Belén District, Carrillo Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Belén
District
Belén Location in Costa Rica
Country	Costa Rica
Province	Guanacaste
Canton	Carrillo
Creation	16 June 1877
Area
• Total	181.55 km² (70.10 sq mi)
Elevation	34 m (112 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	8,841
• Density	48.697/km² (126.126/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−06:00
Postal code	50504

Belén is a special area called a district in Costa Rica. It is part of the Carrillo canton, which is located in the Guanacaste province.

What's in a Name?
A Look Back in Time
Where is Belén?
Towns and Villages
How Many People Live Here?
Getting Around Belén
- Roads
See also

What's in a Name?

Belén was first known as Villita, which means Little Village in Spanish. Its current name, Belén, is the Spanish word for Bethlehem. This name came about because of big celebrations held every December 25th for the Child Jesus. In 1885, a priest named Fray Juan Paz visited the community. He saw how much the people loved the Child Jesus of Bethlehem. Because of this, he suggested the name Belén for the area.

A Look Back in Time

Belén was officially created on June 16, 1877, by a special rule called Decreto 22. Before that, it was part of the Santa Cruz canton. The church you see in Belén today was built in 1969. The local park, where people can relax and play, was built between 1974 and 1978.

Where is Belén?

Belén covers an area of about 181.55 square kilometers. It is located at an elevation of 34 meters above sea level. This means it's not very high up, making it a relatively flat area.

Towns and Villages

The main town and administrative center of the district is also called Belén.

Other smaller villages within the district include:

Alto San Antonio
Cachimbo
Castilla de Oro
Coyolito
Gallina
Juanilama
Loma Bonita
Llano
Ojochal
Palestina
Palmas
Paraíso
Penca
Planes
Poroporo
Río Cañas Nuevo
Santa Ana
Santo Domingo

How Many People Live Here?

According to the 2011 census, Belén had a population of 8,841 people. A census is like a big count of all the people living in an area.

Getting Around Belén

Roads

The district of Belén is connected by important roads. These roads help people travel to and from the district. The main road routes that pass through Belén are: