Quito (; qu, Kitu), formally San Francisco de Quito, is the
capital
Capital may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** List of national capital cities
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences
* Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
and largest city of
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 ...
, 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 on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active
stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a summit crater and per ...
in the
Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
, at an elevation of , making it the second-highest capital city in the world.Contact Us " TAME. Retrieved on 14 March 2010.
Quito is the political and cultural center of Ecuador as the country's major governmental, administrative, and cultural institutions are located within the city. The majority of transnational companies with a presence in Ecuador are headquartered there. It is also one of the country's two major industrial centers—the port city of
Guayaquil
, motto = Por Guayaquil Independiente en, For Independent Guayaquil
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Ecuador#South America
, pushpin_re ...
being the other one.
The date of its first habitation is unknown, but archaeological evidence suggests that it was first settled by sedentary populations between 4400 and 1600 BC. In the late fifteenth century, the Inca Emperor
Huayna Capac
Huayna Capac (with many alternative transliterations; 1464/1468–1524) was the third Sapan Inka of the Inca Empire, born in Tumipampa sixth of the Hanan dynasty, and eleventh of the Inca civilization. Subjects commonly approached Sapa Inkas addi ...
defeated the
Quitu
The Quitu were Pre-Columbian indigenous peoples in Ecuador who founded Quito, which is the capital of present-day Ecuador. ...
, the region's original inhabitants, and incorporated Quito into the
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...
, designating it into the capital of the Inca Empire's northern region. The Spanish conquest of the city in 1534 is the date most frequently cited as the city's official founding, making Quito the oldest capital in
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
.
Quito's historic center is among the largest and best-preserved in
the Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America, North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. ...
. In 1978, Quito and
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
. Quito is the capital city closest to the
Equator
The equator is a circle of latitude, about in circumference, that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, halfway between the North and South poles. The term can als ...
, with its northern limits ending about 1 km (0.62 miles) south of the line.
In 2008, the city was designated as the headquarters of the
Union of South American Nations
The Union of South American Nations (USAN; es, links=no, Unión de Naciones Suramericanas, UNASUR; pt, links=no, União de Nações Sul-Americanas, UNASUL; nl, links=no, Unie van Zuid-Amerikaanse Naties, UZAN; French: ''Union des nations s ...
.
History
Pre-Columbian period
The oldest traces of human presence in Quito were excavated by American archeologist Robert E. Bell in 1960, on the slopes of the Ilaló volcano, located between the eastern valleys of Los Chillos and Tumbaco. Hunter-gatherers left tools of obsidian glass, dated to 8000 BC. This archeological site, called ''EI Inga,'' was brought to Robert Bell's attention by Allen Graffham. While employed as a geologist in Ecuador, Graffham pursued his amateur interest in archeology. He made surface collections at the site during 1956. The discovery of projectile points, particularly specimens with basal fluting, stimulated his interest, and he made several visits to the site to collect surface materials. Graffham's previous interest in Paleo-Indian remains, and his experience with early human-made materials in Kansas and Nebraska in the Central Plains of the United States, led him to believe that the site was an important discovery.
The second important vestige of human settlement was found in the current neighborhood of Cotocollao (1500 BC), northwest of Quito. The prehistoric village covered over 26 hectares in an area irrigated by many creeks. Near the ancient rectangular houses, there are burials with pottery and stone offerings. The Cotocollao people extracted and exported
obsidian
Obsidian () is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed when lava extrusive rock, extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimal crystal growth. It is an igneous rock.
Obsidian is produced from felsic lava, rich in the lighter elements s ...
to the coastal region.
Early colonial priests and historians wrote about the Quitu people and a Kingdom of Quito. Their accounts said that another people, known as the
Cara
Cara or CARA may refer to:
Places
* Čara, a village on the island of Korčula, Croatia
* Cara, a village in Cojocna Commune, Cluj County, Romania
* Cara Island, off the west coast of Argyll, Scotland
* Cara Paraná River, Colombia
* Cara Sucia ...
or the Schyris, came from the coast and took over the region by AD 890. On what is sometimes called the Cara-Quitu kingdom, they ruled until the
Inca
The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...
took over the territory in the 15th century. Quitu descendants survived in the city even after the Spanish conquest.
But by the 20th century, some prominent historians who began more academic studies, doubted accounts of the Quitu-Cara kingdom. Little archeological evidence had been found of any monuments or artifacts from it. They began to think it was a legendary pre-Hispanic account of the highlands.
In the early 21st century, there were spectacular new finds of 20-meter deep tombs in the La Florida neighborhood of Quito. Dating to AD 800 they provide evidence of the high quality of craftsmanship among the Quitu, and of the elaborate and complex character of their funerary rites. In 2010 the Museo de Sitio La Florida opened to preserve some of the artifacts from the tombs and explain this complex culture.
Colonial period
Inca
The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...
indigenous resistance to
Spanish colonization
The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its History ...
continued during 1534. The
conquistador
Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (, ; meaning 'conquerors') were the explorer-soldiers of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires of the 15th and 16th centuries. During the Age of Discovery, conquistadors sailed beyond Europe to the Americas, O ...
Diego de Almagro
Diego de Almagro (; – July 8, 1538), also known as El Adelantado and El Viejo, was a Spanish conquistador known for his exploits in western South America. He participated with Francisco Pizarro in the Spanish conquest of Peru. While sub ...
founded Santiago de Quito (in present-day Colta, near
Riobamba
Riobamba (, full name San Pedro de Riobamba; Quechua: ''Rispampa'') is the capital of Chimborazo Province in central Ecuador, and is located in the Chambo River Valley of the Andes. It is south of Ecuador's capital Quito and located at an eleva ...
) on 15 August 1534, renamed as San Francisco de Quito on 28 August 1534. The city was later refounded at its present location on 6 December 1534 by 204 settlers led by
Sebastián de Benalcázar
Saint Sebastian (in Latin: ''Sebastianus''; Narbo, Gallia Narbonensis, Roman Empire c. AD 255 – Rome, Italia, Roman Empire c. AD 288) was an early Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Diocleti ...
, who captured leader Rumiñahui, effectively ending all organized resistance. Rumiñahui was executed on 10 January 1535.
On 28 March 1541 Quito was declared a city, and on 23 February 1556 it was given the title ''Muy Noble y Muy Leal Ciudad de San Francisco de Quito'' ("Very Noble and Loyal City of San Francisco of Quito"), marking the start of its next phase of
urban development
Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to:
* Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas
* Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities
Urban may also refer to:
General
* Urban (name), a list of people ...
. In 1563 Quito became the seat of a ''Real Audiencia'' (administrative district) of Spain. It was classified as part of the
Viceroyalty of Peru
The Viceroyalty of Peru ( es, Virreinato del Perú, links=no) was a Spanish imperial provincial administrative district, created in 1542, that originally contained modern-day Peru and most of the Spanish Empire in South America, governed from ...
until 1717, after which the ''Audiencia'' was part of the new
Viceroyalty of Nueva Granada
The Viceroyalty of New Granada ( es, Virreinato de Nueva Granada, links=no ) also called Viceroyalty of the New Kingdom of Granada or Viceroyalty of Santafé was the name given on 27 May 1717, to the jurisdiction of the Spanish Empire in norther ...
. Under both Viceroyalties, the district was administered from Quito, (see
Real Audiencia de Quito
The of Quito (sometimes referred to as or ) was an administrative unit in the Spanish Empire which had political, military, and religious jurisdiction over territories that today include Ecuador, parts of northern Peru, parts of southern Col ...
).
