The prehistoric village covered over 26 hectares in an area irrigated by many creeks. [citation needed], In 1882 insurgents rose up against the regime of dictator Ignacio de Veintimilla. The sentences to journalists were years of imprisonment and millions of dollars of compensation, even though defendants had been pardoned. The cathedral is also the burial place of the remains of the Grand Marshal Antonio Jos de Sucre and also of several presidents of the Republic, as well as of bishops and priests who died in the diocese. Ecuadorian cuisine is diverse, varying with the altitude, associated agricultural conditions, and ethnic / racial communities. The president is accompanied by the vice-president, elected for four years (with the ability to be re-elected only once). This marked the foundation of a religious art movement that flourished throughout the Spanish colonial period, leaving a wealth of wooden polychrome sculpture and paintings unsurpassed in the New World. The street 10 de Agosto also runs north to south through most of the city, running down the middle of it. Quito Metropolitan Cathedral, built between 1535-1799. [179] They reside mostly in Quito and Guayaquil. The history behind the Inca drama "Ollantay", the oldest literary piece in existence for any Amerindian language in America,[195] shares some similarities with the work of Collahuazo. Quito remained the focal point of national affairspolitical, social, and economicuntil the early 20th century, when economic dominance shifted to Guayaquil. Every year on 7 September the guapuleos honor their neighborhood with the Fiestas de Gupulo, a fantastic celebration complete with costumes, parade, food, drink, song, dance, and fireworks. [70] In October 2022, the United Nations expressed concerns about the dire situation in various detention centers and prisons, and the human rights of those deprived of liberty in Ecuador.[71]. However, Bolvar's intention was to form a new republic known as the Gran Colombia, out of the liberated Spanish territory of New Granada which consisted of Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. Quito is a significant cultural center, not only in Ecuador but in all of South America. Construction of this church began in 1535, seventeen years after the Diocese of Quito was created in 1545. In the center of the park is the Quito Observatory, which was opened by President Garca Moreno in 1873. The Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline from the eastern oil fields in Napo province runs through Quito to Esmeraldas; another oil pipeline connects Quito with Guayaquil to the southwest. Carvajal, Ana Mara (10 de enero de 2019). WebThe capital of Ecuador is Quito, which was founded 12/6/1534. During that period a diversity of cultures have influenced the people and the land that today make up the contemporary Republic of Ecuador. [108] Between 1999 and 2007, GDP doubled, reaching $65,490 million according to BCE. This modern area is considered to be the city's entertainment hub. Quito is located in the northern highlands of Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin. In 1978, the city of Quito and the Galpagos Islands were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, making the first two properties in the world to become listed sites. The first scientific expedition to measure the circumference of Earth, led by Charles-Marie de La Condamine of France, was based in Ecuador. The Supreme Council included two other members: General Guillermo Durn Arcentales and General Luis Pintado. Most of it is eucalyptus forest with trails, but there also are numerous sculptures on display. [100][101] One of the best known examples is the Texaco-Chevron case. Quito preserves much of its colonial atmosphere, with the towers of many churches outlined against the circle of volcanoes that surrounds the Quito Basin and with peaceful squares, fountains, balconied houses, steep narrow streets, iron-grilled doorways, and secluded gardens. Elections were held on 29 April 1979, under a new constitution. Due to the continuous border disputes with Peru, finally settled in the early 2000s, and due to the ongoing problem with the Colombian guerrilla insurgency infiltrating Amazonian provinces, the Ecuadorian Armed Forces has gone through a series of changes. Pope John Paul II headed a great mass in the park during his visit to Ecuador in 1985. Ecuadorian Spanish idiosyncrasies reflect the ethnic and racial populations that originated and settled the distinct areas of the country. And if so, why? Other new developments include the National Unity bridge complex in Guayaquil, the bridge over the Napo river in Francisco de Orellana, the Esmeraldas River Bridge in the city of the same name, and, perhaps the most remarkable of all, the Bahia San Vincente Bridge, being the largest on the Latin American Pacific coast. This article was most recently revised and updated by, Capital Cities of Countries on the Equator, Capitals of North America and South America Quiz, UNESCO World Heritage Centre - City of Quito, Ecuador, UNESCO World Heritage Centre - Quito, Ecuador, Quito - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Quito - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). [155], The first Jews arrived in Ecuador in the 16th and 17th centuries. These are included in two ranges connected at intervals by transversal mountain chains, between which are large isolated valleys or basins, called hoyas. It is managed by the Empresa de Ferrocarriles Ecuatorianos (EFE). [4] In the late fifteenth century, the Inca Emperor Huayna Capac defeated the Quitu, the region's original inhabitants, and incorporated Quito into the Inca Empire, designating it into the capital of the Inca Empire's northern region. Beyond this eastern cordillera, to the east, is the Amazon basin, extending below 900 feet (300 metres). Contemporary Ecuadorian writers include the novelist Jorge Enrique Adoum; the poet Jorge Carrera Andrade; the essayist Benjamn Carrin; the poets Medardo Angel Silva, Jorge Carrera Andrade, and Luis Alberto Costales; the novelist Enrique Gil Gilbert; the novelist Jorge Icaza (author of the novel Huasipungo, translated to many languages); the short story author Pablo Palacio; and the novelist Alicia Yanez Cossio. During 2003 and 2004, the bus lines of the Metrobus (Ecovia) were constructed, traversing the city from the north to the south. There are allegations that the security forces routinely torture prisoners. Leaders who followed him included Vicente Rocafuerte; Jos Joaqun de Olmedo; Jos Mara Urbina; Diego Noboa; Pedro Jos de Arteta; Manuel de Ascsubi; and Flores's own son, Antonio Flores Jijn, among others. In this post, youll learn about the largest cities in Ecuador, including details like their population, elevation, attractions, locations and more. The two main motorways that go from the northern part of the city to the southern are Avenue Oriental (Corridor Perifrico Oriental) on the eastern hills that border the city, and Avenue Occidental on the western side of the city on the Pichincha volcano. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Pressure is stable, so very low pressure systems are also rare. Among the most admired of Quiteo churches and convents are La Compaa (Jesuit), with Baroque columns, ceilings, and massive altars covered with gold leaf; San Francisco, with its magnificent cloister; Carmen Alto, home of the native Santa Mariana de Jess; San Agustn, where Ecuadors Act of Independence was signed in 1809; Santo Domingo, noted for its handsome altar and facade; the Sagrario; and the 16th- to 17th-century cathedral, burial place of the hero of independence, Antonio Jos de Sucre. Spanish is the official language and is spoken by a majority of the population, though 13 Native languages are also recognized, including Quechua and Shuar. Yellow for the sun and gold, blue for the sky and liberty, red for blood and freedom. Much of what is now Ecuador came to be included in the Inca empire, the largest political unit of pre-Columbian America. Little archeological evidence had been found of any monuments or artifacts from it. The top of Mount Chimborazo (6,268 m, or 20,560ft, above sea level), Ecuador's tallest mountain, is the most distant point from the center of the Earth on the Earth's surface because of the ellipsoid shape of the planet. It is the westernmost country that lies on the equator.[87]. .mw-parser-output .largestCities-table-background{background:#f9f9f9}.mw-parser-output .largestCities-cell-background{background:#f0f0f0}, Ecuador houses a small East Asian community mainly consisting of those of Japanese and Chinese descent, whose ancestors arrived as miners, farmhands and fishermen in the late 19th century. The area was redeveloped as the "Parque Bicentenario" (Bicentenary Park). WebQuito Quito is the capital of Ecuador and the province of Pichincha. El Panecillo is a hill in the middle west of the city at an altitude of about 3,016m (9,895ft) above sea level. This caused a long-simmering dispute between Ecuador and Peru, which ultimately led to fighting between the two countries; first a border skirmish in JanuaryFebruary 1981 known as the Paquisha Incident, and ultimately full-scale warfare in January 1995 where the Ecuadorian military shot down Peruvian aircraft and helicopters and Peruvian infantry marched into southern Ecuador. 142 shares As you plan your trip (or relocation) to Ecuador, its good to know about the major cities. Economically, Ecuador became known for exporting Panama hats (straw hats so named because they were shipped to Panama in the mid-18th century and bought by traveling gold seekers and because they were worn by Panama Canal work crews in the early 19th century) and agricultural products, notably cacao (the source of cocoa beans), bananas, and flowers. In 1552 an art school was established in Quito, one of the first of its kind in South America. Also, the Cauca region, which included such cities as Pasto, Popayn, and Buenaventura, had always been dependent on the Presidencia or Audiencia of Quito. [citation needed], In 1932 the Four Days' War broke out. Regionalization, or zoning, is the union of two or more adjoining provinces in order to decentralize the administrative functions of the capital, Quito. The Central University (government-sponsored) dates from 1586, the National Polytechnic School from 1869, and the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador from 1946 (raised to pontifical status in 1963). Valverde, the priest, tried to convince Atahualpa that he should join the Catholic Church and declare himself a vassal of Spain. The doctors assigned to rural communities, where the Amerindian population can be substantial, have small clinics under their responsibility for the treatment of patients in the same fashion as the day hospitals in the major cities. Quito is the capital and, with an elevation of 9,350 feet (2,850 m), is the second-highest capital city on the planet. However, the main road leading from Quito city center to the new airport will only be finished in late 2014, making current travelling from the airport to downtown Quito as long as two hours during rush hour. Parque Bicentenario is the second largest urban park in Quito (surpassed only by the Parque Metropolitano), located in the site of the Old Mariscal Sucre International Airport. The rest of Ecuador gained its independence after Antonio Jos de Sucre defeated the Spanish Royalist forces at the Battle of Pichincha, near Quito. The Quito Metropolitan Cathedral, is one of the largest religious symbols of spiritual value for the Catholic community in the city. The southern part of Quito has a subtropical highland climate (Kppen climate classification Cfb), while the northern part has a warm-summer mediterranean climate (Kppen climate classification Csb). [41][42][43][44][45], Rafael Correa's three consecutive terms (from 2007 to 2017) were followed by his former Vice President Lenn Moreno's four years as president (201721). Consultado el 12 de enero de 2019. Most Ecuadorians speak Spanish as their first language, with its ubiquity permeating and dominating most of the country. According to their own estimates, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints accounts for about 1.4% of the population, or 211,165 members at the end of 2012. This article is about the capital of Ecuador. These areas were included as part of the territory of Gran Colombia by Bolivar on 17 December 1819, during the Congress of Angostura when the Republic of Gran Colombia was created. ", Most of these communities and their descendants are located in the Guayas region of the country. The Central District of the Gran Colombia, known as Cundinamarca or New Granada (modern Colombia) with its capital in Bogota, did not recognize the separation of the Southern District of the Gran Colombia, with its capital in Quito, from the Gran Colombian federation on 13 May 1830. [67] People engaging in public protests against environmental and other issues are prosecuted for "terrorism and sabotage", which may lead to an eight-year prison sentence. The classic paradigm of the Italian immigrant today was not that of the small trader from Liguria as it had been before; those who emigrated to Ecuador were professionals and technicians, employees and religious people from South-Central Italy. Name The origin of the name of the city of Santiago de Guayaquil has been much discussed, although historians agree that it is pre-Hispanic. Ecuador countered by labeling the Cedula of 1802 an ecclesiastical instrument, which had nothing to do with political borders. The majority of transnational companies with a presence in Ecuador are headquartered there. [152][153], In the rural parts of Ecuador, Amerindian beliefs and Catholicism are sometimes syncretized. Upon completing his second term in 1911, he moved to Europe. La Mitad del Mundo[59] (the middle of the world) is a small village administered by the prefecture of the province of Pichincha, 35km (22mi) north of Quito. It is originally from northern Ecuador (Otavalo-Imbabura). Ecuadors Rise in