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San Carlos (canton)

Coordinates: 10°37′13″N 84°30′43″W / 10.6203924°N 84.512°W / 10.6203924; -84.512
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San Carlos
Arenal Volcano as seen from Monteverde
Flag of San Carlos
Official seal of San Carlos
Map
San Carlos canton
San Carlos canton location in Alajuela Province##San Carlos canton location in Costa Rica
San Carlos canton location in Alajuela Province##San Carlos canton location in Costa Rica
San Carlos
San Carlos canton location in Alajuela Province
San Carlos canton location in Alajuela Province##San Carlos canton location in Costa Rica
San Carlos canton location in Alajuela Province##San Carlos canton location in Costa Rica
San Carlos
San Carlos canton location in Costa Rica
Coordinates: 10°37′13″N 84°30′43″W / 10.6203924°N 84.512°W / 10.6203924; -84.512
Country Costa Rica
ProvinceAlajuela
Creation26 September 1911
Head cityQuesada
Districts
Government
 • TypeMunicipality
 • BodyMunicipalidad de San Carlos
 • MayorJuan Diego González Picado (PLN)
Area
 • Total
3,352.33 km2 (1,294.34 sq mi)
Elevation
340 m (1,120 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
163,745
 • Estimate 
(2022)
198,742
 • Density49/km2 (130/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−06:00
Canton code210
Websitewww.munisc.go.cr

San Carlos is a canton in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica.[1][2] The capital city of the canton is Ciudad Quesada.

History

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San Carlos was created on 26 September 1911 by decree 17.[3]

Geography

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San Carlos has an area of 3,352.33 km2 (1,294.34 sq mi)[4] and a mean elevation of 340 m (1,120 ft).[1]

The canton encompasses a major portion of the San Carlos Plain, a wide expanse on the Caribbean side of the Cordillera Central (Central Mountain Range). San Carlos reaches north to the border of Nicaragua, east to the province of Heredia, west to the province of Guanacaste, and south into the heights of the Cordillera.

San Carlos is noted as the home of Arenal Volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The canton's principal economic activities include the production of oranges, yuca, pineapple, sugar cane, beef and dairy products. More than 50% of the national dairy production in Costa Rica comes from San Carlos.

Government

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Mayor

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According to Costa Rica's Municipal Code, mayors are elected every four years by the population of the canton.[5] As of the latest municipal elections in 2024, the National Liberation Party candidate, Juan Diego González Picado, was elected mayor of the canton with 33.09% of the votes, with Pilar Porras Zúñiga and Diana Murillo Murillo as first and second vice mayors, respectively.[6]

Mayors of San Carlos since the 2002 elections[7]
Period Name Party
2002–2006 Alfredo Córdoba Soro PLN
2006–2010
2010–2016
2016–2020
2020–2024
2024–2028 Juan Diego González Picado

Municipal Council

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Like the mayor and vice mayors, members of the Municipal Council (called regidores) are elected every four years. San Carlos' Municipal Council has 9 seats for regidores and their substitutes, who can participate in meetings but not vote unless the owning regidor (regidor propietario) is absent.[5] The current president of the Municipal Council is the Social Christian Unity Party member, Raquel Tatiana Marín Cerdas.[8] The Municipal Council's composition for the 2024–2028 period is as follows:

Current composition of the Municipal Council of San Carlos after the 2024 municipal elections[9]
Political parties in the Municipal Council of San Carlos
Political party Regidores
Owner Substitute
National Liberation Party (PLN) 3 Freddy Mauricio Rodríguez Quesada Álvaro Ignacio Esquivel Castro
Ashley Tatiana Brenes Alvarado Marianela Murillo Vargas
Sergio Chaves Acevedo Eduardo Salas Rodríguez
Costa Rica Rules Here (ACRM) 2 Luisa María Chacón Caamaño Flor de María Blanco Solís
Melvin López Sancho Marco Aurelio Sirias Víctor
Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) 2 Julia Patricia Romero Barrientos Amalia Salas Porras
Esteban Rodríguez Murillo Juan Pablo Rodríguez Acuña
Progreser (PGS) 1 Jorge Luis Zapata Arroyo Jorge Antonio Rodríguez Miranda
Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) 1 Raquel Tatiana Marín Cerdas(P) Mariam Torres Morera