The Spanish established
Roman Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
in Quito. The first church (''El Belén'') was built before the city was officially founded. In January 1535 the San Francisco Convent was constructed, the first of about 20 churches and convents built during the colonial period. The Spanish converted the indigenous population to Christianity and used them as labor for construction.
In 1743, after nearly 210 years of Spanish colonization, Quito was a city of about 10,000 inhabitants. Quito briefly proclaimed its de facto independence from Spain between 1765 and 1766 during the Quito Revolt. On 10 August 1809, a movement was again started in Quito to win independence from Spain. On that date a plan for government was unveiled, which appointed Juan Pío Montúfar as president and prominent pro-independence figures in other government positions.
This initial movement was defeated on 2 August 1810, when colonial troops arrived from
Lima
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...
,
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
, and killed the leaders of the uprising and about 200 other settlers. A chain of conflicts climaxed on 24 May 1822, when
Antonio José de Sucre
Antonio José de Sucre y Alcalá (; 3 February 1795 – 4 June 1830), known as the "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho" ( en, "Grand Marshal of Ayacucho"), was a Venezuelan independence leader who served as the president of Peru and as the second pr ...
, under the command of
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830) was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and B ...
, led troops into the
Battle of Pichincha
The Battle of Pichincha took place on 24 May 1822, on the slopes of the Pichincha volcano, 3,500 meters above sea-level, right next to the city of Quito, in modern Ecuador.
The encounter, fought in the context of the Spanish American wars of in ...
, on the slopes of the volcano. Their victory established the independence of Quito and the surrounding areas.
Republican Ecuador
In 1833 members of the Society of Free Inhabitants of Quito were assassinated by the government after they conspired against it. On 6 March 1845 the
Marcist Revolution
The March Revolution (''Revolución marcista'' or ''Revolución de Marzo'') or Revolution of Forty-Five (''Revolución de 1845'') began on 6 March 1845, when the people of Guayaquil under the leadership of General António Elizalde and Lieutena ...
began. In 1875 the country's president,
Gabriel García Moreno
Gabriel Gregorio Fernando José María García Moreno y Morán de Butrón (24 December 1821 – 6 August 1875), was an Ecuadorian politician and aristocrat who twice served as President of Ecuador (1861–65 and 1869–75) and was assassinated d ...
, was assassinated in Quito. Two years later, in 1877, Archbishop
José Ignacio Checa y Barba
José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ).
In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacul ...
was killed by poison while celebrating Mass in Quito.
In 1882 insurgents rose up against the regime of dictator Ignacio de Veintimilla. However, this did not end the violence that was occurring throughout the country. On 9 July 1883 the liberal commander
Eloy Alfaro
José Eloy Alfaro Delgado (25 June 1842 – 28 January 1912) often referred to as "The Old Warrior," was an Ecuadorian politician who served as the President of Ecuador from 1895 to 1901 and from 1906 to 1911. Eloy Alfaro emerged as the leader ...
participated in the Battle of Guayaquil, and after further conflict he became the president of Ecuador on 4 September 1895. Upon completing his second term in 1911, he moved to Europe. He returned to Ecuador in 1912 and attempted to return to power unsuccessfully; he was arrested on 28 January 1912, and imprisoned, then lynched by a
mob
Mob or MOB may refer to:
Behavioral phenomena
* Crowd
* Smart mob, a temporary self-structuring social organization, coordinated through telecommunication
Crime and law enforcement
* American Mafia, also known as the Mob
* Irish Mob, a US crimin ...
that stormed the prison. His body was dragged through the streets of Quito to a city park, where it was burned.
In 1932 the Four Days' War broke out. This was a civil war that followed the election of Neptalí Bonifaz and the subsequent realization that he carried a Peruvian passport. On 12 February 1949 a realistic broadcast of
The War of the Worlds
''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by ''Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan (magazine), Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appear ...
'' led to citywide panic, and the deaths of more than twenty people who died in fires set by mobs.
21st century
In 2011 the city's population was 2,239,191 people. Since 2002 the city has been renewing its historic center. The old airport, built on filling in a lagoon, was closed to air traffic on 19 February 2013. The area was redeveloped as the ''"Parque Bicentenario"'' (Bicentenary Park). The new
Mariscal Sucre International Airport
Mariscal Sucre International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional Mariscal Sucre) is an international airport serving Quito, Ecuador. It is the busiest airport in Ecuador and one of the busiest airports in South America. It is located in t ...
, 45 minutes from central Quito, opened to air traffic on 20 February 2013.
During 2003 and 2004, the bus lines of the Metrobus (Ecovia) were constructed, traversing the city from the north to the south. Many avenues and roads were extended and enlarged, depressed passages were constructed, and roads were restructured geometrically to increase the flow of traffic. A new subway system is under construction.
Geography
Quito is located in the northern
highlands
Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau.
Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to:
Places Albania
* Dukagjin Highlands
Armenia
* Armenian Highlands
Australia
*Sou ...
of
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 ...
in the
Guayllabamba river
The Guayllabamba is a river that originates in the east of Pichincha in northern Ecuador and flows into the Esmeraldas River. The river is named after the Guayllabamba Guayllabamba (Kichwa: ''Wayllapampa'', "green plain") is a small agricultural t ...
basin. The city is built on a long plateau lying on the east flanks of the Pichincha volcano. The valley of Guayllabamba River where Quito lies is flanked by volcanoes, some of them snow-capped, and visible from the city on a clear day. Quito is the closest
capital city
A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, Department (country subdivision), department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city ...
to the
equator
The equator is a circle of latitude, about in circumference, that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, halfway between the North and South poles. The term can als ...
. Quito's altitude is listed at .
Nearby volcanoes
Quito's closest volcano is Pichincha, looming over the western side of the city. Quito is the only capital city that was developed so close to an active volcano. Pichincha volcano has several summits, among them Ruku Pichincha at
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
and Guagua Pichincha at .
Pichincha is active and being monitored by volcanologists at the Geophysical institute of the national polytechnic university. The largest eruption occurred in 1660 when more than of ash covered the city. There were three minor eruptions in the 19th century. The latest eruption was recorded on 5 October 1999, when a few puffs of smoke were seen and much ash was deposited on the city.
Activity in other nearby volcanoes can also affect the city. In November 2002 the volcano
Reventador
Reventador is an active stratovolcano which lies in the eastern Andes of Ecuador. It lies in a remote area of the national park of the same name, which is Spanish for "exploder". Since 1541, it has erupted over 25 times, although its isolated loca ...
erupted and showered the city in fine ash particles, to a depth of several centimeters.
The volcanoes on the Central Cordillera (Royal Cordillera), east of Quito, surrounding the Guayllabamba valley, include
Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi () is an active stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located in Latacunga city of Cotopaxi Province, about south of Quito, and northeast of the city of Latacunga, Ecuador. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a ...
,
Sincholagua
Sincholagua is an inactive volcano located in Ecuador northeast of Cotopaxi Volcano and southeast of Quito.Rachoweicki, Rob and Mark Thurber. ''Ecuador: Climbing and Hiking Guide''. Viva Pub. Network, 2008. p.208. It is the 12th highest peak in ...
,
Antisana
Antisana is a stratovolcano of the northern Andes, in Ecuador. It is the fourth highest volcano in Ecuador, at , and is located SE of the capital city of Quito.
Antisana presents one of the most challenging technical climbs in the Ecuadorian A ...
and Cayambe. Some of the volcanoes of the Western Cordillera, to the west of the Guayllabamba valley, include Illiniza,
Atacazo
Atacazo is a volcano of the Western Cordillera located 25 kilometers southwest of Quito, Ecuador. Atacazo is a stratovolcano formed by the action of a Late-Pleistocene to Holocene caldera.
