Guayaquil

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Santiago de Guayaquil, or just Guayaquil (pronounced [waʝaˈkil]), is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador, as well as that nation's main 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 2,189,865. However, the estimated metropolitan population was 2,908,338.

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.)

The city is the center of Ecuador's fishing and manufacturing industries.

The city's new airport, Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport (IATA abbr.: GYE), though using the same runways, had its passenger terminal completely rebuilt in 2006 and was renamed. The old passenger terminal is now a conference center

[edit] History

Guayaquil was founded on July 25 (see note below), 1538 with the name Muy Noble y Muy Leal Ciudad de Santiago de Guayaquil by Spanish Conquistador Francisco de Orellana. Even before it was founded by the Spanish, it already existed as a native village.

Note - July 25 is the legal holiday in Guayaquil. Historians have not yet reached a consensus about the date of Guayaquil's foundation or founder. The city might have been founded more than once. Another possible founder might be Diego de Almagro.

In 1600 Guayaquil had a population of about 2,000 people; by 1700 the city had a population of over 10,000.

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. Quito paid the ransom demanded by the pirates with the condition they release the hostages and not burn Guayaquil.

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.

In October 9, 1820, almost without bloodshed, a group of civilians supported by soldiers from the "Granaderos de Reserva", a Peruvian battalion quartered in Guayaquil, overwhelmed the resistance of the Royalist guards and arrested the Spanish authorities. Guayaquil declared independence from Spain and José Joaquín de Olmedo was named Jefe Civil (Civil 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.

The city suffered from a major fire in 1896 which destroyed large portions of the city.

The city has been invaded by the Peruvian Military on three ocassions: in 1829, 1860, and 1941.

[edit] Government

Guayaquil's current mayor (alcalde) is Jaime Nebot [ˈxai.me ne.ˈβot], 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, Metrovía, opened to provide a quicker, high-capacity service. One of the main projects was called Malecón 2000 [ma.le.ˈkon ðoz ˈmil], the renovation of the breakwater (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. It is a refuge for fauna and a zone of historical-architecture preservation, and has a traditions-and-history exhibition center. The idea of the creation of this park came from Ecuador's central bank in 1982, as part of their "Rescate Arquitectónico" ("Architectural Rescue") program.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Food

Typical Guayaquil cuisine includes encebollado (a seafood soup),Ceviche any type of seafood soup, arroz con menestra y carne (rice and beans with grilled or fried beef), patacones (twice-fried plantain slices), and pan de yuca (bread made from cassava), and Yapingachos patato fried with cheese.

[edit] Artists

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

• Félix Arauz (b. 1935, Guayaquil)
• Xavier Blum Pinto (b. 1957, Guayaquil)
• Theo Constanté (b.1934, Guayaquil)
• Araceli Gilbert (b. 1913, Guayaquil - d. 1993, Quito)
• Julio Jaramillo (b. 1935, Guayaquil - d. 1978, Guayaquil)
• Luis Lara (b. 1945, Guayaquil)
• Luis Molinari (b. 1929, Guayaquil)
• Enrique Tábara (b. 1930, Guayaquil)
• Jorge Velarde (b. 1960, Guayaquil)
• Rony Vera (b. 1965, Guayaquil)
• Juan Villafuerte (b. 1945, Guayaquil; d. 1977, Barcelona, Spain)
• Jaime Villa (b. 1934, Guayaquil)

[edit] Other notable people

Other famous people from Guayaquil include:

• animator Mike Judge;
• poets José Joaquín de Olmedo and Adalberto Ortiz,
• Federico Ashton, dancer and choreographer
• pioneer of theater/radio/film and famous actor and director Paco Villar,
• scholar Benjamín Urrutia,
• former world's oldest person Maria Capovilla
• violinist Jorge Saade
• operatic soprano Beatriz Parra Durango,
• rapper Gerardo Mejia, 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,
• Andrés Gómez, who won the ATP Championship of Roland Garros in Paris, France in 1990,
• the mother of spoken word poet Emanuel Xavier

[edit] Religious buildings

Guayaquil has a cathedral and many other Roman Catholic churches. There is a temple and many chapels of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many other faiths and religions are represented throughout the city.

[edit] Sports

There are two major soccer clubs. The Barcelona Sporting Club and the Club Sport Emelec. Both clubs have their own stadiums, The Estadio Monumental Isidro Romero Carbo is the home of the "Barcelonistas" while the Estadio George Capwell is the home of the "Emeleccistas". 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" - the team is sponsored by the electric power company.)

The city is also the home of Nicolas Lapentti, an active tennis player that is top 100 at the Current ATP Race.

The "Abierto de Tenis Ciudad de Guayaquil" is a tennis tournament organized in Guayaquil every year by Andrés Gómez and Luis Morejon in November of every year.

Another major event in the city is the Guayaquil Marathon, organized 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.

[edit] Universities

Some of Guayaquil's main universities are:

• Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral
• Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo UEES
• Universidad de Guayaquil
• Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil
• Universidad Laica Vicente Rocafuerte
• Universidad Casa Grande
• Universidad Santa Maria
• Blue Hill College
• Brookdale Community College
• Universidad Del Pacífico
• IGACD-Institute of Graphics Arts and Digital Science

[edit] Notable Places

The Malecón 2000 is a restoration project of the historic Simon Bolivar Pier. It will be a symbolic center of the city, a mix of green areas and shopping.

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 Neighborhood in the northeast corner of the city's center, is the artistic center 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 the streets Loja and Juan Montalvo. Its many vendors sell indigenous crafts, jewelry, and paintings.

Parque Centenario is located on the street 9 de Octubre, between Lorenzo de Garaycoa and Quito. This is the largest park downtown, 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, 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 colorful Japanese Tilapia. An equestrian statue of Simón Bolívar is located in the center of the park.

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

[edit] Sister Cities

• Image:Flag of China.svg Shanghai, People's Republic of China (2001)

[edit] See also

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

[edit] External links

• Municipalidad de Guayaquil
• Photos of Guayaquil I
• Photos of Guayaquil II
• Guayaquil Webcam showing the "Puente de la Unidad Nacional"
• Guayaquil at Google Maps
• Guayaquil Marathon
• Short Documentary on OneWorldTV about Youth workers and gang culture in Guayaquil

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