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Figure 14. Large areas of the north Pacific lowlands have been deforested for agriculture, especially cattle

ranching. In the background, clouds from the wet Caribbean slope spill through the pass adjacent to Volcán

Miravalles. Guanacaste Province, July 2021.

Figure 15. The northwest lowlands include some extensive wetlands, at least in the wet season; in the

background, hills of the Nicoya Peninsula are green with summer rains. Palo Verde National Park,

Guanacaste Province, July 2021.