142:
158:
528:
390:, divides the valley into two sections. The western section is normally referred to as "Western Valley" or "Central Valley" proper and the eastern section is referred to as the Eastern Valley or "Valle del Guarco". This smaller range also impacts the weather and ecosystems of the two subregions, with the Western Valley significantly influenced by the weather patterns of Costa Rica's Pacific coast and the Eastern Valley influenced by the Caribbean coast weather.
467:
219:
36:
165:
481:
431:
The
Central Valley had been traditionally the favorite place for Costa Ricans to live, and even today it contains an unequal distribution of population of the country, in relation to its size. This is because of the fertility of land in the region, helped by the influence of volcanoes and rivers that
398:
Because of its altitude, the temperature in the
Central Valley varies between 15 and 30 °C or 59 and 86 °F, mainly because of the position toward the mountains (the altitude also varies between 800 m and 1,500 m above sea level). The western part of the valley is influenced by
432:
run through the valley. Weather also favours agriculture and farming activities. Because of the agglomeration of population, the valley is the center of commerce, industry and service activities, sustained by ports on both coasts, and by
411:. The eastern part of the valley is influenced more by Caribbean conditions, which are more volatile. Annual rainfall in the region varies from 1,900 millimetres or 75 inches in an urban and central place like
416:
248:
17:
100:
53:
358:
in the east. The mountains north of the valley are part of the
Central Range. There are four main volcanoes north of the valley, namely
72:
567:
403:
in summer, and, as the rest of the country with the exception of the
Caribbean region, there are two climate seasons clearly defined,
441:
298:. The land in the valley is a relative plain, despite being surrounded by several mountains and volcanoes, the latter part of the
79:
557:
157:
572:
562:
452:
234:
86:
531:
437:
455:(GAM) is the main populated conurbation of the country, and covers an extension roughly the same as the Central Valley.
577:
502:
68:
119:
547:
379:
552:
299:
57:
141:
302:. The region houses almost three quarters of Costa Ricans, and includes the capital and most populous city,
241:
326:. The region occupies an area of 11,366 km, more than a fifth of the country, and is drained by the
423:
varies from 75% (10% of volatility) in Pavas, to 87% (rarely descending to less than 80%) in
Fraijanes.
93:
343:
375:
307:
46:
303:
351:
383:
319:
8:
433:
331:
472:
371:
347:
311:
327:
486:
387:
382:, which runs from north to south roughly along the border between the provinces of
355:
323:
315:
287:
199:
367:
359:
412:
512:. Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro De Montes de Oca, San José, Costa Rica.
541:
363:
263:
250:
527:
415:
to 3,200 millimetres or 126 inches in a rural and mountainous place like
408:
404:
400:
295:
224:
374:. The mountains that round the plateau to the south form part of the
342:
The
Central Valley is commonly considered to extend from the city of
35:
445:
420:
146:
View of the
Central Valley from the north Heredia mountains
27:
Plateau and a geographic region of central Costa Rica
462:
60:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
294:) is a plateau and a geographic region of central
539:
191:
120:Learn how and when to remove this message
337:
448:) that have similar economic movement.
14:
540:
426:
164:
58:adding citations to reliable sources
29:
436:in Guanacaste (which has the other
24:
25:
589:
520:
306:. The valley is shared among the
526:
479:
465:
217:
163:
156:
140:
34:
45:needs additional citations for
568:Geography of San José Province
558:Geography of Alajuela Province
495:
13:
1:
573:Geography of Cartago Province
563:Geography of Heredia Province
458:
534:travel guide from Wikivoyage
503:"Costa Rican Central Valley"
350:in the west, to the city of
330:on the west side and by the
69:"Costa Rican Central Valley"
18:Central Valley of Costa Rica
7:
532:Central Valley (Costa Rica)
10:
594:
393:
578:Plateaus of North America
453:Greater Metropolitan Area
240:
235:Greater Metropolitan Area
230:
212:
207:
187:
182:
151:
139:
134:
510:University of Costa Rica
548:Landforms of Costa Rica
442:Juan SantamarĂa Airport
378:. A smaller range, the
291:
192:
553:Valleys of Costa Rica
438:international airport
338:Geographic dimensions
54:improve this article
427:Economic importance
260: /
334:on the east side.
