Alajuela
Alajuela | |
|---|---|
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Images, from top down, left to right: Alajuela skyline at night, Central Church, Juan Santamaría Statue, Central Park, Municipal Theater, a traditional Costa Rican bullock cart, the Juan Santamaría International Airport, Alejandro Morera Soto Stadium. | |
| Nickname(s): | |
| Motto(s): Pro Patria Nostra — Sanguis Noster For our country, our blood | |
Alajuela and surrounding area | |
| Coordinates: 10°01′N 84°13′W / 10.017°N 84.217°W | |
| Country | Costa Rica |
| Province | Alajuela Province |
| Canton | Alajuela |
| Founded | 1782 |
| Government | |
| • Syndic | Francisco Salazar Sánchez |
| Area | |
• Total | 8.88 km2 (3.43 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 952 m (3,123 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 42,975 |
| • Density | 4,800/km2 (13,000/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 |
| Postal code | 20101 |
| Climate | Aw |
| Website | Official website |
Alajuela (Spanish pronunciation: [alaˈxwela]) is a district in the 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 the province, it is also the capital of the Province of Alajuela.
Because of its location in the Costa Rican Central Valley, Alajuela is nowadays part of the conurbation of the Greater Metropolitan Area. The city is the birthplace of Juan Santamaría, the national hero of Costa Rica and the figure who gives the name to the country's main international airport, which is south of Alajuela downtown.