Grecia, Costa Rica
Grecia is a district of the Grecia canton, in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica.[1][2]
Grecia | |
|---|---|
 The metal church in Grecia | |
Grecia district | |
  Grecia Grecia district location in Costa Rica | |
| Coordinates: 10.0693118°N 84.3135805°W | |
| Country |  Costa Rica |
| Province | Alajuela |
| Canton | Grecia |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.51 km2 (2.90 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 999 m (3,278 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 14,859 |
| • Density | 2,000/km2 (5,100/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 |
| Postal code | 20301 |
| Climate | Am |
Geography
Grecia has an area of 7.51 km2 (2.90 sq mi)[3] and an elevation of 999 m (3,278 ft).[1] It is in the foothills of the Cordillera Central on the eastern edge of the Central Valley. The city, which was once named "the cleanest city in Latin America,"[4] is 20 km (12 mi) northwest of the provincial capital city of Alajuela, 27 km (17 mi) from Juan Santamaría International Airport, and 45 km (28 mi) from the national capital city of San José.
Economy
Grecia is part of the tourist route of the western region of the Central Valley of Costa Rica, given the existence in the canton of waterfalls, protected areas, and the Catholic church of Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, which is part of Costa Rica's historical-architectural heritage.
Culture and education
Iglesia de la Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes
Grecia is noted for its unique church, Iglesia de la Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, made entirely of pre-fabricated steel plates painted red. There are several urban legends about this church. One recounts how the church was donated by some foreign country, and sent to Greece as a gift, but was wrongly shipped to Grecia, Costa Rica. Another legend states that the final destination of the church was the city of Punta Arenas in Chile but was disembarked, by mistake, in the port of Puntarenas, Costa Rica, and later sent to the city of Grecia, where it was assembled.
However, records clearly show that the instruction, shipment, and construction of the church were a coordinated effort of Grecia's population, the Catholic Church, the Costa Rican government, and Alejo E. Jiménez Bonnefil (1858–1922), a Costa Rican coffee producer and exporter who was in charge of commanding and importing the church from the manufacturer Ateliers de la Société de Couvillet in Belgium, in the late 19th century.
Flora and fauna
A toucan named Grecia is the first toucan to receive a prosthetic beak. Its name is due to where the bird was found injured prior to its admission to the Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center (formerly Rescate Animal Zoo Ave), south of the city.[5]
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1864 | 795 | — | |
| 1883 | 1,339 | 68.4% | |
| 1892 | 1,379 | 3.0% | |
| 1927 | 2,737 | 98.5% | |
| 1950 | 4,123 | 50.6% | |
| 1963 | 7,065 | 71.4% | |
| 1973 | 9,984 | 41.3% | |
| 1984 | 11,374 | 13.9% | |
| 2000 | 14,277 | 25.5% | |
| 2011 | 14,859 | 4.1% | |
|
Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos[6] |
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For the 2011 census, Grecia had a population of 14,859 inhabitants. [8]
Transportation
Road transportation
The district is covered by the following road routes:
References
- "Declara oficial para efectos administrativos, la aprobación de la División Territorial Administrativa de la República N°41548-MGP". Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica (in Spanish). 19 March 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- División Territorial Administrativa de la República de Costa Rica (PDF) (in Spanish). Editorial Digital de la Imprenta Nacional. 8 March 2017. ISBN 978-9977-58-477-5.
- "Área en kilómetros cuadrados, según provincia, cantón y distrito administrativo". Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- "Concejo Municipal de Grecia Sesión Extraordinaria N 121" (in Spanish).
- Aias, L (11 Aug 2016). "Grecia, the toucan with the prosthetic beak, now receiving visitors". The Tico Times. Retrieved 14 Sep 2016.
- "Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos" (in Spanish).
- "Sistema de Consulta de a Bases de Datos Estadísticas". Centro Centroamericano de Población (in Spanish).
- "Censo. 2011. Población total por zona y sexo, según provincia, cantón y distrito". Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 September 2020.