Pérez Zeledón (canton)

Pérez Zeledón is the name of the 19th canton of the province of San José in Costa Rica. The canton has an area of ,. It has a population of 134,534. The capital city of the canton is San Isidro de El General.

The canton's boundaries are made by Río Savegre river, Río Guabo river, and the coastal mountain ranges. The canton has the highest mountains peaks of the Cordillera de Talamanca (Talamanca Mountain Range) on the east. In the middle of the canton, the Río General river goes from north to south.

Districts
The canton of Pérez Zeledón is divided into 11 districts (distritos):

 San Isidro de El General
 General
 Daniel Flores
 Rivas
 San Pedro
 Platanares
 Pejibaye
 Cajón
 Barú
 Río Nuevo
 Páramo

History
The canton of Pérez Zeledón was made 9 October 1931. It was granted 4 districts: Ureña, El General, Daniel Flores, and Rivas. Ureña was the capital.

Early Costa Rican Settlements
At the end of the 19th century, between 1870 and 1899, there were a few families living in the El General valley. The hamlets (Spanish: Caseríos) of El General, Palmares, Rivas, and Ureña were populated from 1900 onward.

The Caserío of Ureña grew more. By 1911, during Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno's government, the Refuges of Ojo de Agua, El Cerro de la Muerte, and División were created. These refuges further advanced the growth of the region.

Costa Rican Civil War

San Isidro de El General, Pérez Zeledón's capital, was given the title of Ciudad Mártir. This was because of the civil war of 1948 that happened here.

Decree Nº274 gave the city its title. This decree established official recognition of the city's participation in the civil war of 1948. A section of the decree states (in Spanish):

la Junta Fundadora de la Segunda República, apreciando el noble esfuerzo y la valiosa contribución de San Isidro de El General, se siente obligada a hacer un público y oficial reconocimiento de tan loable conducta para que de ninguna manera quede ella relegada al olvido, sino que constantemente sea exaltada como merecen los grandes hechos dignos de vida eterna en los fastos nacionales.

Which in English would translate into:

The Founding Group of the Second Republic, appreciating the effort and contribution of San Isidro de El General, wants to make a public and official recognition of such conduct. Let it constantly be praised as good things are worthy of eternal national praise.

Pérez Zeledón was also the location of major battles during the Costa Rican Civil War. One battle was the Battle of San Isidro de El General. It happened around 6:30 am. 200 government forces fought the rebels at the city's central park. The battle was won by José Figueres Ferrer and his rebels. This battle secured the southern pacific region of Costa Rica for the rebels.

Economy

The canton of Pérez Zeledón's economy is characterized by agriculture, livestock, trade, industry and tourism. One fact that has helped this economy is the canton's geographic location; it is a 'bridge' between Costa Rica's capital (San José) and the southern areas that border Panamá.

Important farming activities:

 Sugar Cane cultivation
 Coffee
 Tiquizque cultivation 
 Banana cultivation
 Blackberry cultivation

The first two products are the most important in the region.

Livestock activities are also important. Pigs and cattle being the most important. The cattle is used for meat and dairy products.

Commercial activities have also become important. There are important credit unions, banks, local companies, media, and various other companies of the San José operating in the canton.

Tourism
Its main attraction is ecological diversity. There is the Chirripó National Park (one of the highest peak in Central America and the Caribbean).

Another park in the area is the Parque Internacional La Amistad.

Education

The first elementary school in Pérez Zeledón was established during Ascensión Esquivel Ibarra's government (1902-1906). It was called Escuela Mixta de Ureña and was in the Ureña district, south of San Isidro de El General's central park. After the Costa Rican Civil War the school was moved to a new building. It currently has the name "Escuela 12 de Marzo", in honor of the start of the Costa Rican Civil War. It had just ended when the school was rebuilt at its current location.

References
Economy of Pérez Zeledón Info

San José Province
Cantons of Costa Rica
1931 establishments in North America
20th-century establishments in Costa Rica