Escazú | |||
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Canton | |||
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Etymology: From Saint Miguel Escazu | |||
Nickname(s): Ciudad de las Brujas | |||
Country | Costa Rica | ||
Province | San José | ||
Capital | Escazú Centro | ||
Districts | 3 districts | ||
Founded | December 7, 1848 | ||
Government | |||
• Type | Municipality | ||
• Mayor | Arnoldo Barahona (YPE) | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 34.49 km2 (13.32 sq mi) | ||
Elevation | 1,200 m (3,900 ft) | ||
Population (2011) | |||
• Total | 56,509 | ||
• Density | 1,600/km2 (4,200/sq mi) | ||
Time zone | UTC | ||
Website | Official Website |
Escazú is the second canton in the province of San José in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 34.49 km². The canton lies west of the San José Canton and its whole territory is part of San José Metropolitan Area. According to 2011 census data, its population is 56,509.
The canton was one of the earliest established in the country, in December 7, 1848. As the metropolitan area has expanded Escazú has become a suburban area on the west side of the national capital city of San José. It is delineated by the Río Tiribí on its northern border. The peak of Cerro Cedral in the Cerros de Escazú marks the southern limit of the canton.
The canton's urban areas are home to 79.8% of its population. Children under the age of 10 account for 17.88% of the population, while 6.05% are over 65.
According to a 2012 United Nations Development Programme, Escazú ranks as the 4th highest canton in Costa Rica in so far as human development.
The canton of Escazú is subdivided into three districts (distritos):
Escazú, officially San Miguel de Escazú, is the capital city of the canton of Escazú in the province of San José in Costa Rica. It is also the name of the district that includes the city, a subnational entity with 14,815 inhabitants.
The area is inhabited primarily by upper-mid to high income families, and known in the Costa Rican collective consciousness as home to the country's economic elite. Escazu is the wealthiest and most prominent city in the country catering to wealthy Americans and Europeans as well as wealthy locals. The city lies at an elevation of 1,101 meters above sea level on the northeast slopes of the Cerros de Escazú, 9 kilometers west of the national capital city of San José. The climate is mostly tropical: it is not unknown for Escazú to experience rainfall on a day in which San José is dry and sunny. November and December frequently bring high winds.