Zarcero is a
canton in the
Alajuela
Alajuela () is a district in the Alajuela (canton), Alajuela canton of the Alajuela Province of Costa Rica. As the seat of the Municipality of Alajuela canton, it is awarded the status of city. By virtue of being the city of the first canton of ...
province of
Costa Rica
Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
.
Hiking trails, pure water creeks, friendly people, landscapes and natural attractions are features of the area.
Toponymy
The name means an abundance of the
elmleaf or thornless blackberry plant, in Spanish called .
It was originally given the name "Alfaro Ruiz" in remembrance of
Juan Alfaro Ruíz, a hero from the
National Campaign of 1856, or Filibuster War. The head city of the canton is the eponymous
Zarcero district.
History
Zarcero was created on 21 June 1915 by decree 27.
Geography
Zarcero has an area of km²
and a mean elevation of metres.
To the north, the region borders canton
San Carlos, to the south it borders canton
Naranjo
Naranjo (Wak Kab'nal in Mayan) is a Pre-Columbian Maya city in the Petén Basin region of Guatemala. It was occupied from about 500 BC to 950 AD, with its height in the Late Classic Period. The site is part of Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park. ...
, to the east it borders canton
Sarchí and to the west it borders the canton
San Ramón.
The canton itself is diamond-shaped, with the Espina River forming the border on the northwest and the southwest sides. The
Toro River forms the southeastern border, and the La Vieja River borders the northeast.
Districts
The canton of Zarcero is subdivided into the following
districts
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 counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...
:
#
Zarcero
#
Laguna
#
Tapezco
#
Guadalupe
#
Palmira
#
Zapote
#
Brisas
Demographics
For the
2011 census, Zarcero had a population of inhabitants.
The canton has a 93% literacy rate, and by the year 2012 had a
Human Development Index
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...
of 0.726 according to the
United Nations Development Program
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries Poverty reduction, eliminate poverty and achieve Sustainable development, sustainable economic growth and Human development (economics), hu ...
. The region also has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.
Transportation
Road transportation
The canton is covered by the following road routes:
Economy
The economy of the canton is based on agriculture, primarily coffee and vegetables such as carrots, lettuce, potatoes and
chiverre.
Livestock and their products, especially "natilla Zarcero", a form of sour cream that originated in this area, make up another large portion of the economy. There are also smaller pastry, bread and other agriculturally-based industries in Zarcero. Tourism likewise has an impact on the economy. Two protected areas help attract tourist attention, a section of
Juan Castro Blanco National Park and
El Chayote Protected Zone.
One feature of the canton is Evangelista Blanco Brenes Park, a park with
topiary
Topiary is the horticultural practice of training perennial plants by clipping the foliage and twigs of trees, shrubs and subshrubs to develop and maintain clearly defined shapes, whether geometric or fanciful. The term also refers to plants w ...
-designed bushes located in front of the Iglesia de San Rafael Arcángel in the center of the city of Zarcero.
References
Cantons of Alajuela Province
Populated places in Alajuela Province
{{Alajuela-geo-stub