Cuenca, Ecuador

Cuenca
City
Cuenca,Ecuador

Panorama view of Cuenca, Ecuador, from Turi area

Flag
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): Atenas del Ecuador (Athens of Ecuador)
Cuenca

Location in Ecuador

Coordinates: EC 2°53′57″S 79°00′55″W / 2.89917°S 79.01528°W / -2.89917; -79.01528Coordinates: EC 2°53′57″S 79°00′55″W / 2.89917°S 79.01528°W / -2.89917; -79.01528
Country Ecuador
Province Azuay
Canton Cuenca Canton
Founded April 12, 1557
Founded by Gil Ramírez Dávalos
Named for Cuenca, Spain
Parishes
Government
 • Mayor Marcelo Cabrera
Area
 • City 70.59 km2 (27.25 sq mi)
Elevation 2,560 m (8,400 ft)
Highest elevation 2,550 m (8,370 ft)
Lowest elevation 2,350 m (7,710 ft)
Population (2015)INEC estimates
 • City 400,000
 • Density 5,700/km2 (15,000/sq mi)
 • Metro 700,000
  The population total is of the urban parishes of the Municipality of Cuenca (the canton), which make up the city of Cuenca; the metro population is the population of the canton cuenca, areas urbanas of azogues , biblian and deleg in the cañar province. Gualaceo and Paute in the azuay province.
Demonym(s) Cuencan
Time zone ECT (UTC-5)
Postal code 010150
Area code(s) (+593) 07
Climate Cfb
Website Official website (Spanish)
Cuenca City Hall in Bolivar Street

The city of Cuenca — in full, Santa Ana de los cuatro ríos de Cuenca — is the capital of the Azuay Province. It is widely regarded as the most European city in the country of Ecuador due to its highly 16th and 17th century era Spanish colonial architecture resembling to cities and architecture throughout Spain. The city of Cuenca is located in the highlands of Ecuador at about 2,500 metres (8,200 feet) above sea level, with an urban population of approximately 400,000 rising to 700,000 inhabitants in the larger metro area. The centre of the city is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site due to its many historical buildings. Cuenca is well known for its stunning architecture, tourist attractions, hotels and night activities.

History

First inhabitants

According to studies and archeological discoveries, the origins of the first inhabitants go back to the year 8060 BC in the Cave of Chopsi. They were hunters, hunting everything the Páramo offered them, and nomads, following the animals and seasons. Their culture is represented by tools such as arrows and spears, which have been found throughout the Andean valley. The culture was most present about 5585 BC.

Later the early indigenous people used the stable climate, fertile soil and abundant water to develop agriculture. They grew potatoes, melloco, chocho, squash and quinoa. They also domesticated animals such as cuys, and camelids: llamas and alpacas.

Their technology was also advanced. For example, they started creating ceramics. In fact, ceramics constitute the greatest number of artifacts which archeologists use to study their culture. The period from 5000 BCE to 2000 BCE is not represented well in the archeological record. Beginning around 2000 BCE, the people developed a more highly organized society, demonstrating delegated responsibilities, such as the managing of water and control of plagues. People were specialized as administrative and religious authorities (known as shamans). This occurred during the periods of Chaullabamba, Huayco, Pirincay, Monjas, Putushio, Huancarcucho and Jubones. From then until 500 AD began the periods of Tacalshapa III and the Cañari people, who were absorbed into the Incas in the 15th century.

Pre-Columbian society

Cuenca was originally a Cañari settlement called Guapondeleg. Archeologists believe Cuenca was founded around 500 AD. Guapondeleg translates into "land as big as heaven." Less than half a century before the conquistadors landed, the Incas, after a bitter struggle, conquered the Cañari and occupied Guapondeleg and the surrounding area. Though the Incas replaced the Cañari architecture with their own, they did not suppress the Cañari or their impressive achievements in astronomy and agriculture. As was customary for the Incas, they absorbed useful achievements into their culture. They renamed the city Tomebamba. The city became known as the second Cusco, a regional capital.