473:Costa Rica portal
280:
279:
231:Population center
130:
129:
122:
104:
16:(Redirected from
585:
530:
514:
513:
507:
499:
489:
487:Geography portal
484:
483:
482:
475:
470:
469:
468:
380:Carpintera Hills
332:ReventazĂłn River
275:
274:
272:
271:
270:
265:
264:9.917°N 84.067°W
261:
258:
257:
256:
253:
223:
221:
220:
203:
195:
167:
166:
160:
144:
132:
131:
125:
118:
114:
111:
105:
103:
62:
38:
30:
21:
593:
592:
588:
587:
586:
584:
583:
582:
538:
537:
523:
518:
517:
505:
501:
500:
496:
485:
480:
478:
471:
466:
464:
461:
429:
396:
376:Talamanca Range
340:
268:
266:
262:
259:
254:
251:
249:
247:
246:
218:
216:
197:
178:
177:
176:
175:
174:
173:
172:
168:
147:
126:
115:
109:
106:
63:
61:
51:
39:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
591:
581:
580:
575:
570:
565:
560:
555:
550:
536:
535:
522:
521:External links
519:
516:
515:
493:
492:
491:
490:
476:
460:
457:
428:
425:
395:
392:
339:
336:
328:Tárcoles River
284:Central Valley
278:
277:
269:9.917; -84.067
244:
238:
237:
232:
228:
227:
214:
210:
209:
205:
204:
189:
185:
184:
180:
179:
171:Central Valley
170:
169:
162:
161:
155:
154:
153:
152:
149:
148:
145:
137:
136:
135:Central Valley
128:
127:
110:September 2023
42:
40:
33:
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
590:
579:
576:
574:
571:
569:
566:
564:
561:
559:
556:
554:
551:
549:
546:
545:
543:
533:
529:
525:
524:
511:
504:
498:
494:
488:
477:
474:
463:
456:
454:
449:
447:
443:
439:
435:
424:
422:
418:
414:
410:
406:
402:
391:
389:
385:
381:
377:
373:
369:
365:
361:
357:
353:
349:
345:
335:
333:
329:
325:
321:
317:
313:
309:
305:
301:
300:Central Range
297:
293:
292:Valle Central
289:
285:
273:
245:
243:
239:
236:
233:
229:
226:
215:
211:
206:
201:
194:
193:Valle Central
190:
186:
181:
159:
150:
143:
138:
133:
124:
121:
113:
102:
99:
95:
92:
88:
85:
81:
78:
74:
71: –
70:
66:
65:Find sources:
59:
55:
49:
48:
43:This article
41:
37:
32:
31:
19:
509:
497:
450:
430:
397:
341:
283:
281:
116:
107:
97:
90:
83:
76:
64:
52:Please help
47:verification
44:
401:trade winds
267: /
242:Coordinates
188:Native name
542:Categories
459:References
296:Costa Rica
225:Costa Rica
80:newspapers
417:Fraijanes
372:Turrialba
344:San RamĂłn
308:provinces
208:Geography
446:Alajuela
440:besides
421:Humidity
384:San José
348:Alajuela
320:San José
312:Alajuela
304:San José
434:Liberia
394:Climate
388:Cartago
356:Cartago
352:ParaĂso
324:Cartago
316:Heredia
288:Spanish
276:
255:84°04′W
213:Country
200:Spanish
94:scholar
252:9°55′N
222:
196:
183:Naming
96:
89:
82:
75:
67:
506:(PDF)
413:Pavas
368:IrazĂş
364:Barva
101:JSTOR
87:books
451:The
407:and
386:and
370:and
360:Poás
322:and
282:The
73:news
444:in
409:dry
405:wet
354:in
346:in
310:of
56:by
544::
508:.
419:.
366:,
362:,
318:,
314:,
290::
286:(
202:)
198:(
123:)
117:(
112:)
108:(
98:·
91:·
84:·
77:·
50:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.