San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica since 1823, lies in the mountainous center of the country. Situated on the Pan American Highway, San Jose has industries manufacturing textiles and furniture and processing coffee, sugarcane, and cacao, which grow in the surrounding fertile valley. The city is subjected to frequent earthquakes because of its situation in a zone of tectonic activity. San Jose has numerous parks and gardens, and its notable buildings include the Palacio Nacional, a 19th-century cathedral, the national theater, and a museum with pre-Columbian artifacts. The city is the seat of the University of Costa Rica (1843). About 30 km (20 mi) northeast of San Jose is the volcano Irazu (3,432 m/11,260 ft). Settled in 1736, San Jose became an important tobacco manufacturing center in the second half of the 18th century.