Ecuador: Country, Not Capital — Quito Is the Capital

Ecuador is a country in South America, not a capital city. The capital of Ecuador is Quito.

Quick Facts: Ecuador

Quito Highlights

• Elevation: 2,850 m (9,350 ft) — 2nd highest capital in world (after La Paz)
• UNESCO World Heritage: First city inscribed (1978) for historic center
• Equator: "Mitad del Mundo" monument & museum just north of city
• Climate: Eternal spring (10–20°C / 50–68°F year-round)

Name Origin

Ecuador = Spanish for "equator." The country straddles 0° latitude. Named by 18th-century French Geodesic Mission measuring Earth's shape.

Major Cities

• Guayaquil – Port, commercial hub, 3M+ metro
• Quito – Capital, government, culture, 2M+ metro
• Cuenca – UNESCO heritage, expat haven, 600K metro
• Santo Domingo – Fast-growing tropical city
• Machala – Banana export capital

Ecuador = country. Quito = capital. Guayaquil = largest city. All on the equator.