After the defeat of the Cañari, the Inca commander, Tupac Yupanqui, ordered the construction of a grand city to be called Pumapungo, "the door of the Puma". Its magnificence was said to have rivaled that of the Inca capital of Cuzco. Indians told stories to the Spanish chroniclers of golden temples and other such wonders, but by the time the Spaniards found the legendary city, all that remained were ruins. They wondered what happened to the fabled splendor and riches of the second Inca capital. After having been abandoned by the Cañari and then the Incas, Tomebamba was sparsely populated until the 1550s.

Tomebamba is considered a candidate for the mythical city of gold which the Spanish called El Dorado. The Spanish thought El Dorado was burned by the inhabitants after they heard of the Spanish conquests. Tomebamba's destruction by its inhabitants prior to the arrival of the Spanish suggests it may have been what the Spanish called El Dorado.

Spanish settlement

The Spanish settlement of Cuenca was founded on April 12, 1557 by the explorer Gil Ramírez Dávalos. Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza, then Viceroy of Peru had commissioned the founding and ordered the city named after his home town of Cuenca, Spain. It was founded decades after other major Spanish settlements in the region, such as Quito (1534), Guayaquil (1538), and Loja (1548). Cuenca's population and importance grew steadily during the colonial era. It reached the peak of its importance in the first years of Ecuador's independence; Cuenca achieved its independence on November 3, 1820. It became the capital of one of the three provinces that made up the nascent republic. The other two capitals were Guayaquil and Quito.

Population

As per the last INEC estimate for 2015, the population of the Cuenca canton was 580,000 inhabitants, of which 400,000 constitute the urban population (i.e., the population of the city proper). The economic development is based on industry and agricultural development.

Cuenca Metropolitan Area includes the cities of Azogues, Biblian and Deleg in the cañar province and the cities of Paute and Gualaceo in the Azuay province with a population of 730,000 inhabitants, however, Cuenca's influence in the cultural, economic and educational areas extends to all the remaining cities 50 miles (80 kilometres) around.

Economy

Cuenca is a city known for its textile making, along with furniture and other crafts like hats and shoes. They also export many flowers to places such as the United States and countries in Europe. The hats that they are well known for making are straw hats. The tourism industry is big as well in addition with the main university there, “La Universidad de Cuenca”. Cuenca has many cathedrals there that are a part of the sightseeing as well as other national parks. For the future, Ecuador has been working on electrolytic hydrogen for use of better resources that are environmental friendly. With Cuenca located in the sierras of mountains and much forest area nearby, mining and logging are industries there. Some of the common mined resources are kaolin, plaster, limestone, sand, specialized rocks, and carbon. Also, Cuenca is known for making tires for cars. They get a big supply of rubber from the forests. As far as farming, it has shrunken in the economy, but is still important part of the city. Beekeeping is actually a big part of it as far as the usual of livestock and growing crops. Some of the typical crops grown are wheat, barley, rye, oats and corn.[1]

Geography and location Economy

Cuenca, capital of the province of Azuay, is located in the sierra of the Andes in the Austro or southern region of Ecuador. It is approximately nine hours south of Quito and four hours east of Guayaquil. The city ranges from 2,350 to 2,550 metres (7,710 to 8,370 feet) above sea level.

The dominant features of the city's geography are also the source of its name in Spanish: the four rivers of Cuenca (meaning a basin made by a confluence of rivers). These rivers are the Tomebamba (named after the Inca culture), Yanuncay, Tarqui and Machangara, in order of importance. The first three of these rivers originate in the Páramo of Parque Nacional Cajas to the west of the city. These four rivers are part of the Amazon river watershed. Cuenca is surrounded by mountains on all sides, with passes to the west, south and east.

