Limón Province

Limón () is one of seven provinces in Costa Rica. The province covers an area of 9,189 km<sup>2</sup>, and has a population of 386,862.

The majority of its territory is situated in the country's Caribbean lowlands, though the southwestern portion houses part of an extensive mountain range known as the Cordillera de Talamanca. The province shares its northern border with Nicaragua via the Río San Juan, its western borders with the provinces of Heredia, Cartago, and Puntarenas, and its southern border with Panama via the Río Sixaola. Within the province there are six cantons, or counties, which include Pococí, Guácimo, Siquirres, Matina, Limón, and Talamanca. Each cantón has several local districts.

Limón is one of the most culturally diverse of Costa Rica's provinces, housing a significant Afro–Costa Ricans and indigenous population. Several languages (Spanish, Limón Creole) are spoken, and due mainly to its cultural ties to the Caribbean islands, dishes like rice and beans are ubiquitous throughout the province, along with reggae, calypso, and soca music (see "Demographics").

The capital is Puerto Limón, and other important cities include Siquirres, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, and Guápiles.

Locals refer to themselves as limonenses.

History

thumb|left|200px|Translation: "Wherever I go, Limonense I am"

Columbus was the first European to visit Limón during his fourth and final voyage to the Americas in 1502, setting anchor near Isla Uvita, just off the shore of present-day Puerto Limón. Due mainly to the region's hot and inhospitable weather and fervent resistance from indigenous groups, the Spanish tried but eventually gave up the idea of colonizing the Caribbean lowlands and instead opted to exploit the central valley and Pacific regions.

Starting in the early 19th century, Afro-Caribbeans from Bocas del Toro (Panama), San Andrés (Colombia), and Nicaragua visited what is now Tortuguero to hunt turtles from May through September. As years passed, these populations eventually settled along the coast and founded the towns of Cahuita (named after the sangrillo or cawa tree), Old Harbour (Puerto Viejo), Grape Point (Punta Uva), and Manzanillo (named after the manchineel tree). Although he secured two English bank loans in 1871 and got the American Henry Meiggs to take on the project, work stopped in 1873 due to financial, logistical, and labor issues. After finishing the project, but losing money due to low passenger numbers, Keith placed bananas in the empty cars and shipped them to the United States as a (subsequently successful) business experiment.This railroad was built as an export railroad, not a passenger railroad. Recent major investment initiatives are a break with the past, and may help to improve relations between the Caribbean district and the central valley (see "Economy").

Geography

thumb|right|200px|Caribbean coast in Limón

The majority of Limón's land lies at sea level, though its western border sees an increase in altitude due largely to the Cordillera de Talamanca. The province's indigenous populations largely reside in reserves that occupy much of the cantón of Talamanca.

Climate

Unlike the rest of the country, Limón does not adhere to the dry-wet season cycle. It rains throughout the year, though the driest months tend to occur in September and October.

Demographics

Limón is home to the country's largest concentration of Chinese, Afro-Caribbean and indigenous groups (mainly the Bribri, Kéköldi, and Cabécar). Spoken languages include Spanish, an English creole called Limonese Creole, Chinese, English, and the indigenous languages of the province's three main groups (the Bribri, KéköLdi, and Babécar).

Due mainly to the surge in tourism starting around the 1970s, Limón is home to a host of foreign expatriates. Among the most common are Americans, Canadians, Nicaraguans, South Americans (mainly Colombian and Ecuadorian), and Europeans (Spanish, Dutch, German, Swiss, and Italian).

Although Limón province ranks third in overall poverty statistics, Talamanca ranks as one of the poorest counties in the country, with a significant portion of its mainly indigenous population of nearly 26,000 residents having spotty access to potable water, electricity, and roads.

Access to education – especially in Talamanca – is a problem that the government has tried to tackle. Whereas about 45% of limonenses possess a high-school degree (about the national average), only about 22% of talamanqueños (those from Talamanca) have achieved the same qualification. Though not officially linked, the government has reported lower drop-out rates over the past few years.

Health care is provided for the province by Hospital Dr. Tony Facio Castro.

Cultural events

Every second week of October (except 2020), Puerto Limón hosts a festival called carnaval. The event's start's credited to local community leader and activist, Alfred Josiah Henry Smith (known as "Mister King"), who helped organize the first carnaval in October 1949. The event coincides with Columbus Day (known locally as Día de la Raza) on October 12, and traditionally lasts for a little over a week (to include two weekends). Activities include parades, food, music, dancing, and, on the last night, a concert headed by a major Latino/Caribbean music act in the Parque Vargas. Previous headliners have included Eddy Herrera (2002), Damian Marley (2003), El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico (2005), and T.O.K. (2006).

The festival goes on rain or shine, though at times it is susceptible to local emergencies: Event planners cancelled carnaval in 2007 due to a major dengue outbreak that afflicted all of Limón, and again in 2008 due to an epidemic trash-removal problem that has since been resolved.

On August 31, Día del Negro ("day of the black person") is held to showcase the black people in Limón. Everyone wears African garments, and the children and adults play music and dance in the middle of the street to traditional music.

Political divisions

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! # !! Cantón !! Area (km<sup>2</sup>) !! Population (2011) !! Capital city

| 1 || Limón || 1,765.79 || 94,415 || Limón

| 2 || Pococí || 2,403.49 || 125,962 || Guápiles

| 3 || Siquirres || 860.19 || 56,786 || Siquirres

| 4 || Talamanca || 2,809.93 || 30,712 || Bribri

| 5 || Matina || 772.64 || 37,721 || Matina

| 6 || Guácimo || 576.48 || 41,266 || Guácimo