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Guayaquil
From top left to right: San Martin and Simon Bolivar Statue, Estadio Monumental Banco del Pichincha; Las Peñas, IMAX Malceon 2000, and the Guayas River Bridgewalk. From top left to right: San Martin and Simon Bolivar Statue, Estadio Monumental Banco del Pichincha; Las Peñas, IMAX Malceon 2000, and the Guayas River Bridgewalk.
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): La Perla del Pacífico English: The Pearl of the Pacific
Motto: Por Guayaquil Independiente
Guayaquil
Coordinates: 2°11′S 79°53′W / 2.183°S 79.883°W / -2.183; -79.883Coordinates: 2°11′S 79°53′W / 2.183°S 79.883°W / -2.183; -79.883
Country	Ecuador
Province	Guayas
Canton	Guayaquil
Settled	1534
Independence	1820
Government
• Mayor	Jaime Nebot
• Vice-Mayor	Domenica Tabacchi
Area
• Total	133.01 sq mi (344.5 km2)
• Land	122.17 sq mi (316.42 km2)
• Water	10.84 sq mi (28.08 km2)
Elevation	13.2 ft (4 m)
Population (2009[1])
• Total	3,634,000
• Density	19,547.40/sq mi (7,547.16/km2)
Time zone	ECT (UTC-5)
Website	www.guayaquil.gov.ec

Aerial view of Guayaquil

Guayaquil (pronounced: [ɡwaʝaˈkil]), officially Santiago de Guayaquil (pronounced: [sanˈtjaɣo ðe ɣwaʝaˈkil]), is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador, with around 3.8 million residents in the city and nearly 4.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as the nation's main port. The city is the capital of the Ecuadorian province of Guayas and the seat of the namesake canton.

Guayaquil is located on the western bank of the Guayas River, which flows into the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Guayaquil. Because of its location, the city is the center of Ecuador's business and manufacturing industries.

History[link]

Guayaquil was founded on July 25, 1538^[2] with the name Muy Noble y Muy Leal Ciudad de Santiago de Guayaquil (Most Noble and Most Loyal City of St. James of Guayaquil) by Spanish Conquistador Francisco de Orellana. Even before it was founded by the Spanish, it already existed as a native village.

In 1600 Guayaquil had a population of about 2,000 people; by 1700 the city had a population of over 10,000.^{[citation needed]}

In 1687, Guayaquil was attacked and looted by English and French pirates under the command of George d'Hout (English) and Picard and Groniet (Frenchmen). Of the more than 260 pirates, 35 died and 46 were wounded; 75 defenders of the city died and more than 100 were wounded. The pirates took local women as concubines.

In 1709, the English captains Woodes Rogers, Etienne Courtney, and William Dampier along with 110 other pirates, looted Guayaquil and demanded ransom; however, they suddenly departed without collecting the ransom after an epidemic of yellow fever broke out.

On October 9, 1820, almost without bloodshed, a group of civilians, supported by soldiers from the "Granaderos de Reserva", a battalion quartered in Guayaquil, overwhelmed the resistance of the Royalist guards and arrested the Spanish authorities. Guayaquil declared independence from Spain, becoming Provincia Libre de Guayaquil, and José Joaquín de Olmedo was named Jefe Civil (Civilian Chief) of Guayaquil. This would prove to be a key victory for the Ecuadorian War of Independence.

On July 26, 1822, José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar held a famous conference in Guayaquil to plan for the independence of Spanish South America.

In 1829, the city was invaded by the Peruvian Army, which occupied it for seven months.

In 1860, the city was the site of the Battle of Guayaquil, the last of a series of military conflicts between the forces of the Provisional Government, led by Gabriel García Moreno and General Juan José Flores, and the forces of the Supreme Chief of Guayas, General Guillermo Franco, whose government was recognized as possessing sovereignty over the Ecuadorian territory by Peruvian president Ramón Castilla.

