Quito, Ecuador

San Francisco de Quito
Flag Seal
Nickname: Luz de América (Light of America)
Map of Ecuador showing location of Quito Map of Ecuador showing location of Quito
Coordinates: {{#invoke:Coordinates|coord}}{{#coordinates:00|15|00|S|78|35|00|W|type:city
	name= }}
Country	Ecuador
Province	Pichincha
Canton	Quito
Government
- Mayor	Paco Moncayo
Area approx
- Total	290 km² (112 sq mi)
- Land	290 km² (112 sq mi)
- Water	0 km² (0 sq mi)
Elevation	2,850 m (9,350 ft)
Population (2007)
- Total	1,873,458
- Density	6,960/km² (18,022/sq mi)
- Metropolitan District	2,163,565
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EST (UTC-5)
Website: http://www.quito.gov.ec

City of Quito*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Ecuador
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iv
Reference	2
Region**	Latin America and the Caribbean
Inscription history
Inscription	1978  (2nd Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO.

Quito, officially San Francisco de Quito, is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in northern Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of the Pichincha [, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains. With an estimated population of about 2.1 million people as of 2007[1], Quito is the second most populous city in Ecuador, after Guayaquil. It is also the seat of the Quito Metropolitan District, home to 2 million residents, and the capital of the Pichincha province. As the headquarters of the newly-formed Union of South American Nations, Quito is also the de facto capital of South American integration.

Quito is considered to have one of the oldest and best preserved colonial sectors in South America, with narrow and winding cobblestone streets, magnificent churches and open squares. The buildings in the historic center of Quito, known as the "Old City" reflect Spanish colonial influence with their balconies, red-tile roofs, thick columns and central patios. European influences have combined with the inspiration of indigenous art to create a unique Quiteño style that has resulted in Quito being referred to as the "Florence of America."

History

San Francisco's Church

The Presidential Palace

Pre-Hispanic

Quito's origins date back to the first millennium when the Quitu tribe occupied the area and eventually formed a commercial center. The Quitus were a tribe from the Quechua civilization. During this pre-Hispanic period, the name of the city was Reino de Quito. The Quitu were conquered by the Caras tribe, who founded the Kingdom of Quito about 980 C.E. In 1462 the Incas conquered the Kingdom of Quito. In 1533, Rumiñahui, an Inca war general, burned the city to prevent the Spanish from taking it, thereby destroying any traces of the ancient prehispanic city. In the same year, Atahualpa, the last emperor of the Inca Kingdom of Tahuauntinsuyo was executed by the Spaniards after being taken prisoner. The Inca people had reportedly paid a whole room full of gold and silver for his rescue, to no avail.

Colony

Indigenous resistance to the Spanish conquest continued during 1534, with Francisco Pizarro founding San Francisco de Quito on August 15 of that same year. On December 6, 1534 [2], the city was officially founded by 204 settlers led by Sebastián de Benalcázar, a lieutenant of the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, who captured Rumiñahui and effectively ended any organized resistance. Rumiñahui was then executed on January 10, 1535. On March 14, 1541, Quito was declared 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"). In 1563, Quito became the seat of a royal audiencia (administrative district) of Spain and was named the Real Audiencia de Quito.

The Spanish promptly established the Catholic religion in Quito, with the first church (El Belén) built even before the city had been officially founded. In January of 1535, the San Francisco Convent was constructed, the first of about 20 churches and convents built during the colonial period. The Spanish actively evangelized to the indigenous people, but they also used them as slave labor for construction, especially in the early colonial years. The Diocese of Quito was established in 1545 and was elevated to the Archdiocese of Quito in 1849.

Main doorway to the Cathedral

In 1809, after nearly 300 years of Spanish colonization, Quito was a city of about 10,000 inhabitants. On August 10, 1809, a movement was started in Quito that aimed for political independence from Spain. On that date a plan for government was established that placed Juan Pío Montúfar as president with various other prominent figures in other positions of government. However, this initial movement was ultimately defeated on August 2, 1810, when Spanish forces came from Lima, Peru, and killed the leaders of the uprising along with 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 24, 1822, the leaders of the city proclaimed their independence and allowed the city to be annexed to the Republic of Gran Colombia. Simón Bolívar went to Quito on June 16, 1822 and was present at the signing of the Colombian Constitution on June 24, 1822.

