San Jose is the capital of the Republic of Costa Rica. The city with political and economic center, collecting more than half of the trade and services. Culturally can be seen as a mix between African culture and indigenous, non-exempt from Europeanism by the Spanish immigration after its discovery by Christopher Columbus. It receive this name in honor of Joseph of Nazareth.

Like the deans cantons of the country, the central canton of San Jose was founded on December 7, 1848. The population was around 1737-1738, and has been the capital of Costa Rica on three occasions: in 1822, 1823 to 1834 and from 1838 to the present. This is a city with an interesting mix of history and modernity, although the central area is uninhabited and almost becomes a place of passage that brings together during the day to more than one million people, creating chaos and the road increasing levels of pollution
Despite its problems, according to studies in the field throughout Latin America, San Jose remains one of the safest cities and least violent of all Central America. In 2006 was appointed Ibero-American Capital of Culture.