River Tomebamba next to the cities centre

Parishes

Cuenca Canton contains the following parishes:

Climate

Cuenca features a subtropical highland climate (Cfb) under the Köppen climate classification. Like the rest of the Ecuadorian Andes, Cuenca enjoys a mild climate year-round. Days are generally warm and nights are cool enough that sweaters or jackets are usually desired. The average daily temperature is 14.7 °C (58.5 °F). There are two seasons: rainy and dry. The dry season, with some variation, falls between June and December. The rainy season, which is characterized by bright sunny mornings and afternoon showers, falls between January and May. The heaviest rains come in the invierno (wet season) of March, April and May.

Climate data for Cuenca, Ecuador
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 33.0
(91.4)		 29.9
(85.8)		 28.8
(83.8)		 33.0
(91.4)		 32.0
(89.6)		 31.6
(88.9)		 29.5
(85.1)		 34.0
(93.2)		 31.2
(88.2)		 33.0
(91.4)		 33.0
(91.4)		 33.0
(91.4)		 34.0
(93.2)
Average high °C (°F) 22.4
(72.3)		 22.4
(72.3)		 21.9
(71.4)		 21.7
(71.1)		 21.4
(70.5)		 20.4
(68.7)		 19.9
(67.8)		 20.4
(68.7)		 21.3
(70.3)		 22.3
(72.1)		 23.1
(73.6)		 23.1
(73.6)		 21.69
(71.03)
Daily mean °C (°F) 15.3
(59.5)		 15.8
(60.4)		 15.6
(60.1)		 15.3
(59.5)		 14.4
(57.9)		 13.6
(56.5)		 13.3
(55.9)		 13.3
(55.9)		 14.7
(58.5)		 15.3
(59.5)		 14.7
(58.5)		 15.6
(60.1)		 14.7
(58.5)
Average low °C (°F) 10.9
(51.6)		 11.1
(52)		 11.2
(52.2)		 10.9
(51.6)		 10.6
(51.1)		 9.8
(49.6)		 9.4
(48.9)		 9.1
(48.4)		 9.5
(49.1)		 10.1
(50.2)		 10.2
(50.4)		 10.6
(51.1)		 10.28
(50.52)
Record low °C (°F) 0.0
(32)		 0.0
(32)		 1.0
(33.8)		 1.0
(33.8)		 0.0
(32)		 −0.6
(30.9)		 −3.0
(26.6)		 −1.1
(30)		 −1.0
(30.2)		 −2.0
(28.4)		 −0.6
(30.9)		 0.0
(32)		 −3.0
(26.6)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 67
(2.64)		 85
(3.35)		 107
(4.21)		 109
(4.29)		 77
(3.03)		 68
(2.68)		 53
(2.09)		 47
(1.85)		 56
(2.2)		 73
(2.87)		 69
(2.72)		 67
(2.64)		 878
(34.57)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) 20 21 22 19 15 11 10 10 12 16 13 10 179
Mean monthly sunshine hours 155 113 124 120 155 150 186 186 150 155 150 155 1,799
Source #1: Temperatures: Climate Ecuador,[3] Voodoo Skies[4]
Source #2: Other: Cuenca Climate Guide [5]

Education

Universities

The first university in the city was established in 1867 and is the Universidad de Cuenca. It is considered the third oldest university of the country, right after the Universidad Central del Ecuador (1836) and the Universidad Nacional de Loja (1859). Ever since, the city has been growing and more universities were created with new careers. This led to the declaration of Cuenca as the City of Universities by the National Assembly of Ecuador on January 4, 2011.[6]

The city has the following Universities:

The first three are B category and the last one is D category. This was stated by the Council for Evaluation, Validation and Assurance of the Quality in Superior Education of Ecuador (CEAACES)[7]

Primary and secondary schools

International schools:

Main sights

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Historic Centre of Santa Ana de los Ríos de Cuenca
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List

The Catedral Nueva
Type Cultural
Criteria ii, iv, v
Reference 863
UNESCO region Latin America
Inscription history
Inscription 1999 (23rd Session)

Most tourists visit the historic area, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, between the river Tomebamba and the street Gran Colombia to the north, General Torres to the west, and Hermano Miguel to the east. This area's compactness, grid-like layout, and numerous readily identifiable monuments make it easy to navigate. Outside this area the city can be confusing, as there are dozens of narrow colonial streets with similar buildings.

