Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west.
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Ecuador · 1960–2025
Population data from World Bank (2025), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Series covers 1960–2025.
Guayaquil, officially Santiago de Guayaquil, is the largest city in Ecuador and also the nation's economic capital and main port. The city is the capital of Guayas Province and the seat of Guayaquil Canton. The city is located on the west bank of the Guayas River, which flows into the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Guayaquil.
Quito, officially San Francisco de Quito, is the capital and second-largest city 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 in a valley on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes.
Cuenca, officially Santa Ana de los Ríos de Cuenca, is an Ecuadorian city, head of the canton of the same name and capital of the province of Azuay, as well as its largest and most populated city.
Santo Domingo de los Colorados, often simply referred to as Santo Domingo, is an Ecuadorian city and seat of the canton that bears its name and the Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas Province. It is the fourth most populous city in Ecuador, with a population of 334,826, and is an important commercial and industrial center.
Ambato is a city located in the central Andean valley of Ecuador. Lying on the banks of the Ambato River, the city also sits beneath several tall mountains. It is the capital city of the Tungurahua Province, situated at an elevation of 2,577 meters above sea level.
Durán, also known as Eloy Alfaro, is the second largest city in the province of Guayas, Ecuador and the seat of Durán Canton. It is located near the confluence of the Daule & Babahoyo rivers, where the Guayas River enters the ocean, across the Guayas River from Guayaquil. The name "Eloy Alfaro" was chosen because of the Ecuadorian ex-president Eloy Alfaro Delgado.
Manta, also known as San Pablo de Manta, is a city in Ecuador, cantonal head of the Manta Canton, as well as the largest and most populated city in the Manabí Province. It is the seventh most populous in the country. Manta has existed since Pre-Columbian times. It was a trading post for the Manta, also known as Manteños.
Portoviejo, also known as San Gregorio de Portoviejo, is a city in Ecuador, and the capital of the Province of Manabí, located about 30 km (19 mi) from the Pacific coast. It is still known as the city of the "Royal Tamarind Trees" due to the former Tamarind plantations in the area.
Machala is a city in south-west Ecuador. It is the capital of the El Oro Province, and is located near the Gulf of Guayaquil on fertile lowlands. Machala has a population of 288,072 according to the 2022 census; it is the sixth-biggest city in the country, and the second-most important port city after Guayaquil. It has been referred to as the Banana Capital of the World.
Loja, formerly Loxa and fully City of the Immaculate Conception of Loja, is the capital of Ecuador's Loja Province. It is located in the Cuxibamba valley in the south of the country, sharing borders with the provinces of Zamora-Chinchipe and other cantons of the province of Loja. Loja holds a rich tradition in the arts, and for this reason is known as the Music and Cultural Capital of Ecuador.