Los Santos Zone

Los Santos Zone (Spanish: Zona de los Santos) is a mountainous region in the San José Province of Costa Rica, in the center-south of the country. It is also known in Spanish as Valle de los Santos or just Los Santos.

Los Santos Zone
Zona de los Santos
Socioeconomic region
Pirrís hydroelectric dam, located in Los Santos Zone.
Pirrís hydroelectric dam, located in Los Santos Zone.
Los Santos Zone is located in Costa Rica
Los Santos Zone
Los Santos Zone
Location in Costa Rica
Coordinates: 9.652851°N 83.985303°W / 9.652851; -83.985303
CountryCosta Rica
ProvinceSan José
Area
 • Total863.24 km2 (333.30 sq mi)
Elevation
1,550 m (5,090 ft)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total57,181
Time zoneUTC-6

It corresponds to a wide sector of a series of intermontane valleys composed by the cantons of Tarrazú, Dota and León Cortés Castro. The nearby districts of San Cristóbal and Frailes, both of Desamparados canton, are under the socioeconomic influence of the zone. [1]

Toponymy

The name alludes to the catholic saint names of the districts of Santa María of Dota, San Marcos, San Carlos and San Lorenzo of Tarrazú, and San Pablo, San Andrés, San Antonio, San Isidro of León Cortés Castro.[1]

Conservation areas

The Los Quetzales National Park is located in the area.

Economy

Agriculture

The region is recognized as a major coffee production zone in the country. Apples are also cultivated in the region. [2]

Remittances

The region's economy and social fabric has been deeply shaped by emigration to the United States, which started in the 1960s. A majority of the region's residents have family members who today reside in the United States, namely in the state of New Jersey. These immigrants play a critical role in bankrolling the region's coffee industry and keeping families afloat as global coffee prices decline. [3]

Tourism

The zone has many tourist attractions due to the coffee production of the region, Los Quetzales National Park and the easy access through the Inter-American Highway, (Route 2) and close proximity to the Greater Metropolitan Area.[1]

References
  1. "PLAN DE DESARROLLO TURISTICO ZONA DE LOS SANTOS". Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  2. Rojas C., Jessica (25 October 2019). "¡Qué café por todos los santos! Guía para disfrutar de un paseo cafetero en Dota y Tarrazú". Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  3. Kordick, Carmen. The Saints of Progress: Coffee, Migration, and Costa Rican National Identity. University of Alabama Press, 2019.
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