Guanacaste

Province in northwest Costa Rica; area 10,141 sq km/3,915 sq mi; population (1996) 266,200. The administrative capital is Liberia, but Nicoya is the largest town in the province. Guanacaste is heavily forested in parts. The province has many large cattle ranges. The main crops are maize, rice, cotton, beans, and fruit. There are mineral deposits of gold and manganese which are exploited on a small scale. The flora of the region, typical of three climatic zones, attracts naturalists from all over the world.

The province includes the peninsula of Nicoya and the lowlands at the head of the Gulf of Nicoya. Irrigation of the agricultural land is necessary during the long dry season. In the rainy season, however, many parts of the lowlands become swampy. The province is crossed by the Inter-American Highway.