Guápiles, Pococí

Guapiles
District
Country	Costa Rica
Province	Limon
Canton	Canton of Pococí
Area
• Total	226.19 km2 (87.33 sq mi)
Elevation	268 m (879 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Total	36,469
Time zone	UTC−06:00
ZIP codes	70201

Guapiles is the first district of the Canton of Pococí, in the province of Limón, Costa Rica. It has an area of 259.97 km ² and an estimated population of 36,469 inhabitants (2010), being the second most populous district of the province, after the center of Limón (with 61,072 inhabitants).

The head is Guápiles, with category of city, one of the majors outside of the Central Valley (Costa Rica). It is 64 km northeast of the capital city of Costa Rica, on the route 32. The city of Limón is to 99 km to the east.

Guápiles is settled to an altitude of 268 msnm and is considered the main door of entrance to the Costa Rican Caribbean.

Brief historical review

In 1879, in the second administration of don Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez, an agreement was signed with Don Minor Cooper Keith to extend the rail line until the east margin of the river Dirty; A site that by law No. 33 of July 6, 1883, was called Carrillo, which was concluded in a few years, a route that was part of the proposed route of the railroad to the Caribbean, this route was later known as Linha Vieja.

Following the opening of the road to Carrillo, (with a route different from that of the current route 27) in 1882 since the Government of the Republic, by that time, had arranged to sell land of the region, motivated that many people of the Valley Central to colonize the area. This was the way in which the estates were established by Pepe Feo, Rafael Urritia, Víctor Guardia Quirós, Prospero Fernández, Pedro Alfaro, Juan María Chaves, Minor C. Keith, Federico Fernández, Eloy González Frías, Bartolomé Marichal and Venancio García among others; Who dedicated themselves to the cattle raising, the cultivation of the sugar cane and the sawing of wood.

Some farms were located next to the road between them an hacienda called El Salvador, where time later originated the population of the present city Guápiles. The region prospered for its agricultural and commercial activities; Progress that was affected when the railroad to the Caribbean was inaugurated, that united San José with the port of Limón.

At the end of the 19th century, Don Minor Cooper Keith began to plant the first banana trees, a product that was later cultivated on a large scale by the United Fruit Company, a company established in 1899 by Mr. Keith in association with foreign capital; Which revived the ancient splendor enjoyed by the region. Subsequently the Northern Railway subsidiary of the mentioned company constructed a rail line of port Limón to Guápiles, happening through Zent; As well as several branches to develop the activities of the banana enclave.

In the thirties of the twentieth century, the United Fruit Company abandoned its farms on the Caribbean side, as a result of the abuse in the exploitation of the soil that eventually exhausted it and the diseases in the plants, as the Called Mal of Panama, the Moko and Sigatoka; Transferring their interests to the southeast Pacific of the country. Situation that forced a transformation of the productive structure of the region, sowing cacao.

At the beginning of the sixties, banana cultivation was returned, with varieties resistant to diseases that had previously attacked and destroyed that agricultural product, which motivated several companies to dedicate themselves to the sowing of bananas, which together with the exploitation of other agricultural products, the progress of the canton re-emerged.

The first hermitage was built on land donated by Mr. Keith's wife. During the episcopate of Monsignor Juan Gaspar Stork Werth, the third bishop of Costa Rica, in 1907 the parish was erected, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which at the moment is suffragan of the Apostolic Vicariate of Limón of the ecclesiastical province of Costa Rica.

In 1908 the school was inaugurated, in the first administration of Don Cleto González Víquez, who later was called Matías León, and at the moment is denominated Central Mixed School of Guápiles. The Pococí Agricultural Technical Vocational College, began its teaching activities in 1969, under the government of José Joaquín Trejos Fernández.

In the first administration of Don Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno, on September 19, 1911, in law No. 12, he was given the title of villa to Guápiles, head of the canton created at that time. Subsequently, on July 31, 1966, under the government of Don Joaquin Trejos Fernandez, Law No. 3714 was decreed, which conferred on the town, the category of city.

On October 13, 1911, the first session of the Council of Pococí was held, composed of the regidores owners Juan Montero, Luis Espinach, José Quirós Fonseca and José Francisco Martí. The Political Leader was Don Viriato Espinach Navarro. In 1912 the Municipality of Pococí had funds to begin the construction of the pipe.

Origin of the name

The origin of the name of Guápiles seems to come from the two rivers that run to both sides of the population, since they are said that they are "Guapes" (Twins). Whereas Pococí, name of the canton, corresponds to the name of the native cacique that inhabited this place to the arrival of the Spaniards. Other caciques that inhabited the region were Camaquiri and Cocorí mentioned in historical primers and national Literature.

Administrative Division

• Guápiles (City), Latitude 10 ° 12'56 "N, Length 83 ° 47'32" O, elevation 262 msnm.
  • Neighborhoods: Angeles, Vargas, Cacique, Cecilia, Coopevigua, Diamantes, Emilia, Floresta, Garabito, Jesus, Palma Dorada, Palmera, San Miguel, Sauces, Toro Amarillo.
  • Villages: Blanco, Ángeles, Gobierno, Corinto, Flores, La Guaria, Marina, Rancho Redondo.

Economic activity

Guápiles converted to banana activity because, in 1899 Minor Cooper Keith planted the first banana trees; A product that was later cultivated on a large scale by the transnational United Fruit Company of which Cooper Keith was a partner.

Before such economic boom a subsidiary company was established to United Fruit Company denominated Northern Railway Company, that constructed a rail line of port Limón to Guápiles, happening through Zent; As well as several branches to develop the activities of the banana enclave.

It was in the decade of the thirties of the twentieth century that the United Fruit Company abandoned their farms on the Caribbean slope. This was motivated not only by abuse in the exploitation of the soil but also by the diseases of the banana: Mal de Panamá, Moko and Sigatoka.

Then the viable output was the cultivation of cocoa so the development of the place came less.

By 1970, banana cultivation was returned to the advantage of introduction of disease resistant varieties. This, coupled with the exploitation of other agricultural products and, of course, tourism that reaches this area of great scenic characteristics, made the canton's progress reappear.

At present (as in the rest of the caribbean zone), the main economic activities are agricultural sector: banana and pineapple, sowing of basic grains and cattle raising.

There are regions of great tourist interest for the beauty of the landscape, in which rural and ecological tourism could be promoted directly.

See also

• Cantons of Costa Rica
• Canton of Pococí

External links

• Municipalidad de Pococí
• Estadísticas del cantón