Dota (canton)


Dota is a canton in the San José province of Costa Rica. The head city of the canton is Santa María.
It is part of Los Santos Zone, together with Tarrazú and León Cortés Castro.

History

Dota was created on 23 July 1925 by decree 80.

Government

Mayor

According to Costa Rica's Municipal Code, mayors are elected every four years by the population of the canton. As of the latest municipal elections in 2024, the Social Christian Unity Party candidate, Adrián Cordero Cordero, was elected mayor of the canton with 79.33% of the votes, with Susy Calderón Arguedas and Jorge Orlando Serrano Salazar as first and second vice mayors, respectively.
PeriodNameParty
2002–2006Mario Enrique Ureña Rojas PLN
2006–2010José Valverde Monge PLN
2010–2016Leonardo Chacón Porras PLN
2016–2020Leonardo Chacón Porras PLN
2020–2024Leonardo Chacón Porras PLN
2024–2028Adrián Cordero Cordero PUSC

Municipal Council

Like the mayor and vice mayors, members of the Municipal Council are elected every four years. Dota's Municipal Council has 5 seats for regidores and their substitutes, who can participate in meetings but not vote unless the owning regidor is absent. The Municipal Council's composition for the 2024–2028 period is as follows:

Geography

Dota has an area of and a mean elevation of.
The canton is delineated by the Savegre River on the south and southeast, the Naranjo River on the west and the Cordillera de Talamanca on the north and northeast.

Districts

The canton of Dota is subdivided into the following districts:
  1. Santa María
  2. Jardín
  3. Copey

Demographics

Dota had an estimated inhabitants in 2022, up from at the time of the 2011 census.
In 2022, Dota had a Human Development Index of 0.660.

Transportation

Road transportation

The canton is covered by the following road routes: