The Cartago, Costa Rica reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Cartago, Costa Rica

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 1997 the city had a population of 122,605 people.

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.

The city was severely damaged by a major earthquake in 1841.

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