Esmeraldas, Ecuador
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 Esmeraldas
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| Coordinates: 00°58′07″N 79°39′37″W / 0.96861°N 79.66028°W | ||
| Ecuador | Ecuador | |
| Province | Esmeraldas | |
| Canton | Esmeraldas | |
| Founded | September 21, 1526 | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Ernesto Estupiñán (MPD) | |
| Area | ||
| • City | 70.45 km2 (27.20 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 15 m (49 ft) | |
| Population (2010 census) | ||
| • City | 161,868 | |
| • Density | 2,300/km2 (6,000/sq mi) | |
| • Metro | 189,504 | |
| Demonym(s) | Esmeraldeño - a | |
| Time zone | ECT (UTC-5) | |
| Area code(s) | (+593) 6 | |
| Climate | Aw | |
| Website | Official website (Spanish) | |
Esmeraldas (Spanish pronunciation: [ezmeˈɾaldas]) is a coastal city in northwestern Ecuador. It is the seat of the Esmeraldas Canton and capital of the Esmeraldas Province. It has an international sea port and a small airport (IATA location identifier: ESM). Esmeraldas is the major seaport of northwestern Ecuador, and it lies on the Pacific coast at the mouth of the Esmeraldas River. It is exactly at the antipodes of Padang, Indonesia. The city is the principal trading hub for the region's agricultural and lumber resources, and is the terminus of the 313-mile (504-km) Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline from the oil fields in northeastern Ecuador.
Esmeraldas is well known around Latin America given the large number of locals that have historically played in the Ecuadorian national football team.
The port of Esmeraldas is economically important for the northern part of Ecuador, and the port of Balao is an important oil processing facility. Exports from Esmeraldas include wood and wood chips, bananas, and other agricultural products.
The soil allows the production of rice, maize, African Palm, albacá and a variety of tropical fruits. Among the main forest species are: chanul, raft, laurel, sande, guayacán, and tangaré. Cattle and pig rearing are also important. The fishing industry is also an important economic indicator of the region, and includes species like corvina, snapper, lisa and tuna.
Industry in Esmeraldas consists of manufacturing, timber, chemicals and oil. Concerns exist about forest management and deforestation in the Chaco rainforest.
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Wikipedia