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The provinces (Spanish: provincias) are administrative parts of Costa Rica as in other countries.
The Constitution of Costa Rica says, in its Article 168, "For Public Administration purposes, the national territory is divided into provinces, these into cantons and cantons into districts."
As of 2016[update], there are 7 provinces (provincias), 81 cantons (cantones), and 473 districts (districtos).
The Law No. 36 of 7 December 1848 divided the country, for the first time, in provinces, cantons and districts, and created 6 provinces:
The law made Puntarenas as comarca, an old category that does not exist any more. Puntarenas was made a province in 1858. In 1870, Limón was made a comarca with the eastern part of the Cartago province; in 1902, Limón was made a province.
| Flag | Province | Map | ISO 3166-2 | Capital | Area (km2) |
Population (2011) |
Density |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
San José |  |
CR-SJ | San José | &&&&&&&&&&&04965.9000004,965.90 | &&&&&&&&01404242.&&&&&01,404,242 | 282.8 |
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Alajuela |  |
CR-A | Alajuela | &&&&&&&&&&&09757.5300009,757.53 | &&&&&&&&&0848146.&&&&&0848,146 | 86.9 |
 |
Cartago |  |
CR-C | Cartago | &&&&&&&&&&&03124.6700003,124.67 | &&&&&&&&&0490903.&&&&&0490,903 | 157.1 |
 |
Heredia |  |
CR-H | Heredia | &&&&&&&&&&&02656.9800002,656.98 | &&&&&&&&&0433677.&&&&&0433,677 | 163.2 |
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Guanacaste |  |
CR-G | Liberia | &&&&&&&&&&010140.71000010,140.71 | &&&&&&&&&0326953.&&&&&0326,953 | 32.2 |
 |
Puntarenas |  |
CR-P | Puntarenas | &&&&&&&&&&011265.69000011,265.69 | &&&&&&&&&0410929.&&&&&0410,929 | 36.5 |
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Limón |  |
CR-L | Puerto Limón | &&&&&&&&&&&09188.5200009,188.52 | &&&&&&&&&0386862.&&&&&0386,862 | 42.1 |
