Cartago is a city in Costa Rica, about 25 km (15 miles) east of the capital, San José. It is at an elevation of about 1435 m (some 4930 ft) above sea level on the Cartago River, at the base of the Irazú Volcano. Cartago is the capital of Cartago province. In 2003 the city had a population of 141,524 people. The city of Chicago, as seen from the sky The main square of the Catalan city of Sabadell during a popular celebration. ... San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. ... For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ... The Irazú Volcano, in spanish is an active volcano in Costa Rica, situated in the Cordillera Central close to the city of Cartago. ... Categories: Costa Rican provinces | Stub ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

History

The Basilica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles

Cartago was founded in 1563 by Spanish conquistador Juan Vásquez de Coronado, and was the first permanent Spanish settlement in Costa Rica. It served as the capital of Costa Rica until 1823, when the first elected head of state, Juan Mora Fernández, moved the capital to what was then the small village of San José because Cartago wanted to unite the newly independent province of Costa Rica to the colony of Mexico while the rest of the population wanted to form a republic. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles (Our Lady of the Angels Basilica) Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles in Cartago, Costa Rica a basilica inCosta Rica, located in the city of Cartago and dedicated the Virgen de los Prados, officially known as la Virgen... Events February 1 - Sarsa Dengel succeeds his father Menas as Emperor of Ethiopia February 18 - The Duke of Guise is assassinated while besieging Orléans March - Peace of Amboise. ... Conquistador (Spanish: []) (meaning Conqueror in the Spanish language) is the term used to refer to the soldiers, explorers and adventurers who brought much of the Americas and Asia Pacific under Spanish colonial rule between the 15th and 17th centuries, starting with the 1492 settlement established in the modern-day Bahamas... 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Costa Ricas first elected head of state, liberal Juan Mora Fernández, decided to move the government of Costa Rica ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      For other uses, see Republic (disambiguation). ...

In 1723, a volcanic eruption from the Irazu volcano destroyed Cartago. The city was severely damaged by major earthquakes in 1822, 1841 and 1910. In 1963, another volcanic eruption badly damaged the city, and covered San José and almost all of the city's crops in ash. Events February 16 - Louis XV of France attains his majority Births February 24 - John Burgoyne, British general (d. ... For other uses, see Volcano (disambiguation). ... An earthquake is a phenomenon that results from the sudden release of stored energy in the Earths crust that creates seismic waves. ... 1822 (MDCCCXXII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1841 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... Farmlands in Hebei province, China. ... Ash plume from Mt Cleveland, a stratovolcano Diamond Head, a well-known backdrop to Waikiki in Hawaii, is an ash cone that solidified into tuff Volcanic ash consists of very fine rock and mineral particles less than 2 mm in diameter that are ejected from a volcanic vent. ...

Many pilgrims come to Cartago annually, to visit the city's principal church, the enormous Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles, on the feast day of the Virgin of the Angels (August 2). The church has a statue of the Black Madonna known as La Negrita, who supposedly had great healing powers. The sick come to her statue in hope of a miracle from La Negrita. Pilgrim at Mecca In religion and spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or search of great moral significance. ... St. ... The Black Madonna of CzÄ™stochowa, Poland A Black Madonna or Black Virgin is a statue or painting of Mary in which she is depicted with dark or black skin. ... A miracle, derived from the old Latin word miraculum meaning something wonderful, is a striking interposition of divine intervention by a god in the universe by which the ordinary course and operation of Nature is overruled, suspended, or modified. ...

According to folklore in Costa Rica, La Negrita appeared to a young native girl named Juana Pereira, in 1635. The rock where La Negrita made her alleged appearance is kept in a backroom in the basilica and is revered as a sacred relic and object of inspiration. The rock is supposed to be in the same location it was when La Negrita originally appeared, but it has been moved as the basilica was rebuilt (see below). It is common for pilgrims to touch the rock in reverence.

The central park in Cartago includes the ruins of an earlier basilica. The earlier basilica was destroyed several times by earthquakes, the last time in 1910. As a result, the rebuilding of the basilica in the same location was abandoned and the new basilica was built to replace the old one several blocks away.

The ruins of the old basilica in Cartago's central park.

The main products of the region are potatoes, onions, milk, and orchids. These used to support more than 90% of the city's economy although other resources such as computer technologies have risen since the last decade. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1782x1203, 271 KB) Description: This is a picture of the old basilica in Cartago, Costa Rica. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1782x1203, 271 KB) Description: This is a picture of the old basilica in Cartago, Costa Rica. ... Binomial name Solanum tuberosum L. The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, grown for its starchy tuber. ... For the parody newspaper, see The Onion. ... A glass of cows milk A goat kid feeding on its mothers milk Milk is the nutrient fluid secreted by the mammary glands of female mammals (including monotremes). ... Orchid re-directs here; for alternate uses see Orchid (disambiguation) Genera Over 800 See List of Orchidaceae genera. ... A BlueGene supercomputer cabinet. ... A decade is a set or a group of ten, commonly a period of 10 years in contemporary English, or a period of 10 days in the French revolutionary calendar. ...

The province is known for its rich ecological diversity and dense tropical rainforests along the mountain ranges near the Irazu and Turrialba volcanoes. Irazú is an active volcano in Costa Rica, situated in the Cordillera Central close to the city of Cartago. ... The Turrialba Volcano was named after the region of Costa Rica in which the volcano is situated. ...

Cartago is home of the Costa Rica Institute of Technology, one of the most prestigious higher education institutions in the country and one of Central America's most important engineering schools. The Costa Rica Institute of Technology, has the mission of: To contribute to the integral development of the country, by means of the formation of human resources, the investigation and the extension; keeping the scientific-technical leadership, the academic excellence and the strict attachment to the ethical, enviromental and humanists...

See also

• Cartago Agrarian Union Party
• Provincial Integration Party Three

Coordinates: 9°52′N 83°55′W Party flag Cartago Agrarian Union Party (in Spanish: Partido Unión Agrícola Cartaginés) is a political party in Cartago, Costa Rica. ... Party logo Provincial Integration Party Three (in Spanish: Partido Integración Provincial Tres) is a political party in Cartago, Costa Rica. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...