San José

San José is the capital and largest city of the nation of Costa Rica. It is also the capital of San José Province. 

San José is located in the center of the country. It is on a mountain plateau at an elevation of about 4,000 feet above sea level. In 1997 the city had an estimated population of 329,154 people: 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. 

History 

San José was a small village of little significance until 1824. In that year, Costa Rica's first elected head of state, liberal Juan Mora Fernández, decided to move the government of Costa Rica from the Old Spanish colonial capital of Cartago and make a fresh start with a new city. 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 (see: History of Central America). The new capital of San José grew rapidly. Because of its late 18th century origin, San José has little of the Spanish colonial architecture common in most other Latin American capitals. 

The University of Costa Rica was established here in 1843. San José also serves as the headquarters of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Since then, it has grown rapidly and extended in the Central Valley. Along with Alajuela, Heredia, Cartago and other cities, the population reached 1.57 million in 2004, number 76 in the list of largest cities in the Americas. The cities of Heredia, Alajuela and San José are very close to each other. The Juan Santamaría International Airport and the Palacio de los Deportes are located in the metropolitan area, GAM San José. 

Important places in the city include the Banco Central de Costa Rica, La Sabana Metropolitan Park, Avenida Central (which is one of the major commercial areas in the city). The Central Park and la Plaza de la Cultura are visited by thousands of workers and tourists every day. The Melico Salazar Theater (National Theatre) and the Cathedral are landmarks in the central area. In the south, the Clínica Bíblica (a private hospital) and the Pacific Train Station are important buildings. 

Attractions 

In San Jose there are many museums and attractions offering a different alternative to explore the city. One of these is the gold museum offering a rare look at the different gold artifacts of ancient Latin American civilizations. A second interesting attraction for the less adventurous is the Lancaster Botanical Gardens just outside of San Jose. A third famous Costa Rican location is the Hotel and Casino del Ray, which is a famous hotel in the heart of San Jose with the famous Blue Marlin Bar inside.