Sarchí is a

canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ent ...

in the Alajuela province of

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

. The head city is in

Sarchí Norte Sarchí Norte is a district of the Sarchí canton, in the Alajuela Alajuela () is a district in the Alajuela canton of the Alajuela Province of Costa Rica. As the seat of the Municipality of Alajuela canton, it is awarded the status of city. ...

district.

Toponymy

The ''Sarchí'' word means ''Open Field'' in the Huetar language of the

Huetar people The Huetares were an important indigenous group of Costa Rica, who in the mid-16th century lived in the center of what is now the country. They are also mentioned with the name of güetares or pacacuas. Huetares were the most powerful and best-or ...

that once inhabited the area. On 7 August 2019, by Law 9658, the canton changed its previous name from Valverde Vega to Sarchí.

History

Sarchí was created on 26 October 1949 by decree 766. It was originally named Valverde Vega in honor of Dr. Carlos Luis Valverde Vega, a medic and founder of the Unión Médica Nacional (National Medical Union) after more than forty years of struggle. The members of the board that worked to create it were Samuel Alfaro Alpízar, Efraím Zamora Castro, Daube Alfaro Castro, Pedro Alfaro Zamora, Hebly Inkseter Soto, Otoniel Alfaro Alfaro, Elécer Pérez Conejo, who are known today as its founders. The canton was inaugurated on 1 January 1950.

Geography

Catartata del toro ibo bonilla arquitecto

Sarchí has an area of km² and a mean elevation of metres. The elongated canton lies between the Molino and Toro rivers on the northwest and the Sarchí River on the southeast. It reaches northward into a beautiful high valley of the

Cordillera Central Central Cordillera refers to the New Guinea Highlands. Cordillera Central, meaning ''central range'' in Spanish, may refer to the following mountain ranges: * Cordillera Central, Andes (disambiguation), several mountain ranges in South America ** ...

(Central Mountain Range) between the Poás and Platanar volcanoes.

Districts

The canton of Sarchí is subdivided into the following

districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

: #

Sarchí Sur Sarchí Sur is a district of the Sarchí canton, in the Alajuela Alajuela () is a district in the Alajuela canton of the Alajuela Province of Costa Rica. As the seat of the Municipality of Alajuela canton, it is awarded the status of city. B ...

# Toro Amarillo # San Pedro # Rodríguez

Demographics

For the 2011 census, Sarchí had a population of inhabitants.

Transportation

Road transportation

The canton is covered by the following road routes:

References

{{CostaRica-geo-stub Cantons of Alajuela Province Populated places in Alajuela Province