Quito

Quito
Capital city
San Francisco de Quito
Skyline of Quito A view of Basílica del Voto Nacional Old town with El Panecillo in the background Independence Square
Flag Coat of arms
Nicknames:  Carita de Dios (Little Face of God), Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World), Luz de América (Light of the Americas)
Quito Location of Quito within Ecuador Show map of Ecuador Quito Quito (South America) Show map of South America
Coordinates: 00°13′12″S 78°30′45″W / 0.22000°S 78.51250°W / -0.22000; -78.51250
Country	Ecuador
Province	Pichincha
Canton	Metropolitan District of Quito
Spanish foundation	(1534-12-06)6 December 1534
Founded by	Sebastián de Benalcázar
Named for	Quitu
Urban parishes	32 urban parishes
Government
• Type	Mayor and council
• Governing body	Municipality of Quito
• Mayor	Pabel Muñoz
• Vice mayor	María Fernanda Racines
Area (approx.)
• Capital city	197.5 km2 (76.3 sq mi)
• Metro	4,217.95 km2 (1,628.56 sq mi)
Elevation	2,850 m (9,350 ft)
Population  (2022)[2]
• Capital city	1,763,275
• Rank	2nd in Ecuador
• Density	8,900/km2 (23,000/sq mi)
• Metro	2,889,703
• Metro density	690/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
• Demonym	Quiteño[1]
GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values)
• Year	2023
• Total	$33.9 billion[3]
• Per capita	$13,600
Time zone	UTC−5 (ECT)
Postal code	EC170150
Area code	(0)2
Languages	Spanish
Climate	Cfb
Website	quito.gob.ec
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	City of Quito
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iv
Designated	1978 (2nd session)
Reference no.	2
Region	Latin America and the Caribbean

Quito (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkito] ^ⓘ; Quechua: Kitu), officially San Francisco de Quito, is the capital of Ecuador, with an estimated population of 2.8 million in its metropolitan area. It is also the capital of the province of Pichincha. Quito is located in a valley on the eastern slopes of Pichincha,^[4] an active stratovolcano in the Andes.

Quito's elevation of 2,850 m (9,350 ft) makes it either the highest or the second highest capital city in the world. This varied standing is because Bolivia is a country with multiple capitals; if La Paz is considered the Bolivian national capital, it tops the list of highest capitals, but if Sucre is specified as the capital, then it is the second highest, behind Quito.^[5][6]

Quito is the political and cultural center of Ecuador as the country's major governmental, administrative, and cultural institutions are located within the city. The majority of transnational companies with a presence in Ecuador are headquartered there. It is also one of the country's two major industrial centers—the port city of Guayaquil being the other one.

The date of its first habitation is unknown, but archaeological evidence suggests that it was first settled by sedentary populations between 4400 and 1600 BC.^[7] In the late fifteenth century, the Inca Emperor Huayna Capac defeated the Quitu, the region's original inhabitants, and incorporated Quito into the Inca Empire, designating it into the capital of the Inca Empire's northern region. The Spanish conquest of the city in 1534 is the date most frequently cited as the city's official founding, making Quito the oldest capital in South America.

Quito's historic center is among the largest and best-preserved in the Americas.^[8] In 1978, Quito and Kraków were the first World Cultural Heritage Sites declared by UNESCO.^[8] Quito is the capital city closest to the Equator, which runs through the northern part of the metropolitan area in the parish of San Antonio.