Cities of Ecuador

Major cities in ECUADOR — a South American country recently devastated by large-magnitude earthquakes and subsequent aftershocks — include Ambato, Babahoyo, Chone, Cuenca, Daule, Eloy Alfaro, Esmeraldas, Guayaquil, Ibarra, Latacunga, Loja, Machala, Manta, Milagro, Portoviejo, Quito (capital), Riobamba, Santa Rosa, Santo Domingo de los Colorados, and Tulcán. Ecuador's major cities are almost evenly distributed...except in the eastern portions of Ecuador, where the Amazon Rainforest serves as the homeland of indigenous groups living in relatively low-populated settlements. Esmeraldas, Ibarra, Quito, Santo Domingo de los Colorados, and Tulcán are northern cities. Central Ecuadorian cities include Ambato, Latacunga, and Riobamba. Cuenca, Loja, Machala, and Santa Rosa are in southern Ecuador, while Guayaquil is located in the southwest.

Regarding population size, Guayaquil is the largest, with over 2 million residents living there — surpassing Quito, which provides habitat for about 1,400,000 residents. Ecuador's next most-populated cities are Cuenca (277,000), Machala (205,000), Santo Domingo de los Colorