Hojancha (canton)

Hojancha is the 11th canton in the province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 261.42 km²,[1] and has a population of 7,623.[2]

Hojancha
Cantón
Location of Hojancha Canton in Guanacaste Province
Country	Costa Rica
Province	Guanacaste
Area
• Total	261.42 km^2 (100.93 sq mi)
Population  (2013)
• Total	7,623
• Density	29/km^2 (76/sq mi)

The canton is in the midsection of the Nicoya Peninsula. It is relatively compact, with a single tentacle reaching south to encompass a small portion of the Pacific coastline from Playa Carrillo southward to the mouth of the Río Ora.

Districts

The canton of Hojancha is subdivided into four districts (distritos):[3]

District	Postal code	Alt. (m)	Area (km^2)	Pop. (2008)	Coordinates
Hojancha	51101	350	79.61	4,289	10°03′32″N 85°25′10″W
	Poblados: Ángeles, Arena, Ceiba, Cuesta Blanca, Libertad, Maravilla, Matambú, Palo de Jabón, Pilangosta, San Juan Bosco, San Rafael, Santa Elena (part), Varillal
Monte Romo	51102	685	74.85	843	09°59′58″N 85°22′57″W
	Poblados: Altos del Socorro, Bajo Saltos, Cabrera, Cuesta Roja, Delicias, Guapinol, Loros, Mercedes, Palmares, Río Zapotal, San Isidro, Trinidad
Puerto Carrillo	51103	40	75.5	1,416	09°52′02″N 85°28′45″W
	Poblados: Angostura, Arbolito, Cuesta Malanoche, Estrada, Jobo, Lajas, Quebrada Bonita (part), San Miguel, Santa María
Huacas	51104	570	31.46	741	10°01′22″N 85°22′02″W
	Poblados: Avellana, Pita Rayada, Río Blanco Oeste, Tres Quebradas

History

The canton was established by law on November 2, 1971.

On September 5, 2012, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck 12 kilometers northeast of Hojancha, destroying houses in the canton.[4][5]

References

1. Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN), 2001.
2. Estadísticas Vitales 2013 Archived 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine - INEC
3. "División Territorial Administrativa de Costa Rica" (PDF) (in Spanish). Instituto de Fomento y Asesoria Municipal (IFAM). 5 May 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2015.
4. "M7.6 - 12km ENE of Hojancha, Costa Rica". United States Geological Survey. September 5, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
5. Mata Blanco, Alonso (September 6, 2012). "Sismo Destruyó Viviendas en Varios Cantones de Guanacaste y Alajuela" [Earthquake Destroyed Homes in Several Cantons of Guanacaste and Alajuela]. La Nación (in Spanish). Retrieved October 3, 2012.