Guanacaste (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡwanaˈkaste]) is a province of Costa Rica located in the northwestern region of the country, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean.

Before the Spanish arrived, this territory was inhabited by Chorotega Indians from the towns of Zapati, Nacaome, Paro, Cangel, Nicopasaya, Pocosí, Diriá, Papagayo, Namiapí and Orosí.

[9][10] Taking over Guanacaste would greatly increase the continental shelf area available to Nicaragua for oil exploration concessions, and move the Nicaraguan border to within 70 kilometres (43 mi) of Costa Rican capital San José.

The rivers that tumble out of these steep mountains flow down to rolling flatlands, forming a vast alluvial plain drained by the Rio Tempisque, which empties through swampy wetlands into the Golfo de Nicoya.

The two main commercial areas Santa Cruz and Liberia with six surrounding tourism development centers: Papagayo Peninsula, El Coco, Las Catalinas, Flamingo, Conchal, and Tamarindo.

Most of the population descends from Chorotega Natives and Spaniards, with some Africans as a result of a large number of slaves working the land during the colonial period.

As in Nicaragua and elsewhere in Costa Rica Usted is the form of address used by Guanacastecans upon initial meetings and typically among adults.

Most of the area is covered by small patches of forest, scattered trees and large pastures of coarse grasses where Brahman cattle and related breeds graze.

The other agricultural products of relative importance in the province are sugar cane and cotton, and since the late 1980s, with the creation of a large-scale irrigation program (the water comes from Lake Arenal after passing through several power generating stations), rice has become a prominent crop.

[citation needed] These include the Santa Rosa, Guanacaste and Rincon de la Vieja National Parks.