Grecia
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Grecia is the capital city of the canton of Grecia in the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica. It is also the name of the distrito (district) that includes the city. The district of Grecia covers an area of 6.86 km² (1), and has a population of 15,457 (2).
The city lies at an elevation of 999 meters above sea level (1) in the foothills of the Cordillera Central on the eastern edge of the Central Valley (Valle Central). The city, which was once named "the cleanest city in Latin America," is 20 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital city of Alajuela, 27 kilometers from Juan Santamaria International Airport, and 45 kilometers from the national capital city of San Jose.
Grecia is noted for its unique church, Iglesia de la Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, that is made entirely of pre-fabricated steel plates painted red.
[edit] References
(1) Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN), 2001.
(2) Estimates of Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC), May 2003.
