:''"Tulcan" is also an alternative spelling of tulchan'' Tulcán () is the capital of the province of

Carchi Carchi () is a Provinces of Ecuador, province in Ecuador. The capital is Tulcán. The Carchi River rises on the slopes of Chiles (volcano), Chiles volcano and forms the boundary between Colombia and Ecuador near Tulcan. Rumichaca Bridge is the m ...

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

and the seat of

Tulcán Canton Tulcán Canton is a canton of Ecuador, located in Carchi Province. Its capital is the city of Tulcán. The population of the canton in the 2001 census was 77,175 and 86,498 in the 2010 census. The area of the canton is . Most of the populatio ...

. The population of the city of Tulcán was 56,719 in the 2022 census. Tulcán is known for its

hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...

s, deep wells, 3-acre

topiary Topiary is the horticultural practice of training perennial plants by clipping the foliage and twigs of trees, shrubs and subshrubs to develop and maintain clearly defined shapes, whether geometric or fanciful. The term also refers to plants w ...

garden cemetery, the most elaborate topiary in the New World, created with ''

Cupressus sempervirens ''Cupressus sempervirens'', the Mediterranean cypress (also known as Italian cypress, Tuscan cypress, Persian cypress, or pencil pine), is a species of cypress native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Iran. While some studies show it ha ...

'' by José Maria Azael Franco in 1936. The city is the highest in Ecuador, at above sea level, and it is located in the north of

Andes Mountains The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long and wide (widest between 18°S ...

in Ecuador, at of the border between Ecuador and

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

Etymology

The name is a Spanish derivation of the indigenous peoples' original name ''Hul-Can'', which means "Warrior".

History

The first known history of the aboriginal occupants of this land begins with the failed

Incan The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The Inca civilisation rose fr ...

conquests. Tulcán sits within the northernmost outpost of the

Inca Empire The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The History of the Incas, Inca ...

, which according to Spanish chroniclers, was the Rumichaca Bridge, located from Tulcán and which is the present-day border with

. The Spanish, seeking gold, became interested in the Quillasingas (the name given to the indigenous people of the region), meaning "Gold Noses". Quillasingas were named without distinction of the ethnic occupants including the Pastos. Upon assuming the sovereignty for the Spanish crown, the territory was divided into provinces: Quillasinga road to Quito, Quillasinga road to Popayan, Quillasinga road to Almaguer, and Quillasinga road of the mountains. Tulcan's Spanish foundation is said to have been on June 11, 1535. With the arrival of colonists and further Spanish conquerors, its growth increased and immediately passed to be part of the Township of Otavalo, until 1600 when it passed to the Township of Ibarra. During the colonial age it remained under the authority of the Real Audiencia de Quito, in which it increased its economic importance, until it became the most significant locality in the region.

Independence

Independence movements and proclamations sparked through the region. The independence movement in

was led by Alejandro Ruano, Antonio Baca, Cecilio Arciniegas, Esteban Baca, Leandro Campiño, José María Pava, Antonio Rueda, and Ramón Montenegro. On April 14, 1814, with charges of conspiracy of fighting for independence, these men were shot in Bolivar. The population continued its rebellion and in 1820, it ratified the Declaration of Independence of ''9 de Octubre''. Upon Ecuador becoming a republic, Tulcán retained its importance because it became a border town.

Proximity to Colombia

Tulcán is just from the

n border; the international bridge at Rumichaca which bridges the

Carchi River The Carchi River is a river of Ecuador. It rises on the slopes of Chiles Volcano, elevation , on the border of Ecuador and Colombia. The river flows eastward across the high plateau of El Angel. The Carchi has a total course of about , forming ...

is shared by the two countries. Tulcán is bounded on the north by the municipality of

Ipiales Ipiales is a city and Catholic bishopric in Nariño Department, southern Colombia, near the border with Ecuador. It is located at around , with an elevation of about 2950 m. Ipiales is located on the high plateau called "Tuquerres e Ipiales," the ...

(

), on the south by the

San Pedro de Huaca Canton San Pedro de Huaca Canton is a canton of Ecuador, located in Carchi Province. Its capital is the town of Huaca. Its population in the 2001 census was 6,856 and in 2010 was 7,624. The area is . The canton is located in the Andes. The town of ...

, to the east by the

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...

ian provinces of Sucumbios and to the west by the coastal province of Esmeraldas. This city is known for its civic culture and modern business, similar to that of Colombia because of its proximity to and significant trade with that country. Because of the proximity with Colombia, Tulcán and

form a bi-national conurbation with an approximate of 150.000 inhabitants.https%3A%2F%2Frevistasdigitales.upec.edu.ec%2Findex.php%2Fcomercionegocio%2Farticle%2Fdownload%2F681%2F684%2F2120&usg=AOvVaw0cIaSgYX7VeDDdtGLfeNno&opi=89978449

Geography

Climate

Tulcán features a

subtropical highland climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring c ...

(''Csb'') under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

Transportation

Tulcán is very well connected in terms of land and air transport: the Panamerican Highway and Luis A. Mantilla airport are located nearby.

References

External links

The Best of Ecuador - Tulcán
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tulcan Populated places in Carchi Province Colombia–Ecuador border crossings Provincial capitals in Ecuador 1535 establishments in the Spanish Empire