Cotopaxi National Park ( es, Parque Nacional Cotopaxi) is a
protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
in
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
situated in the
Cotopaxi Province
Cotopaxi () is one of the provinces of Ecuador. The capital is Latacunga. The province contains the Cotopaxi Volcano, an intermittent volcano with a height of .
Cantons
The province is divided into 7 cantons. The following table lists each c ...
,
Napo Province
Napo () is a province in Ecuador. Its capital is Tena. The province contains the Napo River. The province is low developed without much industrial presence. The thick rainforest is home to many natives that remain isolated by preference, descendan ...
and
Pichincha Province
Pichincha () is a province of Ecuador located in the northern Sierra region; its capital and largest city is Quito. It is bordered by Imbabura and Esmeraldas to the north, Cotopaxi and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas to the south, Napo and ...
, roughly south of
Quito
Quito (; qu, Kitu), formally San Francisco de Quito, is the capital and largest city of Ecuador, with an estimated population of 2.8 million in its urban area. It is also the capital of the province of Pichincha. Quito is located in a valley o ...
. The
Cotopaxi volcano (meaning 'smooth neck of the moon' in Quechua; Quechua ''q'oto'' 'throat' + Aymara ''phakhsi'' 'moon') that lends its name to the park is located within its boundaries, together with two others: the dormant
Rumiñawi volcano to its north-west and the historical
Sincholagua volcano (last major eruption: 1877) to the south east. Cotopaxi is among the
highest active volcanoes in the world. Its most recent eruption began on 14 August 2015, and ended on 24 January 2016.
References
External links
Cotopaxi Horse Tours Escape the city and experience the real Ecuadorian mountains on a horse ride
Cotopaxi's profile by the Ministerio del Ambiente
Páramos
National parks of Ecuador
Geography of Cotopaxi Province
Geography of Napo Province
Geography of Pichincha Province
Tourist attractions in Cotopaxi Province
Tourist attractions in Napo Province
Tourist attractions in Pichincha Province
Protected areas established in 1975
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