Crime. A few months later, a part of the Peruvian liberation army of San Martin decided to occupy the independent cities of Tumbez and Jan with the intention of using these towns as springboards to occupy the independent city of Guayaquil and then to liberate the rest of the Audiencia de Quito (Ecuador). The Ecuadorian State consists of five branches of government: the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, the Judicial Branch, the Electoral Branch, and Transparency and Social Control. [97], Despite being on the UNESCO list, the Galpagos are endangered by a range of negative environmental effects, threatening the existence of this exotic ecosystem. El Telgrafo. WebThe largest concentration of Ecuadorians live in the two largest cities: Guayaquil with a population of 2,350,915 and the capital city of Quito with a population of 2,239,191, according to the 2010 Census data. [134][135] La Carolina[52] is a 165.5-acre (670,000 m2) park in the center of the Quito main business area, bordered by the avenues Ro Amazonas, de los Shyris, Naciones Unidas, Eloy Alfaro, and de la Repblica. [16] There were three minor eruptions in the 19th century. [17], Activity in other nearby volcanoes can also affect the city. [109] Fifteen national constituency elected assembly, two Assembly members elected from each province and one for every 100,000 inhabitants or fraction exceeding 150,000, according to the latest national population census. In the Amazon basin, soils have not been fully studied and mapped; nevertheless, it appears that soils there are quite diverse, including areas of fertile alluvial soil, organic soils called histosols, and more-weathered tropical soils called oxisols. The Casa de la Cultura (Cultural Institute) includes museums of art and a library. For other uses, see, According to the 2020 population projections, Toggle Government and politics subsection, Struggle for possession of the Amazon Basin. [38], The new socialist constitution, endorsed in 2008 referendum (2008 Constitution of Ecuador), implemented leftist reforms. Corrections? He announced that the country would default on over $3 billion worth of bonds; he then pledged to fight creditors in international courts and succeeded in reducing the price of outstanding bonds by more than 60%. The western and central ranges of the Andes bordering the Sierra constitute the countrys highest and most continuous mountain chains. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. This park has 200 acres (81ha), and it is located at 2,800m (9,186ft), above mean sea level. Ecuador has negotiated bilateral treaties with other countries, besides belonging to the Andean Community of Nations,[129] and an associate member of Mercosur. [131][132][133] In April 2007, Ecuador paid off its debt to the IMF, thus ending an era of interventionism of the Agency in the country. [21] The city has only two seasons: dry and wet. [67], According to Freedom House, restrictions on the media and civil society have decreased since 2017. It was classified as part of the Viceroyalty of Peru until 1717, after which the Audiencia was part of the new Viceroyalty of Nueva Granada. The treatment in this case respects the culture of the community. The executive branch is led by the president. Ecuador is a country with vast natural wealth. President and General Jos de La Mar, who was born in Ecuador, believing his opportunity had come to annex the District of Ecuador to Peru, personally, with a Peruvian force, invaded and occupied Guayaquil and a few cities in the Loja region of southern Ecuador on 28 November 1828. They are pronounced identically as well; KEY-Toe. The oldest traces of human presence in Quito were excavated by American archeologist Robert E. Bell in 1960, on the slopes of the Ilal volcano, located between the eastern valleys of Los Chillos and Tumbaco. [173], The five largest cities in the country are Quito (2.78 million inhabitants), Guayaquil (2.72 million inhabitants), Cuenca (636,996 inhabitants), Santo Domingo (458,580 inhabitants), and Ambato (387,309 inhabitants). The rehabilitation and reopening of the Ecuadorian railroad and use of it as a tourist attraction is one of the recent developments in transportation matters.[145]. Ecuador has often placed great emphasis on multilateral approaches to international issues. Of this, 276,841km2 (106,889sqmi) is land and 6,720km2 (2,595sqmi) water. According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, between 2006 and 2016, poverty decreased from 36.7% to 22.5% and annual per capita GDP growth was 1.5 percent (as compared to 0.6 percent over the prior two decades). Considered a delicacy it is often characterized as having a mild pork flavor.