Zarcero is the 11th canton in Alajuela, a province in Costa Rica. It is located west of the Costa Rican Central Valley, northeast of the national capital, San José. The region covers an area of, and is divided into seven districts. To the north, the region borders canton San Carlos, to the south it borders canton Naranjo, to the east it borders canton Sarchí and to the west it borders the canton San Ramón. According to the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses, in 2013 the canton Zarcero had a population of 13,215. The canton has a 93% literacy rate, and by the year 2012 had a Human Development Index of 0.726 according to the United Nations Development Program. The region also has one of the lowest crime rates in the country. The economy of the canton is based on agriculture, primarily coffee and vegetables such as carrots, lettuce, potatoes and chiverre. Livestock and their products, especially "natilla Zarcero", a form of sour cream that originated in this area, make up another large portion of the economy. There are also smaller pastry, bread and other agriculturally-based industries in Zarcero. Tourism likewise has an impact on the economy. Two protected areas help attract tourist attention, a section of Juan Castro Blanco National Park and El Chayote Protected Zone. One feature of the canton is Evangelista Blanco Brenes Park, a park with topiary-designed bushes located in front of the Iglesia de San Rafael Arcángel in the center of the city of Zarcero. The canton itself is diamond-shaped, with the Río Espina forming the border on the northwest and the southwest sides. The :es:Río Toro |Río Toro forms the southeastern border, and the Río La Vieja borders the northeast. Hiking trails, pure water creeks, friendly people, landscapes and natural attractions are features of the area.
Districts
The canton of Zarcero is subdivided into seven districts :
History
Zarcero was founded on June 21, 1915, and was originally given the name "Alfaro Ruiz" in remembrance of Juan Alfaro Ruíz, a hero from the National Campaign of 1856, or Filibuster War. The head city of the canton is the eponymous Zarcero district.
