QUITO, ke't6. The capital of Ecuador. It is situated 0° 14' south of the equator on a lofty plateau 9300 feet above the sea (Map: Ecuador, B 4). The location is of almost unrivaled grand eur. The plateau is bounded on all sides by lofty mountains, from which rise in plain sight no less than eight snow-clad volcanoes, some of which are among the highest peaks of the Andes, and the city is built on the very foothills of one of them, Piehineha. The climate of Quito is pro verbially healthful, mild and equable. The plan of the city is a perfect square, with outlying suburbs, but as it is built on very uneven ground the streets are steep and generally impassable for wagons. There are several plazas, the largest of which, the Plaza Mayor, has been rendered very handsome with flower gardens and a fountain. It is faced by the cathedral, the Government and municipal buildings, and the Archbishop's palace. Besides the cathedral there are numerous other churches and convents, some of which are in fine Renaissance style, and contrast strangely with the low, mean adobe houses which make up the bulk of the city. At the head of the educational system stands the university. in whose buildings are installed also a library, a nmseuni, an as tronomical observatory, and a polytechnic school.
There are. besides, two seminaries, several other colleges. and a medical school attached to a large leper hospital. Quito is, on the whole. a quiet and rather dull city. Having very poor means of communication with the outside world, its trade has not been active. A milroad, however. is DOW under construction to Guayaquil, the 'chief port of the Republic, and other improve ments, such as electric lighting, have been in stalled. The chief manufactures are saddles, shoes, woolen and cotton cloth, blankets, and carpets. The chief exports are hides and rubber. Population, about 80,000.
Quito is one of the oldest cities of South America. ft was the capital of an ancient Indian nation before it was captured in 1470 by the Inca Tupac Iupanqui. It was the northern capital of the Incas until it was taken by the Spaniards in 1534. It has suffered repeatedly from severe earthquakes. notably in 1844. 1859, and 1SS7. and has also been ravaged by civil wars. Consult: Ternaux-Compans. Histoire du royaume de Quito ( Paris, 1840) ; Herrera, ipuntes pare la historia dc Quito (Quito. 1874).