GUAYAQUIL
Guayaquil (Santiago de Guayaquil), is the largest and
the most populous city in Ecuador, as well as that
nation's main sea port. Guayaquil is on the west margin
of the Guayas River, which flows into the Gulf of
Guayaquil in the Pacific Ocean. Guayaquil is at 2.21°S
79.90°W, about 250 km south-southwest of the capital of
Ecuador, Quito. According to the most recent census
(2001), its population was 2,285,379.
Guayaquil is the capital of the Ecuadorian province of
Guayas and the seat of the namesake canton. (In Ecuador,
a cantón (canton) is a second-order subnational entity
below a first-order province.)
Guayaquil serves as the Metropolitan see to the Roman
Catholic province of the Archdiocese of Guayaquil. Its
cathedral San Pedro is the motherchurch to the Catholics
of the region. The majority of the population of the
city identifies itself as belonging to the Catholic
Church.
Because of the historical Ecuadorian freedom of
conscience there are also many religious buildings of
most other faiths, especially those involved in
missionary work. Guayaquil is also an Anglican Communion
see and has a Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints.
The city is the center of Ecuador's fishing and
manufacturing industries.
The city's airport, Simón Bolívar International Airport
(IATA abbr.: GYE), has undergone renovations in the past
years.
Famous people from Guayaquil include Master painters
Enrique Tábara, Félix Arauz, Leon Ricaurte, Luis
Miranda, Juan Villafuerte, Judith Gutierrez, Luis
Molinari, and Theo Constanté; Photographer and painter
Hugo Cifuentes; animator Mike Judge; poets José Joaquín
de Olmedo and Adalberto Ortiz , scholar Benjamín
Urrutia, world's oldest person Maria Capovilla,
violinist Jorge Saade, operatic soprano Beatriz Parra
Durango, and tennis player Pancho Segura.
Guayaquil famous soccer teams are Barcelona Sporting
Club and Club Sport Emelec. |