Quito (English spelling)

Japanese: キト（英語表記）Quito

The capital of Ecuador. Its official name is Villa de San Francisco de Quito. It is also the capital of Pichincha Province. It is located in the north of the country, at the southeastern foot of Mount Pichincha, which rises in the Andes Mountains, at an altitude of about 2,850m. The equator passes about 20km north, but the climate is cool due to its high altitude, with an average monthly temperature of about 13°C throughout the year. In ancient times, it was the capital of the Kingdom of Quito, but from the 11th century until it was integrated into the Inca Empire in 1487, it was under the control of the Cara people. The 11th Inca Emperor Huayna Capac made it an important political and military center of the empire, but in 1534 the Spanish occupied it, established a city council, and began construction of a Spanish-style town. It later developed into the political, cultural, and economic center of the region, and became the capital of Ecuador when it separated from Gran Colombia in 1830. At the beginning of the 20th century, it lost its position as the economic center to the Pacific port city of Guayaquil, and its population has also been surpassed by that city, but it remains the political and cultural center of Ecuador. The old town, with its narrow, hilly streets lined with houses with balconies and patios (courtyards), retains the atmosphere of the Spanish colonial period and was registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Many old buildings dating back to the 16th century, including the Basilica of St. Francis, monasteries, and mansions, are preserved here. To the north, a modern city stretches out, with wide streets lined with skyscrapers. In terms of industry, it is the second largest industrial city after Guayaquil, and light industry, which produces various consumer goods, mainly textiles, is well developed, as well as the production of crafts using leather, wood, gold, and silver. Educational facilities include higher education institutions such as the Central University of Ecuador (University of Quito, 1769) and the National Polytechnic University (1869), the national library, an astronomical observatory, various museums and art galleries, and theaters. Located in the mountains, it had poor transportation access for a long time, but in 1908, it was connected to the port of Guayaquil by rail. Currently, it has a well-developed road network connecting it to the outside world, and it also has an international airport, which serves as the center of Ecuador's air network. Population: 1,607,734 (2010).

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

エクアドルの首都。正式名称はビヤデサンフランシスコデキト Villa de San Francisco de Quito。またピチンチャ州の州都。同国北部内陸，アンデス山脈中にそびえるピチンチャ山の南東麓にあり，標高約 2850m。北約 20kmを赤道が通るが，標高が高いため気候は涼しく，月平均気温は年間を通して 13℃前後。古代にはキト王国の首都であったが，11世紀以降 1487年インカ帝国に統合されるまで，カラ族の支配下に置かれた。インカ帝国の第 11代皇帝ワイナ・カパックはここを帝国の重要な政治・軍事中心地としたが，1534年スペイン人が占領し，市会を設置するとともに，スペイン風の町の建設を開始した。その後，この地域の政治，文化，経済の中心地として発展，1830年エクアドルが大コロンビアから分離独立した際その首都となった。 20世紀初め，経済中心地としての地位は太平洋岸の港湾都市グアヤキルに譲り，また人口も同市に凌駕されたが，依然としてエクアドルの政治，文化の中心地である。坂道の多い狭い街路に沿ってバルコニーやパティオ (中庭) のある家が並び，スペイン植民地時代の面影を残す旧市街は，1978年世界遺産の文化遺産に登録。聖フランシスコ聖堂をはじめとする多数の聖堂や修道院，邸宅など 16世紀以来の古い建築物が保存されている。北方には広い街路に高層ビルなども並ぶ近代的な市街が広がる。産業面ではグアヤキルに次ぐ工業都市で，繊維を中心に各種消費財を製造する軽工業が発達するほか，皮革，木，金，銀などを用いた工芸品の生産も盛ん。文教施設としては，エクアドル中央大学 (キト大学，1769) ，国立理工科大学 (1869) などの高等教育機関，国立図書館，天文台，各種博物館・美術館，劇場などがある。山間の高地に位置するため，長い間交通の便が悪かったが，1908年グアヤキル港と鉄道で結ばれた。現在内外と結ぶ道路網も整備され，またエクアドルの航空網の中心として国際空港もある。人口 160万7734（2010）。

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