The last eruption of the Atacazo was nearly 2300 years ...
, and
Pululahua
Pululahua is a dormant volcano in the north of Quito Canton, Pichincha Province, Ecuador. The volcano is in the Western Cordillera of the northern Ecuadorian Andes, approximately west-southwest of Mojanda and north of Casitahua volcanoes. Pulula ...
(which is the site of the
Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve Reserva Geobotánica Pululahua (''Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve'') (''Cloud of Water Geobontanical Reserve'') is a protected area around Pululahua Volcano in the north of Quito Canton, Pichincha Province, Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ' ...
).
Climate
The southern part of Quito has a
subtropical highland climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Cfb''), while the northern part has a
warm-summer mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
(Köppen climate classification ''Csb''). Because of its altitude and location on the equator, Quito has a fairly constant cool climate. The average afternoon maximum temperature is , and the average night-time minimum temperature is . The annual average temperature is . The city has only two seasons: dry and wet. The dry season, June through August (3 months), is referred to as summer; the
wet season
The wet season (sometimes called the Rainy season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. It is the time of year where the majority of a country's or region's annual precipitation occurs. Generally, the sea ...
, September through May (9 months), is referred to as winter. Annual precipitation, depending on location, is over .
Due to its altitude, Quito receives some of the greatest solar radiation in the world, sometimes reaching a
UV Index
The ultraviolet index, or UV index, is an international standard measurement of the strength of the sunburn-producing ultraviolet (UV) radiation at a particular place and time. It is primarily used in daily and hourly forecasts aimed at the general ...
of 24 by solar noon.
The fact that Quito lies almost on the equator means that high pressure systems are extremely rare. Pressure is stable, so very low pressure systems are also rare. From 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011 the lowest pressure recorded was , and the highest was . Despite the absence of high pressure, Quito can still experience settled weather. Generally, the highest pressure is around midnight and the lowest in the mid-afternoon.
Topographical zones
Quito is divided into three areas, separated by hills:
#Central: houses the colonial old city.
#Southern: is mainly an industrial and working-class residential area.
#Northern: is the modern Quito, with high-rise buildings, shopping centers, the financial district, and a mix of upper-class, middle-class, and working-class residential areas.
Economy
Quito is the largest city in contribution to national GDP, and the highest in per capita income. Quito has the highest level of tax collection in Ecuador, exceeding the national 57% per year 2009, currently being the most important economic region of the country, as the latest "study" conducted by the Central Bank of Ecuador.
The top major industries in Quito includes textiles, metals and agriculture, with major crops for export being coffee, sugar, cacao, rice, bananas and palm oil.
Petroecuador
EP Petroecuador (''Empresa Estatal Petróleos del Ecuador''; ''Empresa Pública Petroecuador''; meaning: State Petroleum Company of Ecuador) is the national oil company of Ecuador. Ecuador who is a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exp ...
, the largest company in the country and one of the largest in Latin America is headquartered in Quito.
Headquarters and regional offices of many national and international financial institutions, oil corporations and international businesses are also located in Quito, making it a world class business city.
In "The World according to
GaWC
The Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) is a think tank that studies the relationships between world cities in the context of globalization. It is based in the geography department of Loughborough University in Leicestershire ...
" global cities report, which measures a city's integration into the world city network, Quito is ranked as a Beta city: an important metropolis instrumental in linking its region or state into the world economy
Politics
Governance
Quito is governed by a mayor and a 15-member city council. The mayor is elected to a five-year term and can be re-elected. The position also doubles as Mayor of the Quito Canton, Metropolitan District of Quito (the canton). The current mayor is
Santiago Guarderas
Santiago Guarderas Izquierdo (born 1964) is an Ecuadorian politician and lawyer. He is the Metropolitan Mayor of Quito since 30 September 2021.
Early life
Born in 1964, he studied law at Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador in Quito. He wor ...
.
Urban parishes
In Ecuador, cantons are subdivided into ''parishes'', so called because they were originally used by the Catholic Church, but with the secularization and liberalization of the Ecuadorian state, the political parishes were spun off the ones used by the church. Parishes are called ''urban'' if they are within the boundaries of the seat (capital) of their corresponding canton, and ''rural'' if outside those boundaries. Inside Quito (the city proper), subdivision into urban parishes depends on the organizations that use these parishes (e.g., the municipality, the electoral tribunals, the postal service, the Ecuadorian statistics institute). The urban parishes of different types are not necessarily coterminous nor the same in number or name.
, the municipality of Quito divided the city into 32 urban parishes. These parishes, which are used by the municipality for administrative purposes, are also known as ''cabildos'' since 2001. Since the times of the Metropolitan District of Quito, parishes of this type are also grouped into larger divisions known as ''municipal zones'' (''zonas municipales''). These parishes are as follows:
# Belisario Quevedo
# Carcelén
# Centro Histórico
# Chilibulo
# Chillogallo
# Chimbacalle
# Cochapamba
# Comité del Pueblo
# Concepción
# Cotocollao
# El Condado
# El Inca
# Guamaní
# Iñaquito
# Itchimbía
# Jipijapa
# Kennedy
# La Argelia
# La Ecuatoriana
# La Ferroviaria
# La Libertad
# La Mena
# Magdalena
# Mariscal Sucre
# Ponceano
# Puengasí
# Quitumbe
# Rumipamba
# San Bartolo
# San Juan
# Solanda
# Turubamba
Ecclesiastical parishes
The
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quito
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Quito is the Catholic archdiocese in the capital city of Ecuador, Quito. It was established as the Diocese of Quito on 8 January 1545, before being elevated to archdiocese level in 1849 by Pope Pius ...
divides the city into 167 parishes, which are grouped into 17 zones.
Transportation
Public transportation
The
MetrobusQ MetrobusQ or Sistema MetrobusQ (the name is short for ''Metrobús (de) Quito'') is a bus rapid transit system managed by the Empresa Metropolitana de Servicios y Administración del Transporte (EMSAT), the transportation agency of the municipality ...
network, also known as "Red Integrada de Transporte Público", is the
bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...
system running in Quito, and it goes through the city from south to north. It's divided into three sections—the green line ( the central trolleybus, known as ''El Trole''), the red line (the north-east
Ecovía
Ecovía is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon that began operations in January 2014.
Overview
As of 2014 Ecovía consists of a single route that runs 30 kilometers serving three different municipalities of the Monterrey ...
), and the blue line (the north-west Corridor Central). In addition to the
bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...
system, there are many buses running in the city. The buses have both a name and a number, and they have a fixed route. Taxi cabs are all yellow, and they have meters that show the fare. There are nearly 8,800 registered
taxicab
A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice ...
s.
In August 2012 the
Municipality of Quito
The Municipality of Quito (officially the Municipality of the Metropolitan District of Quito) is the governing body of the city of Quito and the Metropolitan District. Its headquarters are at the Municipal Palace, located on the east side of the ...
government established a municipal
bicycle sharing system
A bicycle-sharing system, bike share program, public bicycle scheme, or public bike share (PBS) scheme, is a shared transport service where bicycles are available for shared use by individuals at low cost.
The programmes themselves include bot ...
called Bici Q.
Highway transportation
Although public transportation is the primary form of travel in the city, including fleets of taxis that continually cruise the roadways, the use of private vehicles has increased substantially during the past decade.
