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Map of Ecuador showing location of Quito.| City nickname: "Luz de América" | |
| Country Province Canton |
Ecuador Pichincha Quito |
| Mayor | Paco Moncayo |
| Area - Land - Water |
~290 km² ~290 km² ~0 km² |
| Population - Total (2005, estimation) - Density |
1,865,541 (canton) ~4800/km² |
| Time zone - summer (DST) |
ECT (UTC) ECT (UTC) |
| Latitude Longitude |
-00.15° -78.35° |
| Official website: http://www.quito.gov.ec | |
Quito is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in northern Ecuador (see NG MapMachine satellite map) in the Guayllabamba river basin on the eastern slopes of the Pichincha 1 (4794 m), an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains. At 2850 meters/9300 feet above sea level at the Plaza de la Independencia, Quito is the second highest capital city in the world. The population of Quito, according to the most recent census (2001), was 1,399,378. In 2005, however, the estimated population was 1,865,541 (canton). The area of Quito is approximately 290 km².
There is some confusion about Quito's position as the second highest capital in the world, but La Paz, Bolivia, which is where the Bolivian government functions, is the governmental capital of Bolivia. Sucre is the legal capital of Bolivia.
Quito is located about 22 miles south of the equator. A monument marking the equator is known locally as "la mitad del mundo" (the middle of the world). Due to its altitude and location, the climate in Quito is mild to cool, fairly constant all year round, with a high temperature typically around 70 degrees Fahrenheit on any given day. There are only two seasons in Quito, summer (the dry season) and winter (the rainy season).
Quito is the second most populous city in Ecuador after Guayaquil.
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History
Pre-Hispanic
Quito's origins date back to the first millennium, when nomadic tribes roamed the area and ultimately formed a commercial center where Quito is currently located. Early in the 16th century, the Incas conquered the city, hoping to further the reach of their kingdom, but upon the arrival of the Spanish in 1533, those plans were abandoned. Rumiñahui, an Inca war general, burned the city to prevent the Spanish from taking it, thereby destroying any traces of the prehispanic city.
Spanish colony
Picture of 'Iglesia de Santo Domingo' at night, one of the many beautiful churches and monasteries build by the Spanish during the Colony.
This church is one of the most photographed churches in Quito and is locally known as Iglesia de San Francisco (named after Francis of Assisi). The main cathedral of Quito is about two blocks northeast from San Francisco.Indigenous resistance to the Spanish conquest continued during 1534, and during this time, Diego de Almagro founded Santiago de Quito on August 15, 1534. On December 6, 1534 2, the city was officially founded by 204 settlers and Sebastián de Belalcázar, who captured Rumiñahui and effectively ended organized resistance. Rumiñahui was then executed on January 10, 1535. On March 14, 1541, Quito was named a city, and on February 14, 1556, 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").
The Spanish brought the Catholic religion to Quito quickly, with the first temple (El Belén) being built even before the city had been officially founded. In January of 1535, the San Francisco Convent was constructed, the first of about 20 more churches and convents built during the colonial period. The Spanish heavily evangelized the indigenous people and also used them for construction, especially the initial stages. The Diocese of Quito was established in 1545, and then was elevated to the Archdiocese of Quito in 1849.
In 1809, after nearly 300 years of Spanish colonization, Quito was a city of about 10,000 inhabitants, and August 10, 1809, it was there where the first cry for independence was heard. The movement was ultimately defeated on August 2, 1810, when Spanish forces came from Lima, Peru, and killed the leaders of the uprising and about 200 inhabitants of the city. A chain of conflicts concluded on May 24, 1822 when Antonio José de Sucre, under the command of Simón Bolívar, led troops into the Battle of Pichincha. Their victory marked the independence of Quito and the surrounding areas.
Gran Colombia
Just days after the Battle of Pichincha, on May 29, 1822, the leaders of the city proclaimed their independence and admitted the city to the Republic of Gran Colombia. Simón Bolívar went to Quito on June 16, 1822, and was present for the signing of the Colombian Constitution on June 24, 1822.
Ecuador
The presidential palace (known in Quito as Palacio Presidencial or Palacio de Carondelet) in QuitoThis lasted until May 13, 1830, when Gran Colombia dissolved and the nation took the name Republic of Ecuador, becoming an independent nation. Quito was named the country's capital for being the original home of numerous prehispanic cultures, for its role in the independence of Ecuador, and because it was an important administrative seat.
Quito has been the scenario for demonstrations and political violence since the early years of the republic. In 1833, members of the Society of Free Inhabitants of Quito were assassinated by the government after they conspired against it, and on March 6, 1845, the Marcist Revolution began. Later, in 1875, the country's president, Gabriel García Moreno, was assassinated in Quito. Two years later, in 1877, archbishop José Ignacio Checa y Barba was killed by poisoning.
