Alajuela. Grecia is home to the Hospital San Francisco de Asís, built-in 1858 by Ramón Quesada. Hospital Los Chiles is the northernmost hospital in the country. The old hospital in Quesada, built in the first half of the 20th century and no longer in use, is a national monument. Water service did not arrive to the northern city of Upala until 1976, but it was recently bolstered in the cantons of the north of Los Chiles, La Urruca, and Coquitales.

National trash collection is governed by the 8839 Law (Gestión Integral de Residuos Sólidos). The municipalities of Alajuela, Atenas, Grecia, Naranjo, Palmares, Poás, and San Ramón have collective trash removal services.

Electricity did not arrive in the northern part of the province until 1978. Grecia is home to a new hydroelectric plant, constructed in 2012.

Alejandro Morera Soto – Barcelona soccer player
Juan Santamaría – hero of 1856
Ibo Bonilla Oconitrillo, sculptor, architect, and teacher
Julio Acosta García, 24th President of Costa Rica
Anastasio Alfaro, zoologist, geologist, genealogist, and explorer
Fernando Contreras Castro, Novelist
León Cortés Castro, 28th President of Costa Rica
Carlos Luis Fallas, writer and Communist leader
Rafael Lucas Rodríguez, biologist, botanist, and artist
José Figueres Ferrer, first president of the new republic

Gallery

File:World's Largest Oxcart Sarchi Costa Rica.JPG|World's Largest Oxcart, Sarchí

File:Mapa de Costa Rica (1850).jpg|Map of Costa Rica (1850) showing the municipalities of Alajuela and Atenas

File:Ermita de El Llano de José Manuel Morera Cabezas.jpg|The Plains Hermitage, Alajuela

File:Alajuela_likeluis.jpg|Cathedral of Alajuela and Central Park

File:P1060113 small.JPG|Cathedral of Palmares

File:Iglesia Catholico de San Mateo.jpg|Church in San Mateo de Alajuela

File:Zarcero. Costa Rica.JPG|Zarcero church and topiary

File:Iglesia de Sarchí.jpg|Sarchí Norte church

File:Plaza de Toros Palmares Costa Rica.jpg|Bullfighting ring in Palmares

File:CRI 05 2008 Ruta 1 Autopista Gral Canas 2146.JPG|General Cañas Highway

File:Lac_Arenal_Costa_Rica_Barrage.JPG|Lake Arenal created by hydroelectric dam

File:Laguna azul, Rio Celeste, Parq Tenorio.jpg|River Celeste in Upala

File:Ficus aurea (butresses).jpg|Ficus aurea (buttresses)

File:Arenal-Volcano.jpg|Arenal Volcano

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