San José, << `sahn` haw `seh` >> (pop. 288,054) is Costa Rica’s capital, largest city, and commercial center. It lies on a plateau in the country’s main agricultural region.
San José has a modern appearance and a mainly middle-class population. Important landmarks include the National Theater and the National Museum. The National Theater is an elaborately decorated center for the performing arts built in 1897. The National Museum is housed in a fortress that dates back to 1832.
San José is the center for trade in coffee, bananas, and sugar produced in Costa Rica. It has numerous factories that process foods and manufacture chemicals, textiles, and furniture. Railroads link San José to ports on the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Juan Santamaria International Airport also serves the city.
Spanish settlers founded San José in the mid-1700’s. During the 1980’s, the population grew rapidly as a result of a steady flow of refugees from nearby war-torn countries.