Because of growing road congestion in many areas, there were plans to construct a light rail system, which were conceived to replace the northern portion of the ''Trole''. These plans have been ruled out and replaced by the construction of the first metro line (subway) in 2012. It is expected to be operational by December 2022, joining the existing public transportation network.
Roads, avenues and streets
Because Quito is about long and at its widest, most of the important avenues of the city extend from north to south. The two main motorways that go from the northern part of the city to the southern are Avenue Oriental (Corridor Periférico Oriental) on the eastern hills that border the city, and Avenue Occidental on the western side of the city on the Pichincha volcano. The street 10 de Agosto also runs north to south through most of the city, running down the middle of it. The historic center of the city is based on a grid pattern, despite the hills, with the streets Venezuela, Chile, García Moreno, and Guayaquil being the most important.
Air transportation
The
Mariscal Sucre International Airport
Mariscal Sucre International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional Mariscal Sucre) is an international airport serving Quito, Ecuador. It is the busiest airport in Ecuador and one of the busiest airports in South America. It is located in t ...
serves as the city's principal airport for passenger travel and freight. The airport is located east of the city's center in the Tababela parish. It began operations on 20 February 2013, replacing the
Old Mariscal Sucre International Airport
Mariscal Sucre International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional Mariscal Sucre) was the main international airport serving Quito, Pichincha Province, Ecuador. It was the busiest airport in Ecuador by passenger traffic, by aircraft movement ...
located north of the city center within city limits. The old airport was replaced due to tall buildings and nighttime fog that made landing from the south difficult. The old airport has become a metropolitan park.
Rail transportation
There is a railroad that goes through the southern part of Quito and passes through the '' Estación de Chimbacalle''. It is managed by the
Empresa de Ferrocarriles Ecuatorianos
The Ferrocarriles del Ecuador Empresa Pública (Ecuadorian Railways Company) is the national railway of Ecuador. The railway system was devised to connect the Pacific coast with the Andean highlands. After many decades of service the railway was se ...
(EFE). This form of transportation is nowadays used mostly for tourism.
Subway
A metro subway system (
Quito Metro
The Quito Metro ( es, Metro de Quito), abbreviated as MDQ, is an underground rail mass transit system consisting of a single line that is operational since January 2023 in Quito, the capital of Ecuador.
History
Construction on the main south ...
) is under construction. Phase One, begun in 2013, entailed the construction of stations at La Magdalena and El Labrador. Phase Two, begun in 2016, involves 13 more stations, a depot and sub-systems. The project is expected to carry 400,000 passengers per day and to cost $1.5 billion with financing coming from the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) and is expected to be operating in December 2022.
Points of interest
Historic center
Quito has the largest, least-altered, and best-preserved historic center in
the Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America, North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. ...
. This center was, together with the historic center of
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
, Poland, the first to be declared a
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
on 18 September 1978. The historic center of Quito is to the south of the capital's current center, on an area of , and one of the most important historic areas in Latin America. There are about 130 monumental buildings (which host a variety of pictorial art and sculpture, mostly religiously-inspired, in a multi-faceted range of schools and styles), and 5,000 properties registered in the municipal inventory of heritage properties.
;Palacio de Carondelet
Palacio de Carondelet
Carondelet Palace ( es, Palacio de Carondelet) is the seat of government of the Republic of Ecuador, located in Quito. Access is by the public space known as Independence Square or Plaza Grande (colloquial name), around which are also the Ar ...
( es, link=no, Palacio de Carondelet) is the seat of the Government of the Republic of
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 ...
, located in the historic center of Quito. The palace overlooks the bustling public space known as Independence Square or
Plaza Grande
Independence Square ( es, Plaza de la Independencia, or colloquially as ''Plaza Grande'') is the principal and central public square of Quito, Ecuador. This is the central square of the city and one of the symbols of the executive power of th ...
(colonial name), together with the Archbishop's Palace, the Municipal Palace, the
Hotel Plaza Grande
Hotel Plaza Grande is a five-star luxury hotel in the historic centre of Quito, Ecuador. The hotel is located next to the Carondelet Palace and the Archbishop's Palace and faces the Old Town's eponymous central plaza, Plaza de la Independencia. ...
and the Metropolitan Cathedral. During the Republican era almost all the presidents (constitutional, internees and dictators) have governed from the Carondelet Palace. The presidential residence is located on the third level of the Palace, along with administrative offices. The residence is a luxurious colonial-style apartment in which the President and his family dwell.
Rafael Correa
Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado (; born 6 April 1963), known as Rafael Correa, is an Ecuadorian politician and economist who served as President of Ecuador from 2007 to 2017. The leader of the PAIS Alliance political movement from its foundation ...
, president from 2007 to 2017, converted the presidential compound into a museum that is accessible to all who wish to visit it.
;Basílica del Voto Nacional
The monumental Basilica del Voto Nacional is the most important neo-Gothic building in Ecuador, and one of the most representative of the American continent. It was once the largest in the New World.
;Quito Metropolitan Cathedral
The
Quito Metropolitan Cathedral
The Quito Metropolitan Cathedral ( es, Catedral Metropolitana de Quito), known simply as ''la Catedral'', is the Catholic cathedral in Quito, Ecuador. Located on the southwestern side of the Plaza de la Independencia (La Plaza Grande), it (and it ...
, is one of the largest religious symbols of spiritual value for the Catholic community in the city. Construction of this church began in 1535, seventeen years after the Diocese of Quito was created in 1545. The church building was completed in 1799, during the administration of President of the Real Audiencia, Baron Héctor de Carondelet.
One of the major events that took place in this cathedral was the murder of the Bishop of Quito, José Ignacio Checa y Barba, who during the mass of
Good Friday
Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...
on 30 March 1877, was poisoned by strychnine dissolved in the consecrated wine. The cathedral is also the burial place of the remains of the
Grand Marshal
Grand marshal is a ceremonial, military rank, military, or political office of very high rank. The term has its origins with the word "marshal" with the first usage of the term "grand marshal" as a ceremonial title for certain religious orders. ...
Antonio José de Sucre
Antonio José de Sucre y Alcalá (; 3 February 1795 – 4 June 1830), known as the "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho" ( en, "Grand Marshal of Ayacucho"), was a Venezuelan independence leader who served as the president of Peru and as the second pr ...
and also of several presidents of the Republic, as well as of bishops and priests who died in the diocese. The cathedral is on the south side of the
Plaza de La Independencia
Independence Square ( es, Plaza de la Independencia, or colloquially as ''Plaza Grande'') is the principal and central public square of Quito, Ecuador. This is the central square of the city and one of the symbols of the executive power of t ...
.
;Church of La Compañía de Jesús
Construction of The Church of La Compañía began in 1605. Building took 160 years. In 1765 the work was completed with the construction of the façade. This was done by Native Americans who carefully shaped the stones to build the façade in the ornate
Baroque style
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
, in what is one of the finest examples of this art in the Americas.
;Basilica of San Francisco
The Basilica of San Francisco is the largest of the existing architectural ensembles in the historic centers of cities in Latin America. The construction of the church began in 1550, on land adjacent to the plaza where the Native Americans engaged in the barter of products.
;Church of El Sagrario
In colonial times, the Church of El Sagrario was one of the largest architectural marvels of Quito. The construction is of the Italian Renaissance style and it was built in the late 17th century. It has a screen that supports its sculptures and decorations. This structure was built by Bernardo de Legarda. Its central arch leads to a dome decorated with frescoes of biblical scenes featuring archangels. It was done by Francisco Albán. The altarpiece was gilded by Legarda. It is located on Calle García Moreno, near the cathedral.
