Cartago

City in Costa Rica and administrative capital of the province of Cartago; population (1996) 120,400. It is situated in the northwest of the province at an altitude of 1,439 m/4,721 ft, 23 km/14 mi east of San José, the capital of Costa Rica. Standing at the base of the volcano Irazú, Cartago is the commercial centre of the region and lies on the Inter-American Highway.

The hot springs of Aguascalientes are 4 km/2.5 mi from the city. Cartago attracts some small-scale tourism.

Founded by the Spanish in 1563, Cartago still retains many Spanish customs and traditions. It was the capital of Costa Rica until 1823. Cartago was destroyed by earthquakes in 1841 and 1910, and an earthquake in 1991 caused considerable damage. The city has also been damaged frequently by volcanic eruptions.

Cartago

Province of Costa Rica; area 10,439 sq km/4,030 sq mi; population (1996) 378,200. The western part lies on the country's central plateau, the Meseta Central, while the eastern part lies on the slopes of the Talamanca range of mountains. Cartago is the capital. It is a fertile agricultural area, with stock rearing, dairy farming, and some coffee growing. The province is served by the Inter-American Highway.

The climate is temperate, though in the east the rainfall is high. The semi-active volcano of Turrialba (3,366 m/11,043 ft) is in the extreme north of Cartago.