Quito
| General information: |
Ecuador Pichincha Population: 1 986 667 |
| Address : |
Venezuela entre Chile y Espejo Quito Ecuador Show map +59 32950322 |
| Official website: | |
| Mayor: | Santiago Guarderas |
| Agreements of Cooperation: | The Title of Honorary Twin City of Krakow was conferred on Quito by Resolution of the Krakow City Council no. XLVII/582/08 dated 25 June 2008. Letter of intent signalizing future cooperation between Krakow and Quito of 10 May 2004. |
The full name of the capital city of Ecuador is San Francisco de Quito and dates back to 1533. The name originates from the extinct Quitu tribe which occupied the area in the pre-Christian times. Quito is one of the oldest cities in South America and its history dates back to 1400 BC. The city is located in a unique place, near the equator, in the Andes mountains at a height of approximately 2850 metres above sea level, which makes it the second-highest situated capital city in the world. The city lies at the base of the active Pichincha volcano. It is considered the greatest centre of important colonial monuments and the city's historic centre buildings were placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978. In the city such monuments have survived as the Church of St. Francisco from the late 16th century, representing the so-called Quito School style (a mixture of styles from different periods). Due to the richness of its collections in temples and monasteries Quito is called the "Florence of America". Quito is also an important financial and business centre and the city of numerous universities, as well as an important tourist centre.