Rebellious City

Quito has been the scene of 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, however this 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 lies at 00’ 15” South and 78” 35” West at an average altitude of 2,850 m (about 9,350 ft) making Quito the second highest capital city in the world. There is some confusion about this claim because La Paz, Bolivia, which is higher, is the governmental capital of Bolivia (where the Bolivian government functions). However, Sucre, which is lower, is the legal capital of Bolivia.

Quito is located just 15 miles (25 km) south of the equator. A monument and museum marking the general location of the equator is known locally as la mitad del mundo (the middle of the world). The city lies on a strip horizontal strip of land that runs North-South on the lower slopes of the Pichincha volcano in the hollow of a gently sloping, fertile valley.

Mountains and Volcanoes

Quito is in the northern Sierra of Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin high in the Andes. The entire country, which is roughly the size of the U.S. state of Colorado, contains 19 volcanoes, and the eastern part of the basin in which Quito lies is surrounded by eight of them: Cotopaxi, Antisana, Sincholagua and Cayambe (volcano) to the east; Illiniza, Atacazo, Pichincha and Pululahua to the west. Of particular interest is Cayambe, which is situated east-northeast of Quito. Although it hasn't erupted since 1786, it is the only mountain or volcano on earth that lies [4] directly on the equator (the southern flank, at least) and has a permanent snow cap and glaciers.

Quito is the only capital in the world to be directly menaced by an active volcano. Guagua Pichincha, only 13 miles (21 km) west, has continuing activity and is under constant monitoring. The largest eruption occurred in 1660 when over 10 inches (25 cm) of ash covered the city. The latest eruption was recorded on October 5 and 7, 1999, when a large amount of ash was deposited on the city. Although not devastating, the eruption caused significant disruption of activities, including closing of the international airport.

Activity in other nearby volcanoes also can affect the city. In November 2002, after an eruption in the volcano Reventador, the city was showered with ash for several days with greater accumulation than the 1999 eruption of Guagua Pichincha. [5]

The region also is vulnerable to earthquakes. Severe earthquakes have plaqud Quito for centuries, with significantly destructive earthquakes occurring nearly every hundred years including 1660, 1797, 1868, and (less severe) 1987. The worst known earthquake to have hit Quito occurred in 1797 and killed 40,000 people. The most recent major seismic event, with a magnitude of 7 on the Richter scale, occurred in 1987 with an epicentre about 50 miles (80 km) from the city. It killed an estimated 1,000 near the epicenter, but Quito itself suffered only minor damage. On October 16, 2006, the city felt a quake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale, but no major damage was reported.

Climate

Due to its high altitude and proximity to the equator, Quito has a constant, mild to cool climate year 'round. The typical high temperature at noon is 25°C (77ºF) and the typical night-time low is 6°C (43ºF). The average temperature is 15° C (64ºF) [6]. The city experiences only two seasons: dry and wet. The dry season, June through September is referred to as summer and rainfall averages 43mm(1.7inches) per month. The “wet season”, October through May (8 months), is referred to as winter and rainfall averages 130mm (5.1inches) per month. Quito averages a total rainfall of 1209mm (47.6inches) per year and a ean number of precipitation days of 128 per year.

Quito also experiences minimal variation in daylight hours during the course of a year because of its proximity to the equator. Except for a few minutes resulting from a slight wobble in the earth as it rotates, sunrise and sunset are always at 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., respectively.

Governance

Quito is the capital, and therefore the seat of government, of the Republic of Ecuador and of the province of Pichincha.

Federal

Quito is the federal capital of the Republic of Ecuador, with its current constitution dating from 1998. The president serves as the head of state and head of government and appoints members of the cabinet. The president and vice president are elected to four-year terms by popular vote and are not eligible to serve consecutive terms. Members of the Chamber of Representatives, or National Congress, are elected by popular vote to four-year terms, with legislative power vested in the unicameral Chamber of Representatives.

Provincial and Local

Governors are appointed by the president to administer each of Ecuador's 22 provinces. Quito is the capital of Pichincha province. Provinces are then further sub-divided into cantones or cantons that are governed by a mayor. These canton mayors are elected by local vote and have become particularly important for initiating local infrastructure projects and environmental controls. Cantons are in turn divided into parroquias or parishes. As of the October 2004 political elections, Quito was divided into 19 urban parishes. These parishes are not the same as the municipal parishes, whose boundaries are determined by the municipality of Quito instead of electoral organizations.

Economy

Quito is one of Ecuador's two major industrial centers (the other being Guayaquil), and produces textiles, pharmaceuticals, light consumer goods, and hand-crafted objects of leather, wood, gold, and silver. Quito is , however, the primary financial, educational, cultural and political center of Ecuador.

Tourism is also an important part of Quito’s economy and has one of the best preserved colonial sectors in South America.

Demographics

250px

2001 census

• population: 1,865,541 [7]
• number of households: 555,928 [8]
• illiteracy rate: 3.6% [9]
• unemployment rate: 8.9%
• underemployment rate: 43.8% [10]
• average monthly income: $387 [11]

See also Cantón Quito (= "Distrito Metropolitano de Quito").

Education

Education in Quito is free and compulsory for children between the ages of 6 to 14. Beginning in the 1980’s Public education was greatly expanded in Ecuador to promote the goals of universal literacy and increased tertiary education. As many public institutions are overcrowed, religious and nondenominational private schools play a significant role in education in Quito. Noted for its research programs in fields such as botany, archaeology, linguistics, and anthropology, the Pontifical Catholic University is Quito’s premier university. The National Polytechnic School in Quito specializes in engineering and industrial science and has an outstanding center for monitoring and studying volcanic and earthquake hazards. Other universities specialize in particular areas of study, although the university system in general has suffered from political turmoil and uncertain funding. The Panamerican Center for Geographical Studies and Research at the Military Geographical Institute in Quito conducts geographic and environmental research as well as housing other environmental institutes, libraries, and laboratories. A local unit of the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences in Quito is one of many social science institutes.

Culture

Religion

As with the rest of Ecuador, Quito is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic and as such, the Roman Catholic Church plays a important role in education, social services and even daily life. Quito has been a center of Protestant activity and Protestantism continues to grow rapidly, particularly among the disadvantaged with the non-Pentecostal Evangelicals and the Pentecostals the largest groups. Mormons have also formed a sizable congregation in Quito and a small Jewish population is concentrated in the city.

Media

Quito’s El Comercio (“Commerce”), is perhaps the country's most prestigious newspaper and provides detailed, serious coverage of political, economic, environmental, and cultural news, while Hoy (“Today”), also published in Quito, uses a more modern format. Other newspapers also express a wide range of viewpoints and generally there is no censorship, however the government forbids debate about the validity of Ecuador's territorial claims.

One of the oldest and most powerful radio transmitters in the Andes, La Voz de los Andes (“The Voice of the Andes”), provide a diverse range of programming for the local radio stations that includes everything from international rock music to local pasillos, Latin American rhythms, Quechua-language programs, and news. Soap operas, game shows, and imported programs, including special coverage from the United States, Venezuela, Mexico, Argentina, and elsewhere are broadcast by the local television stations.

Sport

The most popular sport in Ecuador, as in most South American countries, is football (soccer). Quito’s professional football teams include, Liga Deportiva Universitaria, Sociedad Deportivo Quito, Club Deportivo Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Sociedad Deportiva Aucas, and Club Deportivo El Nacional (the Ecuadorian Armed Forces team) from Quito, An addition to football, a local form of volleyball, "Ecuavoli",is also popular. The ecuavoli ball is heavier, the net is higher than in traditional volleyball, there are only three players per team, and the rules are more flexible. For example, when playing Ecuavoli, you don't have to keep your hands together or clenched. Bullfighting, a legacy of Spanish colonisation, is held annually at a large festival in Quito, but it's not popular nation-wide. The inhabitants of Quito celebrate its Foundation Day in December with a grand celebration lasting for days, called Las fiestas de Quito. The high point of the fiestas is the Corrida de Toros, in which internationally renowned bull fighters are invited to show off their prowess.

Legends

One of Quito's greatest charms lies in the tapestry of legends and folk tales. Legends have an important place in the history and tradition of Quito. The city's legends have been handed down from one generation to the next for centuries, lovingly passed from grandmother to daughter to granddaughter and from grandfather to son to grandson and so on. These tales allow one to grasp the Quiteños' interpretation of their history and their identity. Legends and folk tales tell of the city's architecture, history and culture and are kept alive by the Quiteños' faith.

Infrastructure

Health

Health services in Quito are provided by both the public and the private sectors with the Ministry of Public Health responsible for most public health care. The Ministry of Health covers about 80 percent of the population while the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (Instituto Ecuatoriano de Seguridad Social—IESS) covers an additional 10%, and a number of other autonomous agencies also contributing. Quito is serviced by a number of large Provincial and national hospitals administered by the Ministry of Public Health, however, health care has been hampered by both the limited numbers of health-care professionals and their lack of training.

Only a small portion of the national budget is devoted to public health, and although additional funding is received through deductions from employee’s wages, health conditions are generally poor. Typhoid fever, malaria, amebic dysentery, and tuberculosis continue to exist in Quito and surrounding areas.

Transportation

Domestic and international flights are handled by the Mariscal Sucre International Airport in the northern part of the city, although a new airport is being built in Tababela parish, to the east.

Quito's main bus station, both domestic and international buses, "La Terminal Terrestre de Cumandá", is located in the Old City. La Estacion Chimbacalle, Quito's train station is located on Calle Maldonado deep in Old Quito. Quito's rail system is used more as tourist attraction rather than a transport system as it runs through the Andes between huge cliffs, canyons and rivers and is one of the best ways to see Ecuador.

The public transportation system, with a total ridership of 1.8 million passenger trips per day, includes an extensive network of privately-operated commuter bus routes; a trolleybus line (the Trole), in operation since 1995; and two bus rapid transit systems: Ecovía and Metrobus. Additionally, there are about 8,800 registered taxicabs.

Although public transportation is the primary form of travel in the city, including fleets of taxis that constantly cruise the roadways, the use of private vehicles has increased substantially during the past decade. This has happened despite the fact that vehicles are subject to significant import tariffs and taxes. Because of growing road congestion in many areas, there are plans to replace the Trole with a light rail system, with construction expected to begin in 2008.

Topographical zones

Hill of El Panecillo that separates the old downtown from the southern part of the city

Quito is divided into three areas, separated by hills:

1. the center houses the colonial old city
2. the southern part is mainly industrial and residential, a working-class housing area.
3. The northern part is modern Quito, with high-rise buildings, shopping centers, the financial district and upper class residential areas. Mariscal Sucre International Airport [12] is in the northern part.

Points of interest

Northern Quito

File:Quito North.jpg

Northeastern Quito near Avenida González Suárez

In the background are the volcanoes Cotopaxi, Pasochoa and Rumiñahui.

View from the northeastern side of the Pichincha volcano.

The northern part of Quito is the site of the main business district as well as upper-middle-class neighborhoods and a substantial number of buildings. It is also where the international airport (UIO) and major recreational areas are located.

Museo del Banco Central

This museum [13] is a showcase of Ecuadorian art, history and culture. The ground floor features an extensive collection of pre-colonial (including pre-Incaic) potteries, sculptures, gold, lithics, and other artifacts such as a mummified body. There also are remarkable (if somewhat distorted) models to show the way various parts of Ecuador may have looked at the time, 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, and paintings and sculptures with religious themes are exhibited. The third floor is devoted to contemporary Ecuadorean art.

Parks

1. Parque Metropolitano [14], with its 1,376 acres (5.57 km²) is the largest urban park in South America. (As reference, New York's huge Central Park is 843 acres (3.4 km²).) The park is located in the north of Quito, on the hillside, behind the Atahualpa Olympic (Soccer) Stadium. The park is suited for mountain biking, walking, or running. Most of it is eucalyptus 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, Antisana [15] and the Guayllabamba river basin.
2. La Carolina [16] is a 165.5 acre (670,000 m²) park in the Benalcázar parish in the middle of Quito's business and shopping district, bordered by three major streets: 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 Ecuadorean variation of volleyball. With less emphasis on spiking, the sport allows more of a throw and allows using the feet, much like soccer. Other activities include aerobics, kite flying, running, snacking, and people watching. The southern part of the park has a small pond where paddle boats can be rented, and a skatepark for bicyclists and skateboarders. Artists are known to perform on weekends at the park. In the western part of the park visitors will find the Quito Exhibition Center [17] with different exhibits every month, the Quito botanical gardens, and a Vivarium.
3. El Ejido [18] is situated between the old part of the city and the modern section. This park is known for handicrafts available for sale every Saturday and Sunday, with all pricing subject to negotiation (i.e. haggling). Local painters sell copies of paintings by Oswaldo Guayasamín [19], Eduardo Kingman or Gonzalo Endara Crow. Otavaleños sell traditional sweaters, ponchos, carpets and jewelry.
4. La Alameda [20] park has the oldest astronomical observatory [21] in South America as well as a monument of Simón Bolívar and a small lake where boats can be rented.

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 [22], along with the historic center [23] of Kraków (Cracovia) [24], Poland, as the first UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Site [25] in 1978. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic centre in Latin America. The monasteries of San Francisco and Santo Domingo, and the Church and Jesuit College of La Compañía, with their rich interiors, are pure examples of the 'Baroque school of Quito', which is a fusion of Spanish, Italian, Moorish, Flemish and indigenous art. It 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. The Sucre Theater, where concerts by the National Symphony Orchestra of Ecuador are held, is in the vicinity. There also are several museums, many dedicated to Colonial art and history. The most renowned are the City Museum ("Museo de la Ciudad") [26], the Metropolitan Cultural Center [27] and the museum of the Convent of St. Francis. Markets are scattered throughout the area.

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 west of the city with an altitude of about 9,895 feet (3,016 m) 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 a sculpture made by Bernardo de Legarda in the Spanish Colony time known as 'La Virgen de Quito'.

In 1976, the Spanish artist Agustín de la Herrán Matorras was commissioned by the religious order of the Oblates to build a 134½ foot (41 m)-tall aluminum monument of a madonna, which was assembled on a high pedestal on the top of Panecillo. Made of 7,000 pieces of aluminum, the monument was inaugurated on March 28, 1976, by the 11th archbishop of Quito, Pablo Cardinal Munoz Vega.

The figure stands on top of a globe, stepping on a snake (classic madonna iconography). What is not so traditional, however, is her wings. The people of Quito proudly claim that she is the only such figure in the world with wings like those of an angel. The monument was inspired by the famous "Virgen de Quito" (Quito's Madonna), also known as "the dancer" sculpted by Bernardo de Legarda in 1734, which now decorates the main altar at the Church of St. Francisco. This madonna represents a turning point of the Quito School of Art (one of the most renowned of the Americas) because it shows a figure with great movement (practically dancing) as a contrast with the traditional static madonnas produced during the 18th century.

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 13,123 ft; 4,000 m, ). 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 volcano. The ride takes visitors to an altitude of about 13,400 feet (over 4,100 m) where they find a number of restaurants, coffee shops and a variety of stores. There are also trails for hiking and areas where pictures can be taken of Quito. Due to the increased altitude 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, extensive food court, and other attractions.

Outside the city

La Mitad del Mundo [28] (the middle of the world) is a small village administered by the prefecture of the province of Pichincha, 22 miles (35 km) north of Quito. The village features a large monument, built on the site where the equator was thought to have crossed the area in the early 1980s. There is also a museum that contains a model of Quito, a planetarium, various exhibits, several restaurants, an open arena that is occasionally used for dance, and a small chapel where couples can marry with one spouse standing in the northern hemisphere and the other in the southern [it has since been determined that the actual equator is some 200 meters north of the monument area].

Pululahua is a volcano a few miles northwest from La Mitad del Mundo. Its caldera (crater) is visible from a spot easily accessible by car, and is believed to be one only a few in the world with human inhabitants. It is also the site of a Geo Botanical Reserve.

Quito Zoo [29] located near the village of Guayllabamba, about 12 miles (20 km) 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.

Other nearby natural attractions include:

• Pasochoa Volcano reserve
• Cotopaxi Volcano National Park
• Illinizas Peaks Ecological reserve
• Antisana volcano reserve
• Rucu and Guagua Pichincha volcanoes
• Papallacta and Oyacachi Thermal springs
• Cayambe Volcano - Coca National Park
• Mojanda Cajas lakes
• Mindo Nambillo Cloud forest reserve

Sister cities

Quito has seven sister cities:

• Madrid, Spain
• Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Managua, Nicaragua
• Louisville (Kentucky, USA)
• Coral Gables (Florida, USA)
• Toronto (Ontario, Canada)
• Buxton, England

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Ecuador#Sports_and_Entertainment

External links

• Maps and aerial photos
  • Mapping from Multimap or GlobalGuide or Google Maps
  • Satellite image from WikiMapia
  • Mapping from OpenStreetMap

Travel links

• Quito Visitors' Bureau
• Quito - Official Tourism Site
• Exploring Ecuador [30] Quito: City of Legends
• Ecuador and Galapagos Islands Travel Guide http://www.inquito.com/legends.htm Legends of Quito (Spanish)]

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