Yantzaza is a town in the

Zamora Chinchipe Zamora Chinchipe (), Province of Zamora Chinchipe is a province of the Republic of Ecuador, located at the southeastern end of the Amazon Basin, which shares borders with the Ecuadorian provinces of Azuay and Morona Santiago to the north, Loja ...

province of Ecuador. It is the seat of the Yantzaza Canton. Yantzaza, with a population of 13,335, is the second most populated town of the province. It is also the province's principal economic and commercial center. It is located 42 kilometers (about 23 miles) from the city Zamora and is near the

Zamora River The Zamora River ( Spanish: ''Río Zamora'') is a tributary of the Santiago River located in the south-east of Ecuador. Historically, it was known to the Spanish as ''Yaya Mayu'' ("Father River"), from the river's name among a group of Shuar en ...

's bank, on the Yantzaza Valley or Valley of Fireflies (''Spanish: Valle de Yantzaza o Valle de las Luciérnagas'').

Name

The origin of its name comes from the word ''yanzatza'' in Shuar which means "valley of the fireflies," due to the constant presence of fireflies in the area.

Economy

In the outskirts and surroundings of the city there is an intense form of

stock breeding Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, startin ...

and an extensive strip mining system which supplies the local and national markets.

Tourism

One of the more common tourist attractions for local inhabitants as well as foreign visitors is the discovery of marine shell fossils in the major avenue of the city, Avenue Iván Riofrío. The Central Park consists of plants and the native flower shrubs. The most prominent building of the city is the new Illustrious City Hall of Yantzaza (''Spanish: Ilustre Municipalidad de Yantzaza''). There are other private buildings, which are the tallest in the city. Other amenities include the Ottawa Recreational Center (''Spanish: el Centro Recreacional Ottawa'') whose services include a pool, sports court, and restaurant. Also nearby is the Municipal Sports Center (''Spanish: el Complejo Deportivo Municipal'') which is located towards the northern part of the city on Avenue Jaime Roldos Augilera. In Quiringue, located 13 kilometers (about 8 miles) from Yantzaza, visitors can learn more about hand-woven fabrics. These fabrics are woven with the rare thread made from

silk worms The domestic silk moth (''Bombyx mori''), is an insect from the moth family Bombycidae. It is the closest relative of ''Bombyx mandarina'', the wild silk moth. The silkworm is the larva or caterpillar of a silk moth. It is an economically imp ...

References

External links

{{commonscat
www.inec.gov.ec / Yantzaza Canton
Populated places in Zamora-Chinchipe Province