GUANACASTE

province, northwestern Costa Rica, bounded on the north by Nicaragua, on the east by Alajuela province, and on the west and south by the Pacific Ocean. Occupying one-fifth of the national territory, Guanacaste's 4,000 sq mi (10,400 sq km) were formerly open deciduous forest, which have been turned into savanna grasslands, with dry forests in the north. It rises into the Guanacaste Cordillera in the east. Shortly after independence from Spain, the province separated itself from Nicaragua, and in 1825 it officially became part of Costa Rica. It was the source of ill feeling between the two nations during the 19th century, and it was also the centre of much of the warfare between the Central Americans and the U.S. filibuster William Walker in the 1850s. Although the volcanic soil is fertile, the lack of water, inaccessibility, and sparse settlement have hindered agriculture. An irrigation project has allowed some expansion. The chief income of Guanacaste is from cattle; about one-half of the beef, corn (maize), and rice consumed in Costa Rica comes from the province. The Pan-American Highway traverses Guanacaste, passing through Liberia (q.v.), the provincial capital. Nicoya, on the Nicoya Peninsula, is also large and important. Pop. (1983 est.) 228,249.