La Unión is a canton in the Cartago province of Costa Rica.[2][3] The head city is in Tres Ríos district.
La Unión | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Seal | |
 La Unión canton | |
  La Unión La Unión canton location in Costa Rica | |
| Coordinates: 9°54′49″N 83°59′40″W / 9.9135636°N 83.9944093°W | |
| Country |  Costa Rica |
| Province | Cartago |
| Creation | 7 December 1848[1] |
| Head city | Tres Ríos |
| Districts | |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Body | Municipalidad de La Unión |
| Area | |
| • Total | 44.83 km2 (17.31 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,331 m (4,367 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 99,399 |
| • Density | 2,200/km2 (5,700/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 |
| Canton code | 303 |
| Website | launion |
Toponymy
A story tells of a group of Spanish missionaries from a convent in Guatemala, arriving accompanied by Indians of different cultural groups. The small town they established was called La Unión, meaning The Union, to commemorate their friendliness and brotherhood.
History
La Unión was created on 7 December 1848 by decree 167.[1]
Geography
La Unión has an area of 44.83 km2[4] and a mean elevation of 1,331 metres.[2]La Unión is a compact canton situated midway between the national capital of San José and the former colonial capital city of Cartago.
Districts
The canton of La Unión is subdivided into the following districts:
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1864 | 2,046 | — | |
| 1883 | 2,916 | 42.5% | |
| 1892 | 4,256 | 46.0% | |
| 1927 | 4,972 | 16.8% | |
| 1950 | 7,789 | 56.7% | |
| 1963 | 14,074 | 80.7% | |
| 1973 | 23,352 | 65.9% | |
| 1984 | 41,005 | 75.6% | |
| 2000 | 80,279 | 95.8% | |
| 2011 | 99,399 | 23.8% | |
Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos[5] | |||
For the 2011 census, La Unión had a population of 99,399 inhabitants.[7]
Education
The Lycée Franco Costaricien, a French international school, is in Concepción district.[8]
Transportation
Road transportation
The canton is covered by the following road routes:
Rail transportation
The Interurbano Line operated by Incofer goes through this canton.
References
External links
- (in Spanish) MI CARTAGO, Cartago Province's local newspaper