In 1882, insurgents arose against the regime of dictator Ignacio de Veintemilla. Their victory did not end the violence that was occurring throughout the country. On July 9, 1883, the liberal commander Eloy Alfaro participated in the Battle of Guayaquil, and later, after more conflict, became the president of Ecuador on September 4, 1895. Upon completing his second term in 1911, he moved to Europe, but upon his return to Ecuador in 1912 and attempted return to power, he was arrested on January 28, 1912, thrown in prison, and assassinated by a mob that had 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, a civil war that followed the election of Neptalí Bonifaz and the subsequent realization that he carried a Peruvian passport. Workers at a major textile factory went on strike in 1934, and similar unrest continues to the present day. On February 12, 1949, a realistic broadcast of H. G. Wells' novel The War of the Worlds led to citywide panic and the deaths of six people who died in fires set by mobs 3. In recent years, Quito has been the focal point of large demonstrations that led to the ousting of presidents Abdalá Bucaram (February 5, 1997), Jamil Mahuad (January 21, 2000) and Lucio Gutiérrez (April 20, 2005).
Geography
Quito is located in the northern sierra of Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin. The eastern part of the basin is sorrounded by a number of volcanoes: Cotopaxi, Antisana, Sincholagua and Cayambe (volcano) to the east; Illiniza, Atacazo, Pichincha and Pululagua to the west.
The Guagua Pichincha, located only 13 miles west of Quito, presents some ongoing volcanic activity and it undergoes constant monitoring. Its last major eruptive activity was recorded on October 5 and October 7, 1999, when a large amount of ash deposited on the city caused significant disruption, including closing of the international airport. The worst event occurred in 1660 when over 10 inches of ash covered the city. Quito is the only capital in the world to be directly menaced by an active volcano. Activity in other nearby volcanoes can also affect the city; in November 2002, after an eruption in the volcano Reventador, the city was showered with ash (more than in 1999) for a few days. 4
The region is also vulnerable to earthquakes. The worst known earthquake to have hit Quito occurred in 1797 and killed around 40,000 people. The most recent major seismic event, with a magnitude of 7 in the Richter scale, occurred on 1987 with an epicenter about 80 Km (50 miles) from the city, and it killed an estimated 1,000 in Ecuador. Quito buildings suffered minor damage.
Demographics
(2001 census)
- illiteracy rate: 3.6% 7
- unemployment rate: 8.9%
- underemployment rate: 43.8% 8
- average monthly income: $317 9
See also Cantón Quito (= "Distrito Metropolitano de Quito").
Topographical zones
Quito is divided into three areas, separated by hills:
- the center houses the colonial old city
- the southern part is mainly industrial and residential, a working-class housing area.
- The northern part is modern Quito, with high-rise buildings, shopping centers, the financial district and upper class residential areas. Mariscal Sucre International Airport 10 is in the northern part.
Political division
Partial view of northeastern Quito. The buildings on the topmost part of the photo are on the residential avenue named Avenida González Suárez after former Quito archbishop Federico González Suárez.As of the October 2004 political elections, Quito was divided into 19 urban electoral parishes (parroquias electorales urbanas). These parishes are not the same as the municipal parishes, whose boundaries are determined by the municipality of Quito instead of electoral organizations.
These are the 19 electoral parishes of the city:
- Alfaro
- Benalcázar
- Chaupicruz
- Chillogallo
- Cotocollao
- El Salvador
- González Suárez
- Guápulo
- La Floresta
- La Libertad
- La Magdalena
- La Vicentina
- San Blas
- San Marcos
- San Roque
- San Sebastián
- Santa Bárbara
- Santa Prisca
- Villa Flora
Points of Interest
Northern Quito
Museo del Banco Central
This museum 11 is an excellent showcase of Ecuadorian art and culture. On the ground floor it has a marvellous and extensive collection of pre-colonial (including pre-Incaic) potteries, sculptures, gold, lithics, and even a mummified body. There are also some beautiful but somewhat distorted models that help evoke the way various parts of Ecuador must have looked like, from the Pambamarca fort to the Cochasquí tumuli complex. The highlight of this collection is a golden sun mask of the La Tolita culture. The second floor is dedicated to Colonial art; several paintings and sculptures with religious themes are in exhibition. The third floor is devoted to contemporary Ecuadorian art.
Parks
- Parque Metropolitano 12, with its 5.57 km² (1376 acres) is the largest urban park in South America. (As reference, New York's huge Central Park is 843 acres (3.4 km²) large.) The park is located in the north of Quito, on the hillside, behind the Atahualpa Olympic Stadium 13. The park is an excellent place for mountain biking, walking, running or just exploring the different sculptures that are display for the public. The park has 4 sites where you can bring your family and friends to have a picnic or a BBQ. The backside of the park has a beautiful view of Cotopaxi, Antisana 14 and the Guayllabamba river basin.
- La Carolina 15 is a 670,000 m² park located in the Benalcázar parish in the middle of Quito's business and shopping district, between the avenues known as Avenida Amazonas, Avenida Shyris and Avenida Naciones Unidas. Quiteños gather at La Carolina mostly on weekends to play fútbol (soccer), básket (basketball), ecua-volley (an Ecuadorian variation of volleyball with less emphasis on spiking to score; more of a throw and it allows using your feet like soccer), doing aerobics, flying kites, running, snacking or just observing the thralls of people just walking around. The southern part of the park has a small pond where you can rent paddle boats. There are also many artists performing on weekends. In the western part of the park you will find the Quito Exhibition Center 16 with different exhibits every month, the Quito botanical gardens and a Vivarium.
- El Ejido 17 is the park situated between the old part of the city and the modern section. Here you will find handicrafts every Saturday and Sunday. Local painters sell Oswaldo Guayasamín 18, Eduardo Kingman or Gonzalo Endara Crow copies and Otavaleños are selling traditional sweaters and carpets.
- La Alameda 19 park has the oldest astronomical observatory 20 in South America. The park has a monument of Simón Bolívar and a small lake where families like to rent boats.
Old Town
Street of the old town (Centro Histórico) at night (García Moreno street).The "centro histórico", historical center, as it is called, was appointed 21, along with the historic center 22 of Kraków (Cracovia) 23, Poland, as the first UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Site 24 in 1978 and has many appealing plazas (the Independence Plaza being the most important) and manierist and baroque churches, including the Cathedral, the convent and church of St. Francis, which is the largest building of the Colonial era built by the Spaniards in South America, the church of El Sagrario, convent and church of Santo Domingo and the church of the Society of Jesus, or "La Compañía" which was built after the model of the Church of the Gesu in Rome. There are also several museums, many of them dedicated to Colonial art and history; some of the most renowned are the City Museum ("Museo de la Ciudad") 25, the Metropolitan Cultural Center 26 and the museum of the Convent of St. Francis. Markets are scattered throughout the area.
El Panecillo
- Main article: El Panecillo
'La Virgen del Panecillo', located on the top of the Panecillo hill, at night.El Panecillo is a hill located in the middle of the city with an altitude of about 3016 meters (9895 feet) above sea level. The monument to Virgin Mary located on top of El Panecillo is visible from most of the city of Quito. This monument is based on an sculpture made by Bernardo de Legarda in the Spanish Colony time known as 'La Virgen de Quito'.
Aerial tramway to Cruz Loma
Northern Quito as seen from the TelefériQo (Aerial tramway) Station at Cruz Loma (part of the Pichincha mountain complex at about 4000 m, 13123 ft). Lots of buildings (10 or more stories) have been constructed around the financial center of the city throughout the last 35 years.Since July 2005, Quito has an aerial tramway, known as the "Telefériqo," from the city center to the hill known as Cruz Loma on the east side of the Pichincha vulcano. The ride takes visitors to an altitude of about 4,100 meters (over 12,000 feet) where they find a number of restaurants, cofee shops and stores of different kinds. The temperature there is many degrees cooler than in Quito itself. There are also trails for hiking.
Besides the aerial tramway to Cruz Loma, the Telefériqo as a whole is a visitor center and tourist attraction that includes an amusement park ("Vulqano Park"), Go Karts, Paint Ball, shopping malls, and other attractions.
Outside the city
La Mitad del Mundo 27 (the middle of the world) is a small village administered by the prefecture of the province of Pichincha, and is located about 22 miles north of Quito, on the equator, where visitors find a monument to the equator housing a historical museum, in addition to a planetarium, various exhibits, and shops.
Pululahua is a volcano not far from La Mitad del Mundo, with a caldera or crater visible from a spot easily accessible by car.
Quito Zoo 28 located near the village of Guayllabamba, about 20 km outside Quito, has the biggest collection of native fauna in Ecuador, including several animals recuperated from the illegal fur trade. The only animals in the zoo not indigenous to Ecuador are African lions.
Professional soccer teams
- Sociedad Deportiva Aucas
- Liga Deportiva Universitaria
- Club Deportivo El Nacional
- Sociedad Deportivo Quito
Sister cities
Quito has three sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):
- Louisville (Kentucky, USA)
- St. Paul (Minnesota, USA)
- Coral Gables (Florida, USA)
See also
References
General
- Quito Distrito Metropolitano official Web site
- History, accessed April 12, 2005, Quito Tourist Portal, Corporación Metropolitana de Turismo
- Google
- Google Google Ecuador
- Google Search: ecuador Google News
- Google Search: Quito
- Google Search: Quito Google Answers
- Google Maps Satellite view, Quito
Maps/Satellite Imagery/Geography
- CIA - The World Factbook -- Ecuador includes small schematic map of Ecuador (CIA)
- Ecuador (Country Profiles from National Geographic MapMachine) includes MapMachine maps and satellite images of Ecuador and Quito (National Geographic Society)