Heredia is the capital
of Heredia Province and is situated in north-central Costa
Rica.
The city is
home to one of the largest colleges in Costa Rica, the National
University of Costa Rica, that accepts many international
students.
History
Heredia was founded in the 1570s as Cubujuquí. It
later changed its name to Villavieja before adopting its
current name in 1763.
It is often
referred to as the "Ciudad de Flores," but not
because of the city's flowers, as many private tourist companies
describe it. At the turn of the 19th centuary, the wealthy
"Flores" family dominated political and social
life in the city. Their home is now the city's municipal
museum, located directly north of the central church. [citation
needed] For a brief period in the 1830s, Heredia served
as the capital of Costa Rica.
Heredia is a province of Costa Rica.
It is located in the north-central part of the country.
To the north it borders Nicaragua, to the east is the province
Limón, to the south the province San José,
and to the west Alajuela. The capital is Heredia. The province
covers an area of 2,657 km² (1), and has a population
of 378,681(2). It is subdivided into ten cantons.
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