Guanacaste is a province of Costa Rica. It is in the northwestern part of the country, bordering Nicaragua. The provincial capital is the city of Liberia.
Name
The province is named for the guanacaste tree, also known as the ear pod tree, which is the national tree of Costa Rica.
Location
The Guanacaste province borders the provinces of Alajuela to the east,and Puntarenas to the southeast and southwest. The Pacific Ocean is to the south and to the west, and Nicaragua is to the north of the province.
Geography
Guanacaste is the second largest province of Costa Rica, after the Puntarenas province, with an area of .
The province is in the northwest of Costa Rica, along the Pacific Ocean. Most of the territory of the province is flat or with low hills. The Cordillera de Guanacaste ("Guanacaste mountain range") is on the border with the Alajuela; in this range are four important volcanos: Miravalles, high; Tenorio, high; Rincón de la Vieja, an active volcano, high; and Orosí, an inactive volcano, high.
Demographics
The people of the province are known as Guanacastecos (women: Guanacastecas.
The Guanacaste province had a population, in 2011, of 326,953 for a population density of inhabitants/km2, the province with the lower density. The canton of Liberia, with 62,987 inhabitants, is the canton with more inhabitants.
Evolution of the population in Guanacaste
Administrative divisions
The Guanacaste province is divided in 11 cantons, which are divided into 59 Districts.
Economy
The main economic activity in the province is farming, mainly cattle raising. Important crops in the province are cotton, sugarcane and rice. Today Guanacaste has become one of the most touristic provinces in Costa Rica, thanks to the Guanacaste International Airport, which offers flights to the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Tourism has reactivated the Guanacaste economy and exerting a change towards this new dynamic economy. Tourists choose Guanacaste for the combination of beaches as Playas del Coco and Playa Tamarindo, and the sunny dry season that coincides with the winter months in northern latitudes, its beautiful and exotic beaches, world-class sport fishing in the Gulf of Papagayo, luxurious hotels and basic services.
Many tourists also visit the national parks in the province. Santa Rosa National Park, Palo verde and Rincon de la Vieja are most visited places.