Los Chiles should not be confused with Los Chiles (canton).
| Los Chiles | |
| Settlement Type: | District |
| Pushpin Map: | Costa Rica |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Los Chiles district location in Costa Rica |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Los Chiles district location in Costa Rica |
| Coordinates: | 10.9639°N -84.599°W |
| Map Alt: | Los Chiles district |
| Established Title: | Creation |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Alajuela |
| Subdivision Type2: | Canton |
| Subdivision Name2: | Los Chiles |
| Area Total Km2: | 504.21 |
| Elevation M: | 43 |
| Population Total: | 13262 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 21401 |
Los Chiles is a district of the Los Chiles canton, in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica.[1] [2]
Los Chiles was originally settled by fishermen and others who worked on the nearby Río San Juan in Nicaragua. It was granted the title of "ciudad" (city) by a law of May 4, 1970.
During the 1980s, it was a strategic location on an important supply route for the Contras fighting to overthrow the Sandinista government in Nicaragua, and during that time military men from the United States were a common (albeit illegal) sight on the streets on the town.
Los Chiles has an area of km2[3] and an elevation of metres.
It is on the San Carlos Plain (Llanura de San Carlos) in northern Costa Rica, 14 kilometers southeast of San Carlos in Nicaragua, 97 kilometers northwest of Ciudad Quesada, 175 kilometers from the provincial capital city of Alajuela, and 198 kilometers from the national capital city of San Jose.
For the 2011 census, Los Chiles had a population of inhabitants. [4]
The district is covered by the following road routes:
Los Chiles is served by Los Chiles Airport, a grass runway on the east side of town.
Los Chiles is a "border town," only four kilometers from Nicaragua. The vast majority of the population of the city was born in Nicaragua. The Río Frío, on the western edge of town, is a major thoroughfare used to access small villages and farms in the surrounding area.
The town is also an agriculture and sportfishing center. A gas station is located here, the only one for 20 kilometers in any direction, and a civil guard checkpoint is on Highway 35 south of town. There is a bank and a few basic restaurants and cabinas for lodging.
This area typically has a pronounced dry season. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Los Chiles has a tropical savanna climate, abbreviated "Aw" on climate maps.[5]