Puriscal is the 4th canton in the province of San José, Costa Rica. The head city of the canton is Santiago.
Toponymy In Spanish, a is the flower of the common bean. A is a field of flowering beans.
History Puriscal canton was established by decree on 7 August, 1868.
Geography Puriscal has an area of and a mean elevation of .
Chucás River delineates the canton's northernmost boundary, while the Chires River marks its far southern border, with the canton of Parrita in Puntarenas Province. Puriscal includes a significant portion of the Coastal Mountain Range. However, the canton is landlocked.
Government Mayor According to Costa Rica's Municipal Code, mayors are elected every four years by the population of the canton. As of the latest municipal elections in 2024, the National Liberation Party candidate, Iris Cristina Arroyo Herrera, was elected mayor of the canton with 60.39% of the votes, with Miguel Ángel Mata Zúñiga and David Alonso Carrera Herrera as first and second vice mayors, respectively.
+ Mayors of Puriscal since the 2002 electionsPeriodNameParty2002–2006Carlos Araya Jiménez PLN2006–2010Jorge Luis Chaves Gutiérrez2010–2016Manuel Espinoza Campos2016–2020Luis Madrigal Hidalgo PUSC2020–2024Iris Cristina Arroyo Herrera PLN2024–2028
Municipal Council Like the mayor and vice mayors, members of the Municipal Council (called ) are elected every four years. Puriscal's Municipal Council has 7 seats for regidores and their substitutes, who can participate in meetings but not vote unless the owning regidor () is absent. The Municipal Council's composition for the 2024–2028 period is as follows:
+ Current composition of the Municipal Council of Puriscal after the 2024 municipal electionsPolitical parties in the Municipal Council of PuriscalPolitical party Regidores№OwnerSubstituteNational Liberation Party (PLN)3Santiago Castro FallasGiovanni Mora RodríguezMireya Mora JiménezMariangel Mora HerreraJosé Pablo Fernández SotoMario Chacón RubíPuriscal on the Move (PM)1Orlando Fernández FernándezMichael Hernán Fernández GuerreroSocial Christian Unity Party (PUSC)1Gloriana Bermúdez DuránPriscilla Vanessa Aguilar Jiménez
Demographics
Puriscal had an estimated population of people in 2022, up from at the time of the 2011 census.
Puriscal had a Human Development Index of 0.755 in 2022. Its Multidimensional Poverty Index in 2023 was 0.072.Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo [PNUD]. (2024) Atlas de Desarrollo Humano
Cantonal en Costa Rica 2023. Costa Rica.
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Only 18% of the canton's population live in urban areas. Among its inhabitants, 20.2% are under ten, and 7.4% are over 65.
Districts The canton of Puriscal is subdivided into the following districts: Santiago Mercedes Sur Barbacoas Grifo Alto San Rafael Candelarita Desamparaditos San Antonio Chires
Transportation Road transportation The following road routes cover the canton:
References