Large portions of the city were destroyed by a major fire in 1896.

On July 8, 1898, the Guayaquil City Hall "Muy Ilustre Municipalidad de Guayaquil" officially recognized the anthem written by José Joaquín de Olmedo in 1821, with the music composed by Ana Villamil Ycaza in 1895, as the "Himno al 9 de Octubre" Canción al Nueve de Octubre, most widely known now as the "Himno a Guayaquil" (Guayaquil Anthem).

Engraving depicting a map of Guayaquil in 1741.

Guayaquil's waterfront around 1920.

Economy[link]

This section requires expansion.

Guayaquileños' main sources of income are: formal and informal trade, business, agriculture and aquaculture. Most commerce consists of small and medium businesses, adding an important informal economy occupation that gives thousands of guayaquileños employment.^[3]

On going projects seek urban regeneration as a principal objective to the growth of the city's commercial districts, as the increase of capital produces income. These projects in the city driven by the recent mayors have achieved this goal after investing large sums of money. The current municipal administration aims to convert Guayaquil into a place for first-class international tourism and business multinationals.^[4]

Tower blocks in the city

Transport[link]

Guayaquil maintains an infrastructure for import and export of products with international standards. Among its major trading points are the Seaport, the largest in Ecuador and one of the biggest influx of shipping on the shores of the Pacific and José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport. Additionally, it has an infrastructure of roads to other cities and provinces, which are considered among the best in the country.

Government[link]

Guayaquil's mayor Jaime Nebot and Ecuador's president Rafael Correa.

Guayaquil City Hall.

Guayaquil's current mayor is Jaime Nebot, a well-known member of the political party Partido Social Cristiano. Jaime Nebot began a campaign of construction projects for the city in the late 1990s to attract tourism, that included the "urban regeneration", which reconstructed the city in all levels including sidewalks, parks, sewer system, it took the power and telephone lines underground, it saw a lot of reconstruction of the city's chaotic transit system with the construction of multiple infrastructures (streets, speedways, overhead passages, tunnels, etc.).^{[citation needed]}

In August 2006, the city's first bus rapid transit system, Metrovia, opened to provide a quicker, high-capacity service. One of the main projects was called Malecón 2000 [maleˈkon doz ˈmil], the renovation of the promenade (malecón) along the Guayas River with the addition of a boardwalk in 2000. Another project was the creation of the Nuevo Parque Histórico, a park in a housing development area that is called Entre Ríos because it lies between the Daule and Babahoyo rivers (which confluence to form the Guayas river), in a mangrove wetland area. The park cost the city about 7 million dollars.

Geography[link]

Gulf of Guayaquil.

Guayaquil, Ecuador, the nation's largest city and the capital of Guayas Province. It is on the Guayas River about 40 miles (64 km) north of the Gulf of Guayaquil, near the Equator. Guayaquil is Ecuador's chief port and principal commercial and manufacturing center. An international airport and the only railway to the nation's interior serve the city.

Landmarks include the cathedral and the church of San Francisco.

Guayaquil city sectors[link]

Demographics[link]

Climate[link]

Guayaquil features a tropical savanna climate. Between January and April the climate is hot and humid with heavy rainfall, especially during El Niño years when it increases dramatically and flooding usually occurs. The rest of the year (from May through December) however, rainfall is minimal due to the cooling influence of the Humboldt Current, with usually cloudy mornings and very agreeable afternoon and evening breezes.

Food[link]

Ecuadorian ceviche, made of shrimp, lime and tomato sauce

Typical Guayaquil cuisine includes mostly seafood dishes such as encebollado and ceviche. The most traditional dish of Guayaquil is Arroz con Menestra y Carne Asada (Rice with lentils and grilled beef).^[7] Churrasco is also a staple food of Guayaquil.

