61-521: Liberia ( Spanish pronunciation: [li.ˈβe.ɾja] ) is a district and the largest city in the Guanacaste Province of Costa Rica , located 215 kilometres (134 mi) northwest of the national capital, San José . Part of the Liberia canton , it is a major center for the country's tourism industry. Liberia has been nicknamed la ciudad blanca (the white city) due to the white gravel that
122-464: A large festival as the capital of Guanacaste where one can find folk dances, parades, cattle shows, local food, and other cultural traditions in the area. Music is a large part of the festival and the traditional "marimba" is very popularly heard. A parade also takes place in the centre of the city at which children wear masks and costumes. Liberia's importance continued to grow and it became a major center for agriculture and livestock. The construction of
183-534: A natural extension of several key American highways that reach the Canada–US border. British Columbia Highway 97 and Highway 2 to Alberta both pick up where the southern end of the Alaska highway leaves off. Highway 97 becomes U.S. Route 97 at the Canada–US border. British Columbia Highway 99 provides an alternate route from Highway 97 just north of Cache Creek ; it runs through Whistler and Vancouver before ending at
244-540: Is about 148 km (92 mi). From Honduras, it passes into Nicaragua at El Espino , passing through the Nicaraguan cities of Somoto , Estelí , Sebaco, Managua , Jinotepe , and Rivas before entering Costa Rica at Peñas Blancas. From the crossing at the Honduras-Nicaragua border , the highway continues as Central America Highway 1 to the town of Ocotal , about 42 km (26 mi). From Ocotal to Estelí
305-475: Is about 50 km (31 mi) and another 55 km (34 mi) to Jutiapa . The highway continues as CA Highway 1 and approaches the border with El Salvador . It is 50 km (31 mi) to the border crossing at San Cristobal Frontera. In Guatemala , the Pan-American highway passes through 10 departments , including The Department Of Guatemala , where it passes through Guatemala City . El Salvador
366-501: Is about 58 km (36 mi), and on to the village of Sébaco is about 46 km (29 mi). At this point, the Inter-American Highway turns from southeast to south towards Ciudad Darío , which is 15 km (9.3 mi) from Sébaco. From Ciudad Dario to the village of San Benito is 55 km (34 mi). From San Benito, it is about 38 km (24 mi) to the Nicaraguan capital and largest city of Managua , on
427-727: Is commonly considered a de facto northerly extension of the Pan-American Highway, which continues further north with the Dalton Highway in Alaska. With this route, the Pan-American Highway begins in Prudhoe Bay , Alaska near Deadhorse . Traveling south, the route follows the length of the Dalton Highway (Alaska Route 11) changing to Alaska Route 2 , the Alaskan portion of the Alaska Highway, near Fairbanks , Alaska. From Fairbanks,
488-472: Is known as Carretera Interamericana (Inter-American Highway) and is composed of two segments Carretera Interamericana Norte (Route 1) and Carretera Interamericana Sur (Route 2). It passes through Liberia , San José , Cartago , Pérez Zeledón , Palmares, Neily, before crossing into Panama at Paso Canoas. The highest point in the entire Pan-American Highway occurs at the Cerro de la Muerte (Death Hill) in
549-535: Is known as the Inter-American Highway ) starts at Nuevo Laredo , Tamaulipas (opposite Laredo, Texas ), and goes south to Mexico City along Mexican Federal Highway 85 . An alternative route begins at the border crossing between San Diego, California and Tijuana, Baja California . Interstate 5 in the United States connects to Mexican Federal Highway 1 at the busiest international border crossing in
610-448: Is quite dry in comparison to the rest of Costa Rica. If weather is a concern as a traveler, the best time to visit this city would be towards the start of the dry season where the climate is only beginning to get warm, and precipitation from the wet season has decreased. The dry season can get quite hot and sometimes becomes uncomfortable for those who are not accustomed to such dry heat. Districts of Costa Rica According to
671-437: Is the smallest country (by area) along the route of the Pan-American Highway. After crossing into El Salvador at Candelaria de la Frontera , the Inter-American Highway continues on toward Santa Ana as Central America Highway 1. From the border crossing to Santa Ana is about 13 km (8.1 mi). From Santa Ana it's about 45 km (28 mi) San Salvador, El Salvador 's capital and largest city. At Nueva San Salvador ,
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#1732894752080732-514: The 2011 census , Liberia had a population of 53,382 inhabitants. With more than 50,000 inhabitants, Liberia is the regional hub of the Costa Rican northwest. The city center features a modern church , as many Costa Rican towns do, facing a plaza surrounded by locally owned shops and restaurants . Liberia is also home to an expo that takes place in the month of July, celebrating the annexation of Guanacaste Province on 25 July 1824. Located in
793-664: The Costa Rican Primera División after winning promotion in 2001. They play their home games in the Estadio Edgardo Baltodano Briceño . This area typically has a pronounced dry season. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Liberia has a tropical savanna climate , abbreviated Aw on climate maps. In Liberia, as in the rest of Costa Rica outside the perennially humid Caribbean coast, there are essentially two seasons –
854-672: The Maya ruins of Zaculeu . The Pan-American Highway crosses the Continental Divide again, and into the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes mountains. From Huehuetenango to Chimaltenango is roughly 160 km (99 mi) with Mayan ruins at Iximché , just north of Tecpán Guatemala . From Chimaltenango, it is about 35 to 40 km (22 to 25 mi) to Guatemala City , the capital and largest city in Central America. From Guatemala City to Cuilapa
915-577: The Mexican Federal District . Later branches were built to the border as follows: From Mexico City to the border with Guatemala , the highway follows Mexican Federal Highway 190 . In the inaugural Carrera Panamericana road race, organized by the Mexican government, the terminus of this southern route was said to be at Ciudad Cuauhtémoc, Chiapas , at the Guatemalan border. Specifically, as
976-699: The Overseas Highway . The deterioration of relations between Cuba and the U.S. after the Cuban Revolution of 1959 ended talk of this project. The concept of an overland route from one tip of the Americas to the other was originally proposed as a railroad. In 1884 the U.S. Congress passed a law with a plan to build an inter-American rail system. This was discussed at the First Pan-American Conference in 1889; however, construction never started. It
1037-546: The Pan-American Highway further increased Liberia's importance and increased commerce in and out of the city. By the late 20th century, Liberia had become a major stopping point for tourists traveling to the Pacific Coast beaches of Guanacaste . Today Liberia and the province of Guanacaste accept 25 July 1824 as their annexation day to Costa Rica. Liberia has an area of 563.57 km and an elevation of 144 metres. For
1098-629: The Santa Rosa National Park to the west and Guanacaste National Park to the east. From the Nicaragua-Costa Rica border to the town of Liberia is about 76.8 km (47.7 mi). In the region of Costa Rica, the Pan-American Highway runs just west of the Cordillera de Guanacaste (Guanacaste Mountains), which includes the active volcanoes of Rincón de la Vieja and Miravalles . While travelling through Costa Rica north of San Jose,
1159-482: The Territorial Administrative Division , the cantons of Costa Rica are subdivided into 492 districts ( distritos ), each of which has a unique five-digit postal code. Each canton is divided into districts whose number varies from canton to canton. Each district has a District Council chaired by a syndic, all popularly elected. The District Council is the interlocutor between the district and
1220-456: The United States and Canada , as well as London and Amsterdam . Liberia Airport is very close to the most beautiful beaches from Guanacaste province, such as Tamarindo, Nosara, Sámara, Carrillo, Playa del Coco, Montezuma, Malpaís, and Santa Teresa. The Liberia River bears the same name as the town. Municipal Liberia is the city's major football team, having spent almost 10 years in
1281-533: The dry season . There is no official authority for its composition, but it extends in de facto terms from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska , in the north, to the southern cities of Puerto Montt and Quellón in Chile , and Ushuaia in Argentina . The highway was built in stages. The first, not long after one could drive across the United States on a paved road, was the highway from Laredo, Texas , to Mexico City . The second stage
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#17328947520801342-418: The "dry" and the "wet." The dry season runs from November to April, when the temperature is high and very little rainfall, if any, is experienced. The wet season runs from May to October when it often rains throughout the entire country. However, Liberia is considered to be one of the drier cities in the province of Guanacaste, which experiences much less rain than the rest of country. Even in wet seasons, Liberia
1403-510: The 4th and 5th the 488 districts (unique within the canton). The numbers are the same as used by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC). Pan-American Highway The Pan-American Highway is a network of roads stretching across the Americas , measuring about 30,000 kilometres (19,000 mi) in total length. Except for a break of about 100 km (60 mi) across
1464-846: The Alberta route, both of which are also part of the CANAMEX Corridor . Crossing the border into Canada, Alaska Highway 2 turns into Yukon Highway 1. The first significant settlement along the way is Beaver Creek, Yukon . At Haines Junction , where it meets Yukon Highway 3 , Yukon Highway 1 turns east toward Whitehorse , the capital of the Yukon Territory . Through most of Whitehorse, Yukon Highway 2 and Yukon Highway 1 share an alignment. Yukon Highway 1 cuts southeast toward Marsh Lake, Yukon while Yukon Highway 2 cuts south to Skagway , Alaska. Eventually, Yukon Highway 1 intersects with Yukon Highway 8 and Yukon Highway 7 at Jake's Corner, Yukon ;
1525-619: The British Columbia–Yukon border, the Pan-American Highway reaches the first settlement in British Columbia at Lower Post . After travelling about 32 km (20 mi) east, the highway once again re-enters the Yukon for roughly 8 mi (13 km). The Highway then re-enters British Columbia (as BC 97) for the final time. The Pan-American Highway continues south to southeast through a long uninhabited stretch until it passes through
1586-533: The Canada–US border at the north end of Interstate 5 in Washington state , the beginning of the official Pan-American route south of British Columbia. Meanwhile, Alberta Highway 2 runs south and east to Alberta Highway 3 leading into Lethbridge , then south on Alberta Highway 4 to the Canada–US border, where it becomes Interstate 15 in Montana . This is the first official stretch of the Pan-American Highway south of
1647-723: The Carretera Interamericana Sur segment, at 3,335 m (10,942 ft). An alternative route used by cross country buses and freight transportation that avoids crossing through the Greater Metropolitan Area and Cerro de la Muerte, is by taking Route 23 in Puntarenas canton from Route 1, then Route 27 and Route 34 , and taking Route 2 in Osa canton. After entering Costa Rica, the Highway separates two national parks,
1708-742: The Highway travels south for about 290 km (180 mi) until it reaches Fort St. John . It continues on B.C. Highway 97 southeast for another 60 km (37 mi) to reach the end of the Alaska Highway at Dawson Creek . After B.C Highway 97, the unofficial route becomes Alberta Highway 43 . In approximately 7.2 km (4.5 mi), Highway 43 enters into the first settlement Demmitt. For about 75 km (47 mi), Highway 43 goes into Grande Prairie . At Clairmont , Highway 43, turns to Alberta Highway 2 , Highway 43 goes left. Highway 43 goes for 455 km (283 mi) before reaching Edmonton . The unofficial route turns 2 ways, one way goes to Lloydminster , Minneapolis , and Dallas and merges with
1769-451: The Oaxaca state capital of Oaxaca is about 140 km (87 mi). From the city of Oaxaca, the Highway continues southeast as Mexico Highway 190 for about 230 km (140 mi) to the village of Juchitán de Zaragoza . The Pan-American Highway is now in southern Mexico, which is a combination of small mountains, hills, and jungles. It is another 90 km (56 mi) to the border with
1830-531: The Pan-American Highway continues on Yukon 1 east-northeast from this junction. At Johnson's Crossing , Yukon Highway 1 meets Yukon Highway 6 and travels southeast through Teslin, Yukon . The Pan-American Highway continues on Yukon 1 as it crosses over into British Columbia (B. C.). After several miles, the Highway reenters the Yukon (once again as Highway 1) and continues southeast of Watson Lake until it, once again, enters British Columbia as B.C. Highway 97. After travelling about 8 km (5.0 mi) past
1891-442: The Pan-American Highway continues south of Mexico City, it runs through the city of Cuernavaca about 48 km (30 mi) south of the Mexican capital. Here, the Pan-American Highway heads east along Federal Highway 190 through the state of Puebla ; for about 32 km (20 mi), it is a limited-access divided highway. The route then reverts to an undivided highway and enters the state of Oaxaca . From Huajuapan de León to
Liberia, Costa Rica - Misplaced Pages Continue
1952-544: The Papagayo Peninsula. An African safari attraction or zoo called " Africa Mia " is 4 kilometers south of town. The Museo de Sabanero is also located in Liberia. Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park is located just to the northeast of Liberia. Volcanic hot springs, bubbling clay pots, and numerous waterfalls and rivers may be found along the park's many kilometres of hiking trails. Hot springs are also located to
2013-529: The Partido de Nicoya voted to annex themselves to Costa Rica on 25 July 1824. The inhabitants of Guanacaste (modern day Liberia) chose to continue to be part of Nicaragua in 1824. In 1826, after years of dispute, the congress of the Federal Republic of Central America added Guanacaste (modern day Liberia) to Costa Rica. The village of Guanacaste grew in importance and gradually overtook the village of Nicoya as
2074-577: The Spanish defeat in the Mexican War of Independence . After the short-lived First Mexican Empire (1821–1823), Costa Rica (considered a minor provincial outpost at the time) became part of the newly formed Federal Republic of Central America in 1823. The Partido de Nicoya (Nicoya's Party) served as an administrative unit for the Federal Republic of Central America. The Partido de Nicoya comprised much of
2135-490: The administration of new Costa Rican president Dr. Jose Maria Montealegre, the name of the province was switched back from Moracia to Guanacaste . Montealegre kept the name City of Liberia but saw it unfit to keep a province named after a political enemy. Today, the Annexation of Guanacaste is celebrated annually on 25 July to celebrate the date in which the province became a part of Costa Rica instead of Nicaragua. Liberia holds
2196-592: The border between Colombia and Panama known as the Darién Gap , the roads link most of the Pacific coastal countries of North America and South America in a connected highway system. According to Guinness World Records , the Pan-American Highway is the world's longest "motorable road". The Pan-American Highway passes through many diverse climates and ecological types—ranging from dense jungles to arid deserts and barren tundra . Some areas are fully passable only during
2257-494: The border into Honduras at El Amatillo near Nacaome (40 km (25 mi) from border). Just past Nacaome is a highway traveling north to Tegucigalpa , the capital of Honduras. Traveling south, it is 40 km (25 mi) to Choluteca , the fourth-largest city in Honduras. From Choluteca to the border crossing, just past San Marcos de Colón , is about 68 km (42 mi). The Pan-American Highway's total distance in Honduras
2318-505: The head city of the canton where the municipality is located; these councils are in charge of municipal administrative activities. Postal codes in Costa Rica are five-digit numeric, and were introduced in March 2007; they are associated with and identify a unique district. The first digit denotes one of the seven provinces , the 2nd and 3rd refer to the 82 cantons (unique within the province),
2379-516: The heart of Liberia, Guanacaste, the Museo de Guanacaste represents the civility of Costa Rica, and the embodiment of military abolishment. The Museo de Guanacaste portrays many of the local and national artists. Volunteers come from both internationally and locally to help restore the location and also preserve the cultural heritage. Tourists pass through Liberia en route to Pacific Coast beaches such as Playa del Coco , Playa Hermosa , Playa Tamarindo or
2440-576: The highway is not marked. Much of the highway in Latin America is marked as Vía Panam or Vía Panamericana . The Northern Pan-American Highway travels through nine countries, including in Central America: The Southern Pan-American Highway travels through five countries: Important spurs also connect with four other South American countries: The Alaska Highway through Alaska , Yukon and British Columbia
2501-546: The highway passes near the Volcano de San Salvador. From San Salvador to Cojutepeque is about 15 km (9.3 mi); following the highway southeast to San Miguel is about 65 km (40 mi). From San Miguel to the El Salvador-Honduras border is about 30 km (19 mi). In El Salvador, the highway also passes through the cities of, Santa Tecla , Antiguo Cuscatlán , and San Martín . The highway crosses
Liberia, Costa Rica - Misplaced Pages Continue
2562-516: The highway. No single route in the United States (except in Alaska) has been designated, much less marked, as the U.S. portion of the Pan-American Highway. However, I-25 is labeled as the Pan-American freeway in states such as New Mexico and Colorado. According to the federal Department of Transportation, the Interstate Highway System is the United States' section of the highway. In Canada
2623-612: The latter years of the Great Depression , Argentina , Bolivia , Chile , Colombia , Costa Rica , El Salvador , Guatemala , Honduras , Mexico , Nicaragua , Panama , Peru , Canada , and the United States signed the Convention on the Pan-American Highway , whereby they agreed to achieve speedy construction, by all adequate means. Thirteen years later, in 1950, Mexico became the first Latin American country to complete its portion of
2684-449: The main Mexican route and its spurs, as well as to key routes in Canada that link to the Alaska Highway. These include the following: Several North American routes have names that make no direct reference to the Pan-American Highway, in part because some sections follow highways that are not up to full freeway standard. The official route of the Pan-American Highway through Mexico (where it
2745-605: The most important settlement in the area. On 23 July 1831, the settlement of Guanacaste was given the title of Villa de Guanacaste. Just a few years later on 3 September 1836 it was given the name Ciudad de Guanacaste (City of Guanacaste). In 1838 after the Federal Republic of Central America began to dissolve, Costa Rica formally withdrew and proclaimed itself a sovereign state. On 7 December 1848 Costa Rica divided its national territory into provinces , cantons , and districts . The territory encompassing Nicoya, Bagaces, Santa Cruz, Guanacaste (modern day Liberia) and Cañas became part of
2806-626: The municipal government and ensures the communal and neighborhood interests before the Municipal Council;. However, the direct administration of the district falls to the municipality; the District Councils also exercise administrative functions such as forwarding projects to the Council and supervising the mayor's work. There are seven District Municipal Councils ( Concejo Municipal de Distrito ) in districts that are geographically distant from
2867-508: The newly formed province of Guanacaste . On 30 May 1854, a government decree changed the name of the City of Guanacaste (Ciudad de Guanacaste) to the City of Liberia (Ciudad de Liberia). The name of the province of Guanacaste was changed to Moracia in honor of then Costa Rican president Juan Rafael Mora Porras . In August 1859, Juan Rafael Mora Porras was overthrown in a coup d'état orchestrated by Dr. Jose Maria Montealegre. On 20 June 1860 during
2928-657: The route follows Alaska Route 2 southeast to the Canada–United States border southeast of Northway , Alaska, and adjacent to the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge . In Canada, no particular road has been officially designated as the Pan-American Highway. The National Highway System , which includes but is not limited to the Trans-Canada Highway , is the country's only official inter-provincial highway system. However, several Canadian highways are
2989-559: The second way. The second way goes to Calgary and the US border. In 1966, the U.S. Federal Highway Administration designated the entire Interstate Highway System as part of the Pan-American Highway System, but this has not been expressed in any of the official interstate signage. Of the many freeways that make up this very comprehensive system, several are notable because of their mainly north–south orientation and their links to
3050-471: The shores of Lake Managua . From Managua south to the town of Jinotepe is about 50 km (31 mi), and Jinotepe to the town of Rivas is about 70 km (43 mi). Around this area the Highway is in view of Lake Nicaragua , which is the largest lake in Central America. From Rivas to the Nicaragua-Costa Rica border is about 35 km (22 mi). In Costa Rica, the Pan-American Highway
3111-536: The southeast of Liberia along the west slopes of Miravalles volcano. The district is covered by the following road routes: The Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport is 13 kilometres (8 miles) west of the city, following the road to Nicoya . This is the second international airport in the country, after the Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José, and serves a variety of cities in
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#17328947520803172-560: The southern tip of South America at Tierra del Fuego National Park , near Ushuaia, Argentina . Both Panama and Colombia, as well as environmentalists, are opposed to building a highway through the Darién Gap that separates the two continents. A Cuban proposal that was not carried out was to include a "circuito del Caribe" (Caribbean circuit). This would have expanded the highway to Puerto Juárez , Mexico ( Cancún ), and from there by ferry to Pinar del Río, Cuba , from there by road to Havana , and by ferry again to Key West , Florida , and
3233-727: The state of Chiapas where the Highway crosses the Continental Divide . From the Oaxaca-Chiapas state border, it is 160 km (99 mi) to the Chiapas state capital of Tuxtla Gutiérrez . The Highway then crosses the Mexico-Guatemala border at Ciudad Cuauhtémoc . The Pan-American (or Inter-American) highway passes through the Central American countries with the highway designation of CA-1 (Central American Highway 1). Belize
3294-434: The territory that today is the province of Guanacaste , Costa Rica. Most of the area, such as the settlements of Nicoya and Santa Cruz, held economic ties to Costa Rican territory such as the growing port of Puntarenas . The settlement of Guanacaste (modern day Liberia), on the other hand, held closer economic ties to Nicaraguan territory like the town of Rivas. Under the leadership of the villages of Nicoya and Santa Cruz,
3355-489: The villages of Fireside and Coal River , then runs east parallel to the Liard River . The Pan-American Highway continues on B.C. Highway 97 as it passes through Toad River Post , and then Summit Lake, which is nested between Stone Mountain and Mount Saint George. Further down the road, B.C. Highway 97 intersects with B.C. Highway 77; the Pan-American Highway continues along B.C. 97 east to Fort Nelson . From Fort Nelson,
3416-492: The world. The Pan-American Highway continues south to Mexico City along two separate routes; historic Mexican Federal Highway 1 and toll Mexican Federal Highway 1D via Baja California Peninsula or Mexican Federal Highway 2 via the mainland. The Pan-American Highway (as Mexico Highway 85D) enters Mexico City, but downtown Mexico City can be bypassed using Mexico Highway 136 (a divided limited-access route) and Mexico Highway 115, which reconnects to Mexico Highway 95D south of
3477-544: Was abandoned in concept after the independence of Panama in 1903, when work on the canal began. The concept of building a highway, rather than a railroad, emerged at the Fifth International Conference of American States in 1923, after the automobile and other vehicles had begun to replace railroads for both passenger and goods transportation. The first conference regarding construction of the highway occurred on October 5, 1925. Finally, on July 29, 1937, in
3538-399: Was once used to make the city's roads and the whitewashed colonial houses which used to make up a large part of the city. It had a population of 56,899 in 2013. Modern-day Liberia was founded as a hermitage without any legal or formal act of foundation on 4 September 1769. It was located in a strategic location where the roads from the towns of Rivas, Bagaces, and Nicoya met. The hermitage
3599-426: Was supposedly included in the route at one time, after it switched to driving on the right. Prior to independence, as British Honduras, it was the only Central American country to drive on the left side of the road. Upon crossing into Guatemala, Mexico Highway 190 becomes Central America Highway 1 and continues for about 80 km (50 mi) from the border village of La Mesilla to the city of Huehuetenango near
3660-462: Was the Inter-American Highway to Panama City ; previously there were no roads, and little commerce between most Central American countries. There was no road between Costa Rica and Panama until, concerned about access to the Panama Canal in a war situation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began a highway in 1941. The third stage, which has not been completed and may never be, continues onward to
3721-503: Was used primarily as a place of rest by travelers. The area's giant guanacaste trees provided shade for travelers and livestock, and over time the area became known as Guanacaste (El Poblado de Guanacaste). The settlement itself shares a history with Nicaragua and Costa Rica . In 1812 the Cortes of Cádiz created a single autonomous province, covering Nicaragua and Costa Rica, with its capital in León . Nicaragua and Costa Rica achieved independence from Spain on 15 September 1821 after
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