;Church of Santo Domingo
Church of Santo Domingo. Although they arrived in Quito in 1541, the Dominicans started to build their own temple in 1580, using the plans of Francisco Becerra, and under his direction. The work was completed in the first half of the 17th century. Inside the church are valuable structures, such as the neo-Gothic main altar. This was installed in the late 19th century by Italian Dominicans. The roof of the Mudéjar style church features paintings of martyrs of the Order of Saint Dominic. The roof of the nave is supported by a pair-and-knuckle frame, decorated inside by tracery. In the museum on the north side of the lower cloister, there are wonderful pieces by great Quito sculptors such as the Saint Dominic de Guzmán by Father Carlos, the Saint John of God by Caspicara, and the
Saint Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, OP (; it, Tommaso d'Aquino, lit=Thomas of Aquino; 1225 – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican friar and priest who was an influential philosopher, theologian and jurist in the tradition of scholasticism; he is known wit ...
by Legarda. Another Baroque masterpiece that still stands today, is the Chapel of Nuestra Señora del Rosario, a recognizable architectural icon of Quito. This chapel was built next to the church. The largest fraternity in the city of Quito was founded in this chapel.
File:Carondelet - Quito.JPG,
Carondelet Palace
Carondelet Palace ( es, Palacio de Carondelet) is the seat of government of the Republic of Ecuador, located in Quito. Access is by the public space known as Independence Square or Plaza Grande (colloquial name), around which are also the Arch ...
, office and house of the Presidents of Ecuador.
File:Catedral metropolitana de Quito - panoramio - Quito magnífico (17).jpg,
Quito Metropolitan Cathedral
The Quito Metropolitan Cathedral ( es, Catedral Metropolitana de Quito), known simply as ''la Catedral'', is the Catholic cathedral in Quito, Ecuador. Located on the southwestern side of the Plaza de la Independencia (La Plaza Grande), it (and it ...
, built between 1535-1799.
File:Iglesia de La Compañía, Quito, Ecuador, 2015-07-22, DD 149-151 HDR.JPG, Church of La Compañía de Jesús
File:Basílica del Voto Nacional - Quito.jpg,
Basílica del Voto Nacional
The Basilica of the National Vow ( es, Basílica del Voto Nacional) is a Roman Catholic church located in the historic center of Quito, Ecuador. It is the largest neo-Gothic basilica in the Americas.
History
The basilica arose from the idea, prop ...
File:Iglesia de San Francisco, Quito, Ecuador, 2015-07-22, DD 152.JPG, Basilica of San Francisco, built between 1535-1650.
File:Iglesia de San Francisco, Quito, Ecuador, 2015-07-22, DD 171-173 HDR.JPG, Interior of the basilica of San Francisco
File:Iglesia de Santo Domingo, Quito - 2.jpg, View of the Church of Santo Domingo
File:Iglesia de Santo Domingo, Quito, Ecuador, 2015-07-22, DD 196.JPG, Interior of the church of Santo Domingo
File:Iglesia de Santo Domingo, Quito, Ecuador, 2015-07-22, DD 202-204 HDR.JPG, Chapel of the Rosary within the church of Santo Domingo
File:Palacio Gangotena, Quito, Ecuador, 2015-07-22, DD 156.JPG, Gangotena Palace
File:Palacio Municipal, Quito, Ecuador, 2015-07-22, DD 189.JPG, Municipal Palace in the Plaza Grande
File:Plaza Grande, Quito, Ecuador, 2015-07-22, DD 81-85 PAN.JPG, Plaza Grande
File:Centro de Arte Contemporáneo, Quito pic b4.JPG, Centro de Arte Contemporáneo, Quito.
File:Antiguo Hospital Militar (Centro Histórico, Quito) pic a05.JPG, Antiguo Hospital Militar (Centro Histórico, Quito)
File:Quito, Ecuador - Michael Shade.jpeg, View of Quito from Basílica del Voto Nacional
File:Virgen de Quito Panecillo 03.jpg, Virgin of
El Panecillo
El Panecillo (from Spanish ''panecillo'' small piece of bread, diminutive of ''pan'' bread) is a 200-metre-high hill of volcanic-origin, with loess soil, located between southern and central Quito. Its peak is at an elevation of 3,016 metres (9,8 ...
File:Cementerio de San Diego, Quito, Ecuador, 2015-07-22, DD 59.JPG, Cemetery of San Diego, Quito
El Panecillo
El Panecillo
El Panecillo (from Spanish ''panecillo'' small piece of bread, diminutive of ''pan'' bread) is a 200-metre-high hill of volcanic-origin, with loess soil, located between southern and central Quito. Its peak is at an elevation of 3,016 metres (9,8 ...
is a hill in the middle west of the city at an altitude of about
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
. A monument to the Virgin Mary is located on top of El Panecillo and is visible from most of the city of Quito. In 1976, the Spanish artist Agustín de la Herrán Matorras was commissioned by the religious order of the
Oblate
In Christianity (especially in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Methodist traditions), an oblate is a person who is specifically dedicated to God or to God's service.
Oblates are individuals, either laypersons or clergy, normally livi ...
s to build a –tall aluminum monument of a
madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
, which was assembled on a high pedestal on the top of Panecillo. The statue of the Virgin on the Panecillo is a replica of a sculpture made by Bernardo de Legarda in 1732. So this monument is also called Virgen de Legarda or Virgen del Panecillo.
La Mariscal
This modern area is considered to be the city's entertainment hub. It is a meeting point for both local residents and tourists. Its cosmopolitan atmosphere is expressed in a wide variety of culinary, artistic, and cultural options, and the large number of hotels, inns, travel agencies, shops, bars, and discothèques that light up when the sun sets. ''El Gran Desfile de Mariscal'' (the Great Parade of Mariscal) is held in this area during the ''
Fiestas de Quito
The Fiestas de Quito (celebrations of Quito) is a weeklong period from the end of November to 6 December celebrating the foundation of Quito. During this period, bullfighting at the Plaza de Toros
A bullring is an arena where bullfightin ...
''.
Plaza Foch (La Zona)
This area is considered to be the ''zona rosa'' of the city. It hosts various night clubs and bars, and has a great night vibe, complete with street vendors selling gum, cigarettes and other small items. Plaza Foch is heavily frequented from Thursday to Saturday, and draws tourists from all over the world. For this reason, prices for liquor, beer and food are expensive compared to other places in Quito. Due to its small driveways and big sidewalks, it's mostly a pedestrian area.
Parks
Metropolitano
Parque Metropolitano Guanguiltagua is the largest urban park in South America at (as reference, New York's
Central Park
Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...
is ). The park is located in northern Quito, on the hill of Bellavista behind
Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa
Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa () is a multi-purpose stadium in Quito, Ecuador. It is currently used primarily for association football, football matches and has a capacity of 35,724.
Overview
Built in 1951, it sits at the intersection of the Aveni ...
. The park is suited for mountain biking, walking, and running. Most of it is
eucalyptus
''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as euca ...
forest with trails, but there also are numerous sculptures on display. The park has four sites that can be used for picnics or barbecues, and the eastern section has a view of
Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi () is an active stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located in Latacunga city of Cotopaxi Province, about south of Quito, and northeast of the city of Latacunga, Ecuador. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a ...
,
Antisana
Antisana is a stratovolcano of the northern Andes, in Ecuador. It is the fourth highest volcano in Ecuador, at , and is located SE of the capital city of Quito.
Antisana presents one of the most challenging technical climbs in the Ecuadorian A ...
, and the
Guayllabamba Guayllabamba (Kichwa: ''Wayllapampa'', "green plain") is a small agricultural town (administratively, a rural parish of the canton of Quito) located 29 kilometers northeast of the city of Quito in northern Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ...
river basin
A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, the ...
