San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica, and is at the heart of the sprawling Gran Area Metropolitana or GAM, 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, San José is one of the youngest capitals of Latin America by its year of foundation, though it was not named capital until 1823. Nowadays it's a modern city with bustling commerce, brisk expressions of art and architecture, and spurred by the country's improved tourism industry, it is also a significant destination and stopover for foreign visitors.
Officially, the city's current population is of 346,799, this population corresponds to the San José Canton, the first of the twenty administrative units in San José Province, though the metropolitan area stretches beyond the canton limits and comprises a third of the country's population. Besides, San José exerts a strong influence on a wider range because of its proximity to minor cities (Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago) and the country's demographic assemblage in the Central Valley.
San José City lies in the Torrid Zone, like the rest of the country, but its elevation of 1,161 m above sea level, gives it a mild climate. The temperature ranges between 15 °C and 28.3 °C (59-83°F). The rainy season is from April to late November, but cloudiness and rainfall can occur during the dry season. The weather is also very windy; this may decrease temperatures even more. Relative humidity tends to range between 60% and 90%.
The University of Costa Rica was established here in 1843, in that time with the name of University of Santo Tomás. San José also serves as the headquarters of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The city is served by Juan Santamaría International Airport, 23 km west of downtown, in the city of Alajuela.
San Jose's History
First, the country......
During the fourth voyage to the New World in 1502 Christopher Columbus landed at "Cariari," known today as Puerto Limon. Christopher Columbus actually named Costa Rica (rich coast) under the assumption that the land was filled with precious metals. The earth never yielded gold and silver, but the name was perfect for the wealth of natural beauty and flawless climate. Located in Central America, Costa Rica is bordered on the north by Nicaragua, on the south by Panama, the Pacific ocean on the west and the Caribbean on the east.
The country has a territory of 51,000 km2 and a population of 3,200,000. Mountains spread from the northeast to the southeast forming a fertile central valley measuring approximately 3,000 km. The great majority of the population is concentrated here. The first settlers in Costa Rica were the Chorotega, Huetares and Brunca or Boruca Indians; today there are still about 20,000 Indians living here.
Peaceful Costa Rica, has been ruled since 1949 by democratically elected presidents. The Executive Power is exercised by the President, a person who must be over thirty years old and of Costa Rican birth. The constitution prohibits any army, to maintain peace and order the Civil Guard serves as a police force.
Now, the city .....
The latter half of the 20th century was a period of rapid growth for the city, considering that in 1950 its population was a mere 86,900.
San José was a small village of little significance until 1824. In that year, Costa Rica's first elected head of state, Juan Mora Fernández, moved the government of Costa Rica from the old Spanish colonial capital city of Cartago. This was a time of much optimism in the newly independent nation of Central America, of which Costa Rica was at that time a state.