During breakfast, Patacones and Bolon de Verde (fried plantain with cheese mashed and given a rounded shape) play a big role. Pan de yuca is a typical snack in Guayaquil. Local cuisine is heavily influenced by the diversity of Guayaquil's ethnic groups which includes Italian, Brazilian, African, East Asian and Middle Eastern origins.^{[citation needed]}

Notable people[link]

Artists[link]

Ecuador is known for its artists and its place in art history. Many of them were born in Guayaquil, such as:

Julio Jaramillo.

• Félix Arauz (b. 1935, Guayaquil)
• Xavier Blum Pinto (b. 1957, Guayaquil)
• Luis Burgos Flor (b. 1939, Guayaquil)
• Theo Constanté (b.1934, Guayaquil)
• Araceli Gilbert (b. 1913, Guayaquil – d. 1993, Quito)
• Julio Jaramillo (b. 1935, Guayaquil – d. 1978, Guayaquil)
• Luis Miranda (b. 1932, Guayaquil)
• Luis Molinari (b. 1929, Guayaquil)
• Enrique Tábara (b. 1930, Guayaquil)
• Jorge Velarde (b. 1960, Guayaquil)
• Juan Villafuerte (b. 1945, Guayaquil; d. 1977, Barcelona, Spain)

Others[link]

Other notable people from Guayaquil include:

• Olga Álava, winner of Miss Earth 2011
• Frederick Ashton, choreographer and dancer
• Novelist Demetrio Aguilera Malta
• Animator Mike Judge
• Poets José Joaquín de Olmedo,^[8] Karina Galvez^[9] and Adalberto Ortiz
• Writer/historian Jenny Estrada
• color commentator for the WWE Spanish team and former professional wrestler Hugo Savinovich
• Dancer and choreographer Frederick Ashton
• Scholar Benjamín Urrutia
• Former world's oldest person María Capovilla
• Violinist Alex Jimbo Viteri
• Violinist Jorge Saade
• Actor Albert Paulsen
• Operatic soprano Beatriz Parra Durango
• rapper Gerardo Mejía, made famous during the early 90s for his song "Rico Suave"
• Tennis player Pancho Segura who in 1950 and 1952 was the world's Co-No. 1 player
• Tennis player Andrés Gómez, who won the ATP Championship of Roland Garros in Paris, France in 1990
• Swimmer Jorge Delgado 4th in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, multiple times South American champion (19), Gold Medal 1975 Panamerican champion.
• Striker Felipe Caicedo, who is currently playing for Lokomotiv Moscow.

Religious buildings[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Catedral Metropolitana.

As in many other cities from Ecuador, Guayaquil inherited the catholic organization from the colonial Spanish times and was divided in parishes. Nonetheless, many of the original religious and historic buildings tied to those parishes were destroyed by fires and the attack of English, French, and Dutch pirates. Today, very few remains of religious colonial architecture are present and in all cases have been altered without preserving their originality. The oldest church of Guayaquil, rebuilt many times though, is the "Iglesia de Santo Domingo".

Guayaquil has a cathedral and many other Roman Catholic churches. Approximately 80% of Guayaquileños are Catholics, however, several Protestant groups are also present, such as the Evangelical Church with about 150,000 members.

Many other faiths and religions are represented throughout the city. There is a LDS Temple and many chapels of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There is a small Jewish community, composed mostly of Israeli citizens, and German immigrants who fled Germany during the Second World War. Guayaquil is home to the only Messianic synagogue in coastal Ecuador.

Education[link]

Biblioteca Municipal de Guayaquil

Biblioteca Municipal de Guayaquil (Municipal Library of Guayaquil) serves as the public library of Guayaquil.^[10] The city has several universities, including the University of Guayaquil (founded in 1867) and the Universidad Catolica de Santiago de Guayaquil.

Sports[link]

Barcelona's Stadium Estadio Monumental, the second largest stadium in South America.