.
Bicentenario
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
Mariscal Sucre International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional Mariscal Sucre) was the main international airport serving Quito, Pichincha Province, Ecuador. It was the busiest airport in Ecuador by passenger traffic, by aircraft movement ...
. It was inaugurated on 27 April 2013. This park has , and it is located at , above mean sea level. The former runway has been converted into recreational space with lanes painted for bicycles and pedestrians. There are play structures and games for children. As well, there is outdoor exercise equipment for adults. The park contains a man-made pond and more than one thousand trees, many newly planted. The park also hosts cultural exhibits and outdoor concerts.
La Carolina
La Carolina
La Carolina is a Municipalities of Spain, city and municipality located in the Province of Jaén (Spain), province of Jaén, Spain. According to the 2014 census, the municipality has a population of 15,808 inhabitants.
History
La Carolina was fo ...
is a 165.5-acre (670,000 m2) park in the center of the Quito main business area, bordered by the avenues Río Amazonas, de los Shyris, Naciones Unidas, Eloy Alfaro, and de la República. This park started from the expropriation of the farm La Carolina in 1939. The design of the park was made by the Dirección Metropolitana de Planificación Territorial (DMPT).
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
headed a great mass in the park during his visit to Ecuador in 1985. A giant cross has been built in this place.
El Ejido
El Ejido is the fourth-largest park of Quito (after Metropolitan, Bicentenario and La Carolina), and it divides the old part of the city from the modern one. This park is known for handicrafts available for sale every Saturday and Sunday, with all pricing subject to negotiation (that is, haggling). Local painters sell copies of paintings by
Oswaldo Guayasamín
Oswaldo Guayasamín (July 6, 1919 – March 10, 1999) was an Ecuadorian painter and sculptor of Kichwa and Mestizo heritage.
Biography
Early life
Guayasamín was born in Quito, Ecuador, to a native father and a Mestiza mother, both of Kichwa de ...
,
Eduardo Kingman
Eduardo Kingman Riofrío (February 23, 1913 – November 27, 1997) was an Ecuadorian artist. He is considered one of Ecuador's greatest artists of the 20th century, among the art circles of other master artists such as Oswaldo Guayasamín and Cami ...
ponchos
A poncho (; qu, punchu; arn, pontro; "blanket", "woolen fabric") is an outer garment designed to keep the body warm. A rain poncho is made from a watertight material designed to keep the body dry from the rain. Ponchos have been used by the ...
, carpets, and jewelry.
Guápulo
Set on the side on a cliff with González Suárez Street, one of the most famous in Quito and to the other side the valley and further in the distance, the Amazon Jungle.
Guápulo
Guápulo is a district of Quito, Ecuador, also called an electoral parish (''parroquia electoral urbana''). The parish was established as a result of the October 2004 political elections when the city was divided into 19 urban electoral parishe ...
is a district of Quito, Ecuador, also called an electoral parish (''parroquia electoral urbana''). The parish was established as a result of the October 2004 political elections when the city was divided into 19 urban electoral parishes. Set behind Hotel Quito, the neighborhood of Guápulo runs down the winding Camino de Orellana, from González Suárez to Calle de los Conquistadores, the main road out of Quito and to the neighboring suburbs. Often considered an artsy, bohemian neighborhood of Quito, Guápulo is home to many local artists and a couple of hippy cafés/bars. Every year on 7 September the guapuleños honor their neighborhood with the Fiestas de Guápulo, a fantastic celebration complete with costumes, parade, food, drink, song, dance, and fireworks.
La Alameda
The long triangular La Alameda is located at the beginning of street Guayaquil, where the historic center begins. It has an impressive monument of
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830) was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and B ...
at the apex. There are several other interesting monuments in this park. In the center of the park is the Quito Observatory, which was opened by President García Moreno in 1873. It is used for both meteorology and astronomy. At the north end of the park are two ornamental lakes, where rowboats can be rented.
La Floresta
One of the most iconic neighborhoods in the city, with an important cultural and gastronomic offer. The neighborhood has local and international restaurants, a cinema, small theaters, cafes, bars, museums and coworking spaces.
File:Puerta de La Circasiana.jpg, La Circasiana door, currently at the north end of El Ejido park. Originally the entrance door to the Circasiana Palace in La Mariscal neighborhood.
File:OBSERVATORIO ASTRONÓMICO DE QUITO.JPG, Astronomic observatory in the Alameda park
File:Teatro Nacional Sucre.JPG, Sucre National Theatre
TeleferiQo
The Aerial tramway Station at Cruz Loma (part of the Pichincha mountain complex at about ). Since July 2005, Quito has had an
aerial tramway
An aerial tramway, sky tram, cable car, ropeway, aerial tram, telepherique, or seilbahn is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion. With this form of lift, the grip ...
, known as the "Telefériqo", from the city center to the hill known as Cruz Loma on the east side of the Pichincha volcano. The ride takes visitors to an elevation of about . There are also trails for hiking and areas where pictures can be taken of Quito. Because of the increased elevation and the wind on the mountain, it is considerably cooler.
Besides the aerial tramway to Cruz Loma, the Telefériqo as a whole is a visitor center that includes an amusement park ( Vulqano Park), fine-dining restaurants, Go Karts, Paint Ball, shopping malls, an extensive food court, and other attractions.
Outside the city
La Mitad del Mundo (the middle of the world) is a small village administered by the prefecture of the province of Pichincha, north of Quito. It has since been determined, with the use of
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...
technology, that the actual equator is some north of the monument area. Nearby is the Intiñan Solar Museum, which may be closer to the true equator. The Intiñan Solar Museum provides a demonstration which purports to show the
Coriolis force
In physics, the Coriolis force is an inertial or fictitious force that acts on objects in motion within a frame of reference that rotates with respect to an inertial frame. In a reference frame with clockwise rotation, the force acts to the ...
causing a clockwise rotation of sink water a few meters south of the equator and a counterclockwise rotation a few meters north, but many scientific sources claim that this is implausible.
Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve Reserva Geobotánica Pululahua (''Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve'') (''Cloud of Water Geobontanical Reserve'') is a protected area around Pululahua Volcano in the north of Quito Canton, Pichincha Province, Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ' ...
, located a few miles northwest from La Mitad del Mundo, contains the Pululahua volcano, whose
caldera
A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcano eruption. When large volumes of magma are erupted over a short time, structural support for the rock above the magma chamber is ...
(crater) is visible from a spot easily accessible by car. It is believed to be one of only a few in the world with human inhabitants.
Quito Zoo,
located near the rural parish of
Guayllabamba Guayllabamba (Kichwa: ''Wayllapampa'', "green plain") is a small agricultural town (administratively, a rural parish of the canton of Quito) located 29 kilometers northeast of the city of Quito in northern Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ...
, about outside Quito, has the biggest collection of native fauna in Ecuador, including several kinds of animals that are sometimes targeted in Ecuador in the illegal fur trade. The Zoo works in conservation and education in Ecuador and has successfully bred the endangered Andean condor.
Maquipucuna Reserve is located in Quito's rural parish of Nanegal. This 14,000 acre high biodiversity rainforest and cloud forest reserve protects over 1966 species of plants (10% of Ecuador's plant diversity) and close to 400 bird species. This reserve, which is surrounded by a 34,000 acre protected forest, was declared an IBA (Important Bird Area) in 2005 and is the core of the conservation corridor for the spectacled bear (Andean bear) declared in 2013. The area has an ecolodge located in the northern end of the Reserve where the spectacled bear can be sighted for about two months every year.
