Santo Domingo de los Colorados, often simply referred to as Santo Domingo (

Quechua Quechua may refer to: *Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru *Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language **So ...

: Tsachila), is an Ecuadorian city and seat of the canton that bears its name and the

Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas Province Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas is a province in the Republic of Ecuador, created in October 2007 from territory previously in the province of Pichincha. Overview The name of the province refers to a local ethnic group, the Tsáchila, also kno ...

. It is the fourth most populous city in Ecuador, with a population of over 460,000, and is an important commercial and industrial center.

Etymology

The name, "de los Colorados", refers to a local ethnic group, the Tsáchila, and the custom of men in that tribe to dye their hair with extract of the

achiote ''Bixa orellana'', also known as achiote, is a shrub native to Central America. ''Bixa orellana'' is grown in many countries worldwide. The tree is best known as the source of annatto, a natural orange-red condiment (also called or ) obtained ...

plant; hence "Santo Dominigo de los Colorados" or "Santo Domingo of the Dyed." This group, which is indigenous to the area, is recognised with a substantial statue near the town center.

Geography

Santo Domingo is located approximately 133 km west of Quito at an elevation of 625 m. Santo Domingo lies in the foothills west of 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 ...

. It is important stopping point on the road from Quito to the Pacific coast. The city also connects other lowland cities like Quevedo, Chone, and Quinindé. The city is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Santo Domingo de los Colorados.

Climate

Santo Domingo has a tropical monsoon climate under

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 ...

(Am) with influences of elevation. Average temperatures hover around 71 degrees Fahrenheit.Municipal de Santo Domingo
11 August 2010 Like many other cities on this side of the

it floods easily. Roads between Quito and coastal cities such as Esmeraldas and Manta are often washed out and require frequent work.

References

External links

{{Authority control Provincial capitals in Ecuador Populated places in Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas Province 1861 establishments in Ecuador Populated places established in 1861