Puriscal (canton)

Puriscal canton in San José province

Puriscal is the 4th canton (or "county") in the province of San José, Costa Rica. In Spanish, a "puriscal" is the flower of the common bean. The capital city of the canton is Santiago (de Puriscal).

The canton of Puriscal covers an area of 553.66 km²;[1] the Río Chucás delineates the canton's northernmost boundary, while the Río Chires marks its far southern border, with the canton of Parrita in Puntarenas Province. Puriscal includes a major portion of the Coastal Mountain Range, however the canton is landlocked, in that it does not have direct ocean access.

The canton has a population of 31,202.[2] Only 18% of the canton's population live in urban areas. Among its inhabitants, 20.2% are under 10 years old and 7.4% are over 65.

Districts

The canton of Puriscal is subdivided into nine districts (distritos):[3]

Santiago

The old cathedral

Santiago is the capital city of the canton of Puriscal in the province of San José in Costa Rica. It is also the name of the distrito (district) that includes the city. The district of Santiago covers an area of 34.58 km²,[4] and has a population of 11,697.[5]

The city lies at an elevation of 1,105 metres above sea level[4] in the coastal mountain range, 42 km southwest of the national capital city of San José and 77 km north of the city of Parrita on the Pacific coast.

The old cathedral was built by Fr. Juan Cortez de Paja who took a vow of celibacy after an Indian Princess died from Influenza that she had caught from him. On the centennial of her death an earthquake destroyed the edifice.

History

The canton or Puriscal was established by a decree of August 7, 1868.[6]

References

http://www.greenmangosa.com

  1. ↑ Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN), 2001.
  2. ↑ Estimates of Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC), May 2003.
  3. ↑ "División Territorial Administrativa de Costa Rica" (PDF) (in Spanish). Instituto de Fomento y Asesoria Municipal (IFAM). 5 May 2009.
  4. 1 2 Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN), 2001
  5. ↑ Estimates of Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC), May 2003
  6. ↑ More Information Puriscal


Coordinates: 9°50′29″N 84°18′47″W / 9.84139°N 84.31306°W / 9.84139; -84.31306

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