Some of the other nearby natural attractions are:
* Maquipucuna Reserve Conservation, community projects, bird watching, spectacled bear watching
* Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve conservation and bird watching lodge
* Cayambe – Coca Ecological Reserve
** Papallacta & Oyacachi thermal springs
*
Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi () is an active stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located in Latacunga city of Cotopaxi Province, about south of Quito, and northeast of the city of Latacunga, Ecuador. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a ...
National Park
*
Mindo
MINDO, or Modified Intermediate Neglect of Differential Overlap is a semi-empirical method for the quantum calculation of molecular electronic structure in computational chemistry. It is based on the Intermediate Neglect of Differential Overlap ( ...
Pasochoa
Pasochoa (4,200 metres) is an extinct volcano located in the Guayllabamba river basin in the Ecuadorian Andes. The current mountain form is a collapsed crater with a semicircular shape. This structure emerged approximately 100 thousand years ago ...
Wildlife Refuge
*
Pichincha volcano
Pichincha is a stratovolcano in Ecuador. The capital Quito wraps around its eastern slopes.
The two highest peaks of the mountain are Wawa Pichincha (Kichwa ''wawa'' child, baby / small, Spanish spelling ''Guagua Pichincha'') () and Ruku Pichinch ...
with its peaks Wawa Pichincha and Ruku Pichincha
Culture
Quito is a city with a mix of modern-day and traditional culture. There is a large
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
presence in Quito; most notably, Quito observes
Holy Week
Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, w ...
with a series of ceremonies and rituals that begin on
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Palm Sunday marks the first day of Holy ...
. At noon on
Good Friday
Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...
According to the National Council for Higher Education of Ecuador (CONESUP), these are the universities founded in or around Quito before 2006:
Libraries
One of the oldest and most important library in Ecuador is the Central University Library in Quito. It was founded in 1586 and has 170,000 volumes in its possession. The Aurelio Espinoza Polit in Cotocollao, Casas de la Cultura and Catholic University are also important ones.
Museums
*National Museum of Ecuador – This art museum houses five displays. Each covers a different time period, ranging from prehistory to modern Ecuador.
*Museo de Arte Contemporaneas – Located north of Basilica del Voto Nacional, this museum has permanent and temporary exhibitions. The historic building used to be a military hospital and was renovated for its new purpose.
* Casa del Alabado – Located just south of Plaza San Francisco, this is the Old Town's newest museum and houses a collection of pre-colonial art. The building is one of the oldest houses in the city.
* Museo de la Ciudad – A museum dedicated to the history of Quito. Located just east of the Plaza de Santo Domingo, it is housed in the buildings of the former
San Juan de Dios Hospital
San Juan de Dios Educational Foundation, Inc. (SJDEFI or SJ, formerly Hospital de San Juan de Dios) is a private, non-stock, non-profit, joint institute of education and tertiary health sciences operating as a college and a hospital in Pasay, P ...
, a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site.
*
La Capilla del Hombre
The painter Oswaldo Guayasamín's La Capilla del Hombre ("The Chapel of Man") occupies a site in Bellavista overlooking the city of Quito, Ecuador. The Capilla is a purpose-built art museum dedicated to the peoples of Latin America
Latin Amer ...
– A museum showcasing the work of legendary Ecuadorian Artist
Oswaldo Guayasamín
Oswaldo Guayasamín (July 6, 1919 – March 10, 1999) was an Ecuadorian painter and sculptor of Kichwa and Mestizo heritage.
Biography
Early life
Guayasamín was born in Quito, Ecuador, to a native father and a Mestiza mother, both of Kichwa de ...
*
Ecuador National Museum of Medicine
The Ecuador National Museum of Medicine is located in Quito, Ecuador.
Mission
Dr. Eduardo Estrella founded Ecuador's National Museum of Medicine on 5 March 1982. Estrella's mission was to paint a full picture of the native, natural medicine o ...
– A museum dedicated to the history of medicine in Quito, founded by
Eduardo Estrella Aguirre
Eduardo Estrella Aguirre (1941 in Tabacundo, Ecuador – 1996 in Quito) was an Ecuadorian doctor and researcher who published '' Flora Huayaquilensis: The Botanical Expedition of Juan Tafalla 1799-1808''.
Dr. Eduardo Estrella studied medici ...
. Estrella was in the Archives of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Madrid, Spain in 1985 and uncovered the lost papers and paintings documenting one of the first expeditions to South America. In Madrid Spain, Estrella worked for many years and documented his observations in the archive and was able to publish the extensive work of Juan Tafalla in a book called
Flora Huayaquilensis
''Flora Huayaquilensis'' is the popular name for the body of work produced by botanist Juan José Tafalla Navascués while he was in South America.
Navascués made one of the first expeditions to South America with a Spaniard who documented pla ...
.
*
Museum House of Sucre
Sucre House ( es, Museo Casa de Sucre) is a museum in the historic center of Quito, Ecuador. It was established in 1977 by the Ministry of Defence. It is dedicated to the memory of its most famous occupants: the Venezuelan independence hero, Ma ...
– This museum is dedicated to life of Mariscal
Antonio José de Sucre
Antonio José de Sucre y Alcalá (; 3 February 1795 – 4 June 1830), known as the "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho" ( en, "Grand Marshal of Ayacucho"), was a Venezuelan independence leader who served as the president of Peru and as the second pr ...
, a hero of Ecuadorian independence. The ground floor has an array of weapons and military relics, many of which belonged to Sucre himself. The second floor has been restored to what it might have looked like in Sucre's time.
File:Calle Mejía, Quito is on the left....and..Calle Cuenca, Quito is on the right of this photograph. pic.a1 Museo de Arte Colonial Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana (exterior).jpg, Quito Colonial Art Museum
File:Historic Center of Quito - World Heritage Site by UNESCO - Photo 051.JPG,
Centro Cultural Metropolitano
Centro Cultural Metropolitano ( en, Metropolitan Cultural Center) is a cultural institution based in Quito, Ecuador. It was established in 1997 in a building which dates to 1622.
This building belongs to the colonial epoch, but its facade was r ...
File:Museo Alberto Mena Caamaño (Eugenio y Manuela Espejo).JPG,
Alberto Mena Caamaño Museum
Alberto Mena Caamaño Museum ( es, Museo Alberto Mena Caamaño) is a museum in Quito, Ecuador. A cultural institution of Quito, the capital of Ecuador, it is located in the historic center of the city, next to the Palacio de Carondelet
Caron ...
Sports
Quito is home prominent football clubs in the country. The city's top clubs (
LDU Quito
Liga Deportiva Universitaria (), often referred to as Liga de Quito, LDU, is an Ecuadorian professional football club based in Quito. They play in the Serie A, the highest level of the Ecuadorian professional football league. They play their ho ...
Deportivo Quito
Sociedad Deportivo Quito is an Ecuadorian non-professional club football club based in Quito. For most of its existence, it competed in Serie A, the highest level of the Ecuadorian professional football league. And currently competes in the Seg ...
Independiente del Valle
Club de Alto Rendimiento Especializado Independiente del Valle, known simply as Independiente del Valle, is a professional football club based in Sangolquí, Ecuador, that currently plays in the Ecuadorian Serie A.
