Orosi is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

of the Paraíso canton, in the Cartago province of Costa Rica.

History

Orosi is one of the oldest communities in Costa Rica. The village of Orosi was chosen, together with Ujarrás, by the Spanish conquerors to establish their first settlement in Costa Rica due to its water wealth and fertile land. Before the arrival of the Spanish in the sixteenth century, the Orosi Valley was inhabited by the indigenous Huetare, Cabecar and Viceita tribes.http://www.costaricaplus.com/orosi-valley/orosi-valley-history.html

Geography

Orosi has an area of and an elevation of . It is located about south of the capital San José. Orosi is situated on the

Reventazón River The Reventazón River, , (), is a river in Costa Rica. Geography Reventazón River forms part of the Reventazón-Parismina drainage basin, it is long and flows into the Caribbean sea. It starts at the base of the Irazú Volcano, passing t ...

in the Orosi Valley, a deep valley with a humid climate, surrounded by hills and lush vegetation. The cultivation of

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...

is the leading industry in the area. Orosi has a population of approximately 4,600 and claims to have the oldest

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

church still in use in Costa Rica. The church, Iglesia de San Jose de Orosi, was built in during the colonial era.

Demographics

For the 2011 census, Orosi had a population of inhabitants.

Transportation

Road transportation

The district is covered by the following road routes: * CR RNP 2

National Route 2 * CR RNS 224

National Route 224 * CR RNT 405

National Route 405 * CR RNT 408

National Route 408

Economy

Tourism

With its rain forests, volcanoes, hills and valleys lined with rows upon rows of coffee plants and sugar cane, the Orosi region offers some of the richest scenery to be found in Costa Rica. But the region is also rich in history and contains a number of monuments to the past, including a colonial capital founded in 1563 and archeological excavations that date back to 1000 B.C. Although this area was one of the first in the country to be settled, it has been one of the last to be developed for tourism. A few kilometers away, at the southern end of the valley, the road ends and the

Tapantí National Park Tapantí - Cerro de la Muerte Massif National Park, ( es, Parque Nacional Tapantí - Macizo Cerro de la Muerte), is a National Park in the Central Conservation Area of Costa Rica located on the edge of the Talamanca Range, near Cartago. It prote ...

begins. This park covers about 600 km² and forms the northernmost section of a massive collection of nature parks that extends into

Panamá Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

(the largest of which is the

La Amistad International Park The La Amistad International Park, or in Spanish , formerly the La Amistad National Park, is a Transboundary Protected Area in Latin America, management of which is shared between Costa Rica ( Caribbean La Amistad and Pacific La Amistad Conservat ...

). As a result, wildlife abounds. However, access is difficult and largely restricted apart from a few kilometers of easy trails. The abundance of birds makes it a popular place for

ornithology Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

studies. Part of the reason for the abundant growth is the heavy

rainfall Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...

, which ranges up to 7,000mm (275 inches) in the mountains. It is the drinkable water source that supplies much of the metropolitan area. Lake Cachí lies to the northeast.

Gallery

File:DirkvdM orosi valley bird.jpg, Coffee plantation just south of Orosi File:Iglesia de San Jose de Orosi - Costa Rica - panoramio (4).jpg, Iglesia de San Jose de Orosi File:Campanario Iglesia Colonial de Orosi, Cartago, Costa Rica - panoramio.jpg, Church tower File:Altar mayor. Orosi. Cartago. Costa Rica.JPG, Church altar File:DirkvdM orosi red grass.jpg, In the hills near Orosi File:DirkvdM orosi chalet.jpg

References

External links

Info about the Orosi Valley
{{Authority control Districts of Cartago Province Populated places in Cartago Province