There are two major soccer clubs; the Barcelona Sporting Club and the Club Sport Emelec. Both clubs have their own stadiums; the Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha is the home of the "Barcelonistas" while the Estadio George Capwell is the home of the "Emelecistas". These two teams have a long history of rivalry in Guayaquil and when these two teams play against each other the game is called "El Clásico del Astillero". (Emelec is short for "Empresa Electrica del Ecuador" – the team was sponsored by the electric power company when founded.)

The city is the home of Andrés Gómez and Nicolás Lapentti, Ecuador's two most famous tennis players, now both retired. The "Abierto de Tenis Ciudad de Guayaquil" is a tennis tournament organised in Guayaquil by Gómez and Luis Morejon, and held annually in November.

Another major event in the city is the Guayaquil Marathon, organised by DM3, which is held every year on the first weekend of October since 2005. These race is certified by the (AIMS) Association of International Marathons and Distance Races.

Universities[link]

ESPOL offices at night.

Some of Guayaquil's main universities are:

• Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral
• Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo
• University of Guayaquil
• Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil
• Universidad Laica Vicente Rocafuerte
• Universidad Casa Grande
• Universidad Santa Maria^{[disambiguation needed ]}
• Blue Hill College
• Brookdale Community College
• Universidad Del Pacífico – Ecuador
• Institute of Graphics Arts and Digital Science

Notable places[link]

Malecon 2000

The Malecón 2000 is a restoration project of the historic Simón Bolívar Pier. It will be a symbolic centre of the city, a mix of green areas and shopping. The tall ship Guayas has its home base here.

The Palacio Municipal is located in front of the Malecón and holds the political offices of city and provincial officials. Built in a neoclassical style, it is considered one of the most important architectural works in the country.

Las Peñas is a neighbourhood in the northeast corner of the city centre; is the artistic centre of the city. Many of the area's 400-year-old houses have been converted into art galleries and several notable artists have studios in the area.

The Mercado Artesanal is the largest artisan market in the city. The market is housed in a 240-shop building that takes up the entire block of Baquerizo Avenue, between Loja and Juan Montalvo streets. Its many vendors sell indigenous crafts, jewellery, and paintings.

Parque Centenario is located on Av. 9 de Octubre, between Lorenzo de Garaycoa and Pedro Moncayo. This is the largest park in the town centre, occupying four city blocks. It offers shady refuge from the equatorial sun, with large trees arching over the walkways and lawns. A large Statue of Liberty dominates the central area of the park.

Parque Seminario (also known as Parque de Las Iguanas or Iguana Park) located on 10 de Agosto Avenue and Chile Avenue, is home to many iguanas, some of which approach 5 feet in length. Tourists and locals alike often feed the iguanas mango slices from park vendors. There is also a pond filled with colourful Japanese Tilapia. An equestrian statue of Simón Bolívar is located in the centre of the park.

Urdesa is a traditional neighborhood, for restaurants, stores.

Bahia is a popular marketplace for toys, clothing, electronic goods, DVDs, and CDs.

Transport[link]

The city's new airport, José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport (IATA airport code: GYE), though using the same runways, had its passenger terminal completely rebuilt in 2006 and was renamed. The old passenger terminal, Simon Bolivar, is now a convention centre.^[11]

Photos[link]

• 

  Spanish Colonial shield of the city and government.

• 

  Monument depicting the meeting between Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín for the independence of South America.

• 

  Las Peñas Neighborhood.

• 

  Imax at Malecon 2000.

• 

  José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport

• 

  Branch of the Ecuadorian Central Bank (Banco Central del Ecuador or BCE) in Guayaquil.

• 

  Museum of Anthropology and Contemporary Art (MAAC), near the breakwater (photo taken in 2000).

• 

  Guayas Tall Ship

• 

  The Guayas river flows next to downtown Guayaquil.

See also[link]

Ecuador portal

• List of urban parishes in Guayaquil
• José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Guayaquil

• Municipalidad de Guayaquil
• Guayaquil at Google Maps
• Barrio De Paz – A documentary about gang culture in Guayaquil on OneWorldTV

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