Founded in 1958, the club play ...
have won 31 nacional leagues and 3 Ecuador Cups and 3 Ecuador supercups adding yo a total of 37 national championships. Deportivo Quito was also the first out of the three home teams to win the title. Quito is the only city in Ecuador which has clubs that have won continental titles,
LDU Quito
Liga Deportiva Universitaria (), often referred to as Liga de Quito, LDU, is an Ecuadorian professional football club based in Quito. They play in the Serie A, the highest level of the Ecuadorian professional football league. They play their ho ...
is the only club from Ecuador to have won the Comebol Libertadores, Also won 3 other continental titles making it the greatest club in the country. The other club being
Independiente del Valle
Club de Alto Rendimiento Especializado Independiente del Valle, known simply as Independiente del Valle, is a professional football club based in Sangolquí, Ecuador, that currently plays in the Ecuadorian Serie A.
Founded in 1958, the club play ...
which won the
CONMEBOL Sudamericana
The CONMEBOL Sudamericana, named as ''Copa Sudamericana'' (; pt, Copa Sul-Americana ), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second-most prestigious club competition in South American fo ...
in 2019 and 2022 adding un 6 continental titles for the city and the country. El Nacional is the fourth most titled team in Ecuador's history, with 13.
América de Quito
Club Deportivo América, commonly known as América de Quito, is a football club based in Quito, Ecuador. A top-level club in Ecuador for decades, they were relegated to the second division in 1988 and later to the country's third-tier Segunda C ...
was one of the most titled clubs in the past but has recently played in the lower divisions.
The professional teams in the city are:
*
América de Quito
Club Deportivo América, commonly known as América de Quito, is a football club based in Quito, Ecuador. A top-level club in Ecuador for decades, they were relegated to the second division in 1988 and later to the country's third-tier Segunda C ...
Deportivo Quito
Sociedad Deportivo Quito is an Ecuadorian non-professional club football club based in Quito. For most of its existence, it competed in Serie A, the highest level of the Ecuadorian professional football league. And currently competes in the Seg ...
LDU Quito
Liga Deportiva Universitaria (), often referred to as Liga de Quito, LDU, is an Ecuadorian professional football club based in Quito. They play in the Serie A, the highest level of the Ecuadorian professional football league. They play their ho ...
* Universidad Católica
One of the more interesting facts of Quito is that the stadiums are located over
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
, this gives the city the special feature and a great advantage for local teams when they play against foreign teams and it is one of the reasons that has allowed Ecuador qualify for three World Cups.
Crime
The
U.S. Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...
notes that
petty theft
Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...
is the most common crime issue facing tourists in Quito, stating in 2015: "Pickpocketing, purse snatching, robbery, bag slashing, and hotel room theft are the most common types of crimes committed against U.S. citizens."
Notable people
* Poet
Jorge Carrera Andrade
Jorge Carrera Andrade was an Ecuadorian poet, historian, author, and diplomat during the 20th century. He was born in Quito, Ecuador in 1902. He died in 1978. During his life and after his death he has been recognized with Jorge Luis Borges, Vice ...
(b. 1902, Quito – d. 1978, Quito)
* Novelist
Jorge Icaza
Jorge Icaza Coronel (July 10, 1906 – May 26, 1978), commonly referred to as Jorge Icaza, was a writer from Ecuador, best known for his novel '' Huasipungo'', which brought attention to the exploitation of Ecuador's indigenous people by Ecuadoria ...
(b. 1906, Quito – d. 1978, Quito)
* Film Director
Sebastián Cordero
Sebastián Cordero Espinosa (; born 23 May 1972) is an Ecuadorian film director, screenwriter and editor, often recognized for his work in '' Ratas, Ratones, Rateros'' (1999), ''Crónicas'' (2004), and '' Europa Report'' (2013). His films have b ...
(b. 1972, Quito)
* Painter
Oswaldo Guayasamín
Oswaldo Guayasamín (July 6, 1919 – March 10, 1999) was an Ecuadorian painter and sculptor of Kichwa and Mestizo heritage.
Biography
Early life
Guayasamín was born in Quito, Ecuador, to a native father and a Mestiza mother, both of Kichwa de ...
(b. 1919, Quito – d. 1999, Baltimore U.S.)
* Professional Footballer
Christian Benitez
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ (title), Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive ...
(b. 1 May 1986, Quito – d. 29 July 2013, Doha, Qatar)
* Catholic Saint
Mariana de Jesús de Paredes
Mariana of Jesus de Paredes ( es, Mariana or ; October 31, 1618 – May 26, 1645) is a Catholic saint and was the first person to be canonized from what is now Ecuador. She was a recluse who is said to have sacrificed herself for the salva ...
(b.1618, Quito – d. 1645, Quito)
* Scientist
Eugenio Espejo
Francisco Javier Eugenio de Santa Cruz y Espejo (Royal Audiencia of Quito, February 21, 1747 – December 28, 1795) was a medical pioneer, writer and lawyer of mestizo origin in colonial Ecuador. Although he was a notable scientist and write ...
(b. 21 February 1747 – d. December 1795)
* Chicago politician and community activist
Byron Sigcho-Lopez
Byron Sigcho-Lopez (born July 7, 1983) is a Chicago politician and community activist. He is the alderman of Chicago's 25th ward, having taken office as a member of the Chicago City Council in May 2019. He won an open race to succeed outgoing ...
Manuela Saenz Manuela may refer to:
People
* Manuela (given name), a Spanish and Portuguese feminine given name
* Manuela (singer) (1943–2001), German singer of Schlager songs
Film and television
* ''Manuela'' (1957 film), a British film directed by Guy Hami ...
(Born: 27 December 1797, Quito, Died: 23 November 1856, Paita, Peru)
* Formula 2 Driver
Juan Manuel Correa
Juan Manuel Correa Borja (born August 9, 1999) is an American-Ecuadorian racing driver who races under an American license and is set to compete in the 2023 FIA Formula 2 Championship with Van Amersfoort Racing.
Career Karting
Correa began ...
(Born 9 August 1999, Quito)
* Midwife and professor Juana Miranda (1842, Quito – 1914, Quito)
Bogotá
Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...
, Colombia
*
Cádiz
Cádiz (, , ) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia.
Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, ...
, Spain
*
Doha
Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...
, Qatar
*
Guangzhou
Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...
, China
*
Guarulhos
Guarulhos () is a Brazilian municipality. It is the second most populous city in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, the 13th most populous city in Brazil, and is also the most populous city in the country that is not a state capital. In the last ...
, Brazil
*
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
, Poland
*
Lima
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...
, Peru
*
Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
, United States
*
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
Medellín
Medellín ( or ), officially the Municipality of Medellín ( es, Municipio de Medellín), is the second-largest city in Colombia, after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia. It is located in the Aburrá Valley, a central re ...
, Colombia
*
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
, Mexico
*
La Paz
La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities ...
, Bolivia
*
Taipei
Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
, Taiwan
See also
*
List of buildings in Quito
This is a list of the preserved important buildings in Quito, capital of Ecuador.
Quito is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978.
Colonial
Post-Colonial
References
{{reflist
Quito
List
*
Quito
Quito
Quito (; qu, Kitu), formally Sa ...
*
List of cities in Ecuador
This is a list of city, cities in Ecuador.
List Alphabetical
* Ambato, Ecuador, Ambato
* Arajuno
* Archidona, Ecuador, Archidona
* Atacames
* Azogues
* Babahoyo
* Baeza, Ecuador, Baeza
* Bahía de Caráquez
* Balao
* Balsas, Ecuador, Balsas
* B ...
*
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 ...
Ciudad Mitad del Mundo
The Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (, ''Middle of the World City'') is a tract of land owned by the prefecture of the province of Pichincha, Ecuador. It is located at San Antonio parish of the canton of Quito, north of the center of Quito. The groun ...