Vegetation is a very general term for the plant life; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader than the term flora which refers exclusively to species composition. Perhaps the closest synonym is plant community, but vegetation can, and often does, refer to a wider range of spatial scales than that term does, including scales as large as the global. Primeval redwood forests, coastal mangrove stands, sphagnum bogs, desert soil crusts, roadside weed patches, wheat fields, cultivated gardens and lawns; all are encompassed by the term vegetation.
Cartago (which means Carthage in Spanish) is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the central part of the country. Bordering provinces are Limón to the east and San José to the west. The capital is Cartago and it was formerly the capital city of Costa Rica until 1823 when the capital was changed to San Jose. The province covers an area of 3,124.61 km² and has a population of 490,903. It is subdivided into eight cantons. It is connected to San Jose via a four lane highway.
This is one of the smallest provinces in Costa Rica however it is probably the richest in colonial tradition. The highest peak is Cerro de la Muerte at 3,600 meters above sea level and the lowest point of the province would have to be Turrialba which is 90 meters above sea level.