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Map of Golfito Costa Rica, Southern Pacific Rainforests of the Golfito Wildlife Refuge Costa Rica
The Geography of
Southern Pacific Costa Rica

Map showing the Osa Peninsula and the location of Golfito Costa Rica, on the Southern Pacific Coast. The calm Golfito Bay is within the larger Golfo Dulce, and separated from the open Pacific Coast by the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica.

Below you will find various maps of the Southern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, including maps of the Osa Conservation Area, and maps of the Counties (Cantones) of Corredores, Osa, and Golfito Costa Rica.
 

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Osa Conservation Area - Osa Peninsula - Osa Canton

¿¿  What is the difference  ??


In various literature about Costa Rica, the term "Osa" often seems to be used loosely, and can be confusing to those not familiar with the geography and political divisions of Costa Rica.
Osa Conservation Area Canton District Map
Osa Conservation Area - Parks & Protected Zones
Map of the Golfito Region - Political Divisions Map of the Golfito Region - Protected Areas of the ACOSA




The Osa Peninsula as a Geographic Landform


In order to dispel the initial confusion in the terminology regarding the Osa region of Costa Rica, one must first remember that a Peninsula is a defined geographic landform:

n. a piece of land that is almost an island, either connected to the mainland by a narrow neck or projecting into the sea, with the sea on three sides.

* definition from "The New Lexicon Webster's Dictionary of the English Language", 1987.

The Osa Conservation Area and the Osa Canton (county)
The Osa Conservation Area and the Osa Canton are governmental divisions of Costa Rica

The Osa Conservation Area (ACOSA) is one of eleven Conservations Areas in Costa Rica, which were created by MINAE (Ministerio de Ambiental y Energia, Ministry of Environment and Energy). These 11 Conservation Areas are also known as SINAC (Sistema Nacional de Areas de Conservacion, National System of Conservation Areas). The SINAC offices, among other tasks, are assigned with overseeing environmental issues and administering Costa Rica's National Parks and protected areas. The Osa Conservation Area covers an extensive portion of the Southern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, including inland and coastal regions as well as the geographic landform known as the Osa Peninsula (see above). For more information on the Protected Zones in the Osa Conservation area, see our National Parks page.

There are three counties (cantones) within the ACOSA: Osa Canton, Golfito Canton, and Corredores Canton. The counties are part of Puntarenas Province, and each county is further divided into districts (distritos). Each county also has a city that is similar to a county-seat, called a municipalidad, where government offices are located.

As you can see from the maps above, the Osa Peninsula is partly in Osa Canton and partly in Golfito Canton. Landowners on the northern portion of the Osa Peninsula are in the Sierpe District of the Osa Canton, and pay their property taxes at the Municipalidad in the city of Cortes, Osa Canton. Landowners on the southern portion of the Osa Peninsula are in the Jimenez District of Golfito Canton, and pay their property taxes at the Municipalidad in the City of Golfito.

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