Major fiestas of Cuenca come at the time of the "Mass of Children" that is carried out the day of the Arrival of Kings (January 6 - Epiphany Day), or in the commemoration of the independence of the city (November 3), during which processions, cultural acts and dances are organized. The nearby Cañar plantation (in the county of the same name) features the biggest Inca ruins in Ecuador.

Landmarks

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Surroundings

View of Cajas National Park
Lacs en miroir (Mirrored lakes) in Cajas National Park

Culture

Festivities

One of the festivities celebrated in Cuenca and in other parts of Ecuador is "El Carnaval" This is celebrated three days prior to Ash Wednesday. Families get together to celebrate what started as a "pagan ritual". Now it is celebrated by wetting friends and random people with water balloons and spraying "Carioca" a non staining foam.

Transport

Street view of Simón Bolívar Street, named after Simón Bolívar, next to Calderón Park, in the Historical Center.

Bus station

Cuenca's inter-provincial bus station, called the Terminal Terrestre as it is in most cities, is well organized and clean. It is located on Avenida España in the northeastern corner of the city, a twenty-minute walk or a brief taxi ride from the historic center. Also, many City buses provide frequent service as indicated by the "Terminal Terrestre" placard on the windshield. A guide to using the City buses, maps of the routes and an online trip planner can be found at CuencaTransit.com

Buses arrive and depart throughout the day. Service is available to major cities, such as Guayaquil and Quito and also to nearby cities such as Loja, Riobamba, or Machala. The distance to Guayaquil is 243 km. and the bus takes nearly 4 hours on the highway Durán-Pto.Inca-Molleturo (I582W), a scenic ride through the Cajas National Park. Quito is 497 km from Cuenca and the trip takes around 10 hours on the Road Pan-American Highway (I35N). Many prefer to travel by bus at night. Those who choose to travel overnight should exercise caution due to reported bus hijacks which have resulted in armed robbery. [citation needed]

Airport

The airport, named Aeropuerto Mariscal Lamar (Mariscal Lamar Airport), is located due east of the Terminal Terrestre (bus station) on Avenida España. It's a 5-minute walk from the bus station. Four airlines currently serve Cuenca; AeroGal, LAN Ecuador, and TAME fly to Quito daily while Línea Aérea Cuencana (no longer operating as of November 2013) and TAME fly to Guayaquil. This is Ecuador's third busiest airport. Over 1,400,000 passengers a year pass through its gates.

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Cuenca is twinned with:

Tempe, Arizona, United States

See also

References

  1. ↑ Netvoluciona. "Economía de la provincia de Cuenca". www.economiaprovincialcuenca.es. Retrieved 2016-11-09.
  2. ↑ Cuenca Ecuador, Ecuador Facts, Living in Ecuador
  3. ↑ "ECUADOR - CUENCA". Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  4. ↑ http://voodooskies.com/weather/ecuador/cuenca/monthly/temperature
  5. ↑ "Cuenca Climate Guide, Ecuador". Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  6. ↑ National Assembly of Ecuador. "Resolution that declares to Cuenca as 'City of Universities of the Republic of Ecuador'" (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  7. ↑ Council for Evaluation, Validation and Assurance of the Quality in Superior Education of Ecuador. "University Evaluation of 2013" (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  8. ↑ "Town Twinning Agreements". Municipalidad de Rosario - Buenos Aires 711. Retrieved 2014-10-14.
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