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San José (Spanish: San José; IPA: [ˌsɑːn hɒˈsɛː]) 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.[1] 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.[2] Officially, the city's current population is of 346,799,[3] 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.[4] The city lies at a mean elevation of 1,161 m above sea level, and enjoys a stable climate throughout the year, with an average temperature of 23C and precipitation of 150 mm per month.[5] 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.
[edit] HistorySee: History of Central America. 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. [edit] City Landmarks
The city's landmarks include the Banco Central de Costa Rica building; the Banco Nacional building, which is much taller than other buildings nearby, giving the city its particular skyline; La Sabana Metropolitan Park; and the Avenida Central, a pedestrian thoroughfare and one of the major commercial areas in the city. The Central Park and the Plaza de la Cultura are also visited by thousands of citizens and tourists every day. The Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica (National Theater of Costa Rica), the Melico Salazar Theatre, and the Cathedral are also other landmarks in the central area. Northward is a neighborhood called Barrio Amon, with many older and historic buildings of architectural importance. The Clínica Bíblica (a private hospital) and the Pacific Train Station are located in the south of the city, and are both considered important edifications. [edit] Districts and barriosSan José is divided into 11 districts (distritos):
The districts are divided up into a number of barrios[6].
[edit] ClimateSan José City lies in the Torrid Zone and is classified as tropical rain forest (Fa in Köppen climate classification system), but its elevation 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%.
[edit] Tourist attractions
There are numerous tourist attractions around San José:
[edit] Prostitution
Prostitution is legal in Costa Rica, excluding child prostitution. Local media have reported many times cases of child prostitution. This cases are also covered in the annual reports of the U. S. State Department. Government statistics show that the problem is prevalently domestic in origin, but foreign governments have blacklisted Costa Rica as a haven for paedophiles. However the government deals harshly with those criminals they arrest. There are a large number of small establishments in San Jose catering to locals seeking prostitutes. A small number of hotels might be tolerant of guests bringing in prostitutes, but most require that prostitutes show identification such as passports or national identification cards. [edit] Attractions
Both The National Theater (Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica) and The Melico Salazar Theatre offer hectic calendars of cultural activities, featuring acting and dance groups as well as orchestral musical presentations throughout the year. There are some cafés in the downtown area, located in the Central Mail building, The National Theater and The Melico Salazar Theatre, where national coffee is prepared and served in typical Costa Rican ways. There are also many museums and other attractions offering alternative ways of exploring the city. One of these is the Gold Museum, which offers an unusual view of various gold artifacts of the ancient Latin American civilizations. An interesting attraction for the less adventurous travelers is the Lankester Botanical Gardens at the outskirts of San José. Other attractions include various bars and clubs which concentrate their activity on holding musical shows and events. One of them, for example, is "Sand Live", which is a massive inside/outside bar and concert hall which usually holds rock and extreme metal concerts and shows. [edit] Sister Cities
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