OceansArt.US
|
Quito, the capital of Ecuador, lies in northwestern South America. Itwas founded in the 16th century on the ruins of an Inca city and stands at an altitude of 2,850 m. 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 (Source: UNESCO). Its coat of arms (Escudo de Armas de la Ciudad de San Francisco de Quito) awarded in 1541, appears to the left.
Quito, officially San Francisco de Quito, is located in northern Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains (see map). With an estimated population of about 2.1 million people as of 2007, 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. The city's elevation is, on average, 2,800 m (about 9,200 ft), making Quito the second highest capital city in the world.
Quito is about 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). Due to its high altitude and position on the equator, Quito has a constant, mild to cool climate year 'round. The typical high temperature at noon is 26°C (78ºF) and the typical night-time low is 7°C (55ºF). The average temperature is 15° C (64ºF). The city experiences only two seasons: dry and wet. The dry season, June through September, is referred to as summer; the wet season, October through May, is referred to as winter. Because of its location at the equator, Quito does not experience variations in daylight hours during the course of a year. 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. Although it is in the same time zone as the eastern United States (except for the Galápagos Islands, which correspond to the U.S. central time zone), Ecuador does not switch to daylight savings time. It is interesting to note that while Ecuador is on the Pacific coast of South America, the city of Quito is due south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
(Text and map of Ecuador adapted from: Quito (2008). From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia)
See all the free photos, including other photos of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands by going to the Photo Catalog. Click on any picture for a FREE larger version. Read the licensing rules (REVISED) for your needs. There are hundreds of high quality free photos: use the Google/site search engine. See our digital photography tips : DOs and Don'ts; Choosing a Camera and Accessories , Downloading Photos, and Editing Photos. Visit TechnologySite.org for free photos and lists of inventions and technology and learn Climate Change Facts to see for yourself if your area is at risk from global warming or global cooling.
0706302105quitonight.jpg Looking across the plaza towards the moon from the Basilica del Voto Nacional, Quito, Ecuador |
0706302107quitonight.jpg The Basilica del Voto Nacional, Quito, Ecuador |
The YouTube collection of videos of Ecuador
|
|
0706302127quito_2night.jpg Iglesia de San Francisco, Quito, Ecuador |
0706302130quitonight.jpg Fountain at the Plaza de San Francisco, in Quito, Ecuador |
||
0706302132quitonight.jpg Brightly lit church as seen from the Plaza de San Francisco, in Quito, Ecuador |
0706302135quitomusic_5d232e.mov Movie of musicians at the Tianguez Café at the Plaza de San Francisco, in Quito, Ecuador |
||
Movie of Bridal party "chiva" near the Tianguez Café at the Plaza de San Francisco, in Quito, Ecuador |
0706302159quitonight.jpg Bridal party "chiva" approaching the Plaza de San Francisco, in Quito, Ecuador |
||
0706302209quitonight.jpg Bridal party "chiva" in front of the Tianguez Café at the Plaza de San Francisco, in Quito, Ecuador |
0706302210quitonight.jpg Typical meal at the Tianguez Café at the Plaza de San Francisco, in Quito, Ecuador |
||
0706302300quitonight.jpg Plaza de San Francisco, in Quito, Ecuador |
0707132056quitoend_2.jpg View of Quito, looking north from The Virgen of Quito on the Panecillo hill, in Quito, Ecuador |
||
0707132057quitoend.jpg View of Quito, looking south from The Virgen of Quito on the Panecillo hill, in Quito, Ecuador |
0707132104quitoend.jpg View of Quito, looking eastfrom The Virgen of Quito on the Panecillo hill, in Quito, Ecuador |
||
0707132105quitoend.jpg View of Quito, looking east from The Virgen of Quito on the Panecillo hill, in Quito, Ecuador |
0707132106quitoend.jpg The Virgen of Quito on the Panecillo hill, in Quito, Ecuador |
San Francisco de Quito es la capital de la República del Ecuador
y de la provincia de Pichincha, y es además la cabecera del
cantón homónimo. En 1993 el nombre oficial fue cambiado
por Distrito Metropolitano de Quito.
La ciudad de Quito es la segunda más poblada del país
con 1.700.458 habitantes; esta población corresponde únicamente
al valle principal donde se asienta la ciudad. Su temperatura oscila
entre los 7° y 22° centígrados. Quito está rodeada
por montañas, algunas de las cuales son volcanes y nevados,
y es reconocida mundialmente por tener un tesoro colonial de pinturas,
esculturas y tallados. Los interiores de sus templos y conventos son
verdaderos museos en los cuales se puede ver piezas maestras de la
Escuela Quiteña de escultura y tallados de madera, lo cual ha
hecho que Quito merezca el nombre de "Florencia de América".
En 1978 la UNESCO la declaró como Patrimonio Cultural de la
Humanidad.
El Distrito Metropolitano de Quito comprende una población que
sobrepasa los 2.000.000 de personas. Esto se debe a que por su condición
de capital ha aglomerado una gran cantidad de habitantes de otras provincias
y de otros lugares del planeta, convirtiéndola en una ciudad
cosmopolita y en la actualidad Quito es la capital economica del Ecuador
desplazando a Guayaquil, que ocupaba este puesto hasta finales del
siglo XX.
(Adaptatdo de: Quito. (2008). De Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre)
This page last updated January 2015
Visit http://www.TechnologySite.org for free
photos and lists of inventions and technology. Visit http://www.ClimateChangeFacts.info for unbiased
information about climate change. Visit http://www.ClimateCooling.org for eye-opening
biased information on global cooling and climate change and visit http://www.OceanAssoc.com for fisheries
and oceans consulting services.