Districts

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The canton of San Carlos is subdivided into the following districts:

  1. Quesada
  2. Florencia
  3. Buenavista
  4. Aguas Zarcas
  5. Venecia
  6. Pital
  7. La Fortuna
  8. La Tigra
  9. La Palmera
  10. Venado
  11. Cutris
  12. Monterrey
  13. Pocosol

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.±% p.a.
19275,719—    
195016,180+4.63%
196336,586+6.48%
197354,952+4.15%
198475,576+2.94%
2000127,140+3.30%
2011163,745+2.33%
2022198,742+1.78%
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos[10]
Centro Centroamericano de Población[11]

San Carlos had an estimated 198,742 inhabitants in 2022, second highest in its province and fourth highest in the country, behind San José, Alajuela, and Desamparados.[12] This is an increase from 163,745 people for the 2011 census.[13]

According to a publication by the United Nations Development Programme, San Carlos had a Human Development Index of 0.765 in 2022, putting it 6th highest in its province and 28th overall.[14]

Transportation

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Road transportation

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The canton is covered by the following road routes:

Education

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There is a branch of the Costa Rica Institute of Technology in Santa Clara, San Carlos.

Sports

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In federated soccer, San Carlos is represented by Asociación Deportiva San Carlos. This association also gives its name to numerous minor league teams that have notably excelled at the national level.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Declara oficial para efectos administrativos, la aprobación de la División Territorial Administrativa de la República N°41548-MGP". Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica (in Spanish). 19 March 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  2. ^ División Territorial Administrativa de la República de Costa Rica (PDF) (in Spanish). Editorial Digital de la Imprenta Nacional. 8 March 2017. ISBN 978-9977-58-477-5.
  3. ^ Hernández, Hermógenes (1985). Costa Rica: evolución territorial y principales censos de población 1502 - 1984 (in Spanish) (1 ed.). San José: Editorial Universidad Estatal a Distancia. pp. 164–173. ISBN 9977-64-243-5. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  4. ^ Instituto Geográfico Nacional de Costa Rica (20 June 2024). "DIVISIÓN TERRITORIAL ADMINISTRATIVA, 2024 - TOTALES DE PROVINCIAS, CANTONES Y DISTRITOS DE COSTA RICA" [ADMINISTRATIVE TERRITORIAL DIVISION, 2024 - TOTALS OF PROVINCES, CANTONS AND DISTRICTS OF COSTA RICA] (PDF) (in Spanish).
  5. ^ a b Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica (13 May 2024). "Código Municipal" [Municipal Code]. Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica (in Spanish).
  6. ^ Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (8 March 2024). "N.° 2156-E11-2024 - Declaratoria de elección de alcaldías y vicealcaldías de las municipalidades de los cantones de la provincia de Alajuela, para el período comprendido entre el primero de mayo de dos mil veinticuatro y el treinta de abril de dos mil veintiocho" (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  7. ^ Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones. "Resoluciones declaratorias de elección". Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  8. ^ Municipalidad de San Carlos (26 May 2024). "ACTA 29-2024 Sesión Ordinaria" (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  9. ^ Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (12 March 2024). "N.° 2219-E11-2024 - Declaratoria de elección de regidurías de las municipalidades de los cantones de la provincia de Alajuela, para el período comprendido entre el primero de mayo de dos mil veinticuatro y el treinta de abril de dos mil veintiocho" (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos" (in Spanish).
  11. ^ Centro Centroamericano de Población de la Universidad de Costa Rica. "Sistema de Consulta a Bases de Datos Estadísticas" (in Spanish).
  12. ^ Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (July 2023). Estimación de Población y Vivienda 2022 : Resultados Generales [2022 Population and Housing Estimate : General Results] (PDF) (in Spanish). ISBN 9789930525753. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  13. ^ "Censo. 2011. Población total por zona y sexo, según provincia, cantón y distrito". Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  14. ^ Sistema Nacional de Información y Registro Único de Beneficiarios del Estado; Escuela de Estadística de la Universidad de Costa Rica; Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (9 June 2023). "Atlas de Desarrollo Humano Cantonal en Costa Rica, 2022". Retrieved 24 July 2024.
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  • SIR-ZEE Web portal for business and government in the Northern Zone