Liberia, Costa Rica
Liberia | |
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Images, from top down, left to right: Immaculate Church of Concepcion de Maria, Central Park, Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, the Chorotega, Mario Cañas Ruiz Park Monument. | |
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Liberia district | |
| Coordinates: 10°38′N 85°26′W / 10.633°N 85.433°W | |
| Country | Costa Rica |
| Province | Guanacaste |
| Canton | Liberia |
| Founded | 1836 |
| Area | |
• Total | 561.57 km2 (216.82 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 144 m (472 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 53,382 |
| • Density | 95/km2 (250/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Liberiano |
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 |
| Postal code | 50101 |
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Liberia (Spanish pronunciation: [li.ˈβe.ɾja]) is a district and the largest city in the Guanacaste Province of Costa Rica, located 215 kilometres (134 mi) northwest of the national capital, San José. Part of the Liberia canton, it is a major center for the country's tourism industry.
Liberia has been nicknamed la ciudad blanca (the white city) due to the white gravel that was once used to make the city's roads and the whitewashed colonial houses which used to make up a large part of the city. It had a population of 56,899 in 2013.