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San Francisco de Quito

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Central & South American
Geography

             [San Francisco de] Quito
            Nickname: "Luz de América"
   Map of Ecuador showing location of Quito
   Map of Ecuador showing location of Quito
       Coordinates: 00°15′00″S, 78°35′00″W
            Country           Ecuador
            Province          Pichincha
             Canton           Quito
             Mayor            Paco Moncayo
              Area
             - City           ~290 km²
             - Land           ~290 km²
             - Water          ~0 km²
           Population
    - City (2005, estimation) 1,865,541 (canton)
            - Density         ~4800/km²
           Time zone          ECT ( UTC-5)
         - Summer ( DST)      ECT ( UTC-5)
         Website: http://www.quito.gov.ec

   Quito (official name: San Francisco de 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 ( 15,728  ft; 4,794 m), an
   active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains. The city's elevation is
   9,300 ft (2,850  m) above sea level (measured at the Plaza de la
   Independencia), making Quito the second highest capital city in the
   world. The city's population 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 112 square miles
   (290  km²).

   There is some confusion about Quito's position as the second highest
   (elevation) 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 15 miles (25 km) 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 67 degrees Fahrenheit (20° C) on any given day, and a low around
   49 degrees Fahrenheit (10° C) at night. The city experiences only two
   seasons: summer (the dry season) and winter (the rainy season).

   Quito is the second most populous city in Ecuador after Guayaquil.

History

   Picture of 'Iglesia de Santo Domingo' at night, one of the many
   beautiful churches and monasteries built by the Spanish during the
   Colony.
   Enlarge
   Picture of 'Iglesia de Santo Domingo' at night, one of the many
   beautiful churches and monasteries built 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.
   Enlarge
   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.
   The presidential palace (known in Quito as Palacio Presidencial or
   Palacio de Carondelet) in Quito
   Enlarge
   The presidential palace (known in Quito as Palacio Presidencial or
   Palacio de Carondelet) in Quito

Pre-Hispanic

   Quito's origins date back to the first millennium, when nomadic tribes
   roamed the area and ultimately formed a commercial centre 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.

Colony

   Indigenous resistance to the Spanish conquest continued during 1534,
   with Francisco Pizarro founding San Francisco de Quito on August 15 of
   that year. On December 6, 1534 , the city was officially founded by 204
   settlers and Sebastián de Benalcázar, 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 promptly established the Catholic religion in Quito, with
   the first temple (El Belén) built even before the city had been
   officially founded. On 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 as free labor for construction,
   especially in the initial stages. The Diocese of Quito was established
   in 1545 and 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 on August 10, 1809, it was there
   where the first proclamation of 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 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.

Capital of Ecuador

   This 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 .

   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 (21 km) 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 (25  cm)
   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.

   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 on
   the Richter scale, occurred on 1987 with an epicenter about 50 miles
   (80 km) from the city, and it killed an estimated 1,000 in Ecuador.
   Quito buildings suffered minor damage.

   On October 16, 2006, the city felt a quake measuring 4.1 on the Richter
   scale. No major damage was reported.

   A list of main volcanoes, natural parks and natural attractions near
   Quito are listed here:
     * 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
     * Pululahua Volcanoe Geo Botanical reserve
     * Quito Zoo
     * Mindo Nambillo Cloud forest reserve

Demographics

   (2001 census)
     * population: 1,399,378
     * number of households: 419,845

     * illiteracy rate: 3.6%
     * unemployment rate: 8.9%
     * underemployment rate: 43.8%
     * average monthly income: $317

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

Topographical zones

   Quito is divided into three areas, separated by hills:
    1. the centre 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 is in the
       northern part.

Political division

   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:
    1. Alfaro
    2. Benalcázar
    3. Chaupicruz
    4. Chillogallo
    5. Cotocollao
    6. El Salvador
    7. González Suárez
    8. Guápulo
    9. La Floresta
   10. La Libertad
   11. La Magdalena
   12. La Vicentina
   13. San Blas
   14. San Marcos
   15. San Roque
   16. San Sebastián
   17. Santa Bárbara
   18. Santa Prisca
   19. Villa Flora

Points of interest

Northern Quito

   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.
   Enlarge
   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.
   Quito at dusk. In the background, from left to right, are the volcanoes
   Cotopaxi, Pasochoa and Rumiñahui.
   Enlarge
   Quito at dusk. In the background, from left to right, are the volcanoes
   Cotopaxi, Pasochoa and Rumiñahui.
   Northern part of Quito, seen from the northeastern side of the
   Pichincha volcano.
   Enlarge
   Northern part of Quito, seen from the northeastern side of the
   Pichincha volcano.

   The northern part of Quito is where the main business district of the
   city is located. It also contains upper-middle class neighborhoods and
   a substantial number of buildings. It is also where the international
   airport and major recreational areas are located.

Museo del Banco Central

   This museum is a comprehensive showcase of Ecuadorian art, history and
   culture. On the ground floor it has an extensive collection of
   pre-colonial (including pre-Incaic) potteries, sculptures, gold,
   lithics, and even a mummified body. There are also some remarkable 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

    1. Parque Metropolitano , 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) large.) 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. There are
       many sculptures on display for the public. The park has 4 sites
       that can be used for picnic or BBQ. The eastern part of the park
       has a view of Cotopaxi, Antisana and the Guayllabamba river basin.
    2. La Carolina is a 165.5 acre (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 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 Centre with different exhibits every month, the Quito
       botanical gardens and a Vivarium.
    3. El Ejido is the park 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. Local painters sell copies of
       paintings by Oswaldo Guayasamín , Eduardo Kingman or Gonzalo Endara
       Crow. Otavaleños sell traditional sweaters, ponchos, carpets and
       jewelry.
    4. La Alameda park has the oldest astronomical observatory in South
       America. The park has 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).
   Enlarge
   Street of the old town (Centro Histórico) at night (García Moreno
   street).

   The "centro histórico", historical centre, as it is called, was
   appointed , along with the historic centre of Kraków (Cracovia) ,
   Poland, as the first UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Site 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") , the Metropolitan Cultural
   Centre and the museum of the Convent of St. Francis. Markets are
   scattered throughout the area.

   A list of * Quito's UNESCO heritage churches and monuments with
   description of each one

El Panecillo

   'La Virgen del Panecillo', located on the top of the Panecillo hill, at
   night.
   Enlarge
   '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 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 aluminium monument of a madonna which was assembled on a
   high pedestal on the top of Panecillo. It is made of seven thousand
   pieces of aluminium. The monument was inaugurated on March 28, 1976, by
   the 11th archbishop of Quito, Pablo Muñoz Vega.

   The virgin stands on top of a globe and stepping on a snake, which of
   course is classic madonna iconography. What is not so traditional is
   that she has wings. The people of Quito proudly claim that she is the
   only one in the world with wings like an angel. The monument, was
   inspired on 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 virgin with great movement
   that is practically dancing as a contrast with the traditional static
   madonnas that were 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.
   Enlarge
   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 centre of the city throughout the last
   35 years.

   Since July 2005, Quito has an aerial tramway, known as the "
   Telefériqo," from the city centre to the hill known as Cruz Loma on the
   east side of the Pichincha volcano. The ride takes visitors to an
   altitude of about 12,000 feet (over 4,100 m) where they find a number
   of restaurants, coffee 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 centre that includes an amusement park ( Vulqano Park), fine
   dining restaurants, Go Karts, Paint Ball, shopping malls, extensive
   food court, and other attractions.
     * Quito tramway description, fares, location and how to get there
       from the city

Outside the city

   La Mitad del Mundo (the middle of the world) is a small village
   administered by the prefecture of the province of Pichincha, and is
   located about 22 miles (35 km) 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 located near the village of Guayllabamba, about 12 miles (20
   km) outside Quito, has the biggest collection of native fauna in
   Ecuador, including several animals recuperated from the illegal fur
   trade.
     * Quitsato Solar watch in the ecuador line

Professional Football teams

    1. Liga Deportiva Universitaria
    2. Sociedad Deportiva Aucas
    3. Club Deportivo El Nacional
    4. Sociedad Deportivo Quito

Sister cities

   Quito has four sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities
   International, Inc. (SCI):
     * Spain Madrid, Spain
     * United States Louisville ( Kentucky, USA)
     * United States St. Paul (Minnesota, USA)
     * United States Coral Gables (Florida, USA)
     * Canada Toronto ( Ontario, Canada)

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_de_Quito"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
