Quepos (canton)

Quepos
Canton
Sunset in Quepos
Flag Seal
Quepos canton
Quepos Quepos canton location in Costa Rica
Coordinates: 9.412973°N 84.0467398°W / 9.412973; -84.0467398
Country	Costa Rica
Province	Puntarenas
Creation	30 October 1948[1]
Head city	Quepos
Districts	Districts Quepos Savegre Naranjito
Government
• Type	Municipality
• Body	Municipalidad de Quepos
Area
• Total	543.77 km^2 (209.95 sq mi)
Elevation	36 m (118 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Total	26,861
• Density	49/km^2 (130/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−06:00
Canton code	606
Website	muniquepos.go.cr

Quepos is a canton in the Puntarenas province of Costa Rica.^[2][3] The head city is in Quepos district.

Toponymy

It was named Aguirre until February 2015, when its name was changed following a vote in the Legislative Assembly. The name Quepos refers to the Quepoa people who inhabited this area in pre-Columbian and colonial times.

History

Quepos was created on 30 October 1948 by decree 235.^[1]

Geography

Quepos has an area of 543.77 km²^[4] and a mean elevation of 36 metres.^[2]

The canton lies along the central Pacific coast between the mouths of the Damas and Barú rivers. The northeastern border runs through high, remote coastal mountain ranges. The county is most famous for being the home of the Manuel Antonio National Park, the most visited national park in Costa Rica.

Districts

The canton of Quepos is subdivided into the following districts:

1. Quepos
2. Savegre
3. Naranjito

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	±% p.a.
1950	15,291	—
1963	19,942	+2.06%
1973	14,473	−3.15%
1984	13,319	−0.75%
2000	20,188	+2.63%
2011	26,861	+2.63%
2022	32,416	+1.72%
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos[5] Centro Centroamericano de Población[6]

For the 2011 census, Quepos had a population of 26,861 inhabitants. ^[7]

Transportation

Road transportation

The canton is covered by the following road routes:

• National Route 34
• National Route 235
• National Route 243
• National Route 616
• National Route 618

References

1. Hernández, Hermógenes (1985). Costa Rica: evolución territorial y principales censos de población 1502 - 1984 (in Spanish) (1 ed.). San José: Editorial Universidad Estatal a Distancia. pp. 164–173. ISBN 9977-64-243-5. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
2. "Declara oficial para efectos administrativos, la aprobación de la División Territorial Administrativa de la República N°41548-MGP". Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica (in Spanish). 19 March 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
3. División Territorial Administrativa de la República de Costa Rica (PDF) (in Spanish). Editorial Digital de la Imprenta Nacional. 8 March 2017. ISBN 978-9977-58-477-5.
4. "Área en kilómetros cuadrados, según provincia, cantón y distrito administrativo". Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 September 2020.
5. "Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos" (in Spanish).
6. Centro Centroamericano de Población de la Universidad de Costa Rica. "Sistema de Consulta a Bases de Datos Estadísticas" (in Spanish).
7. "Censo. 2011. Población total por zona y sexo, según provincia, cantón y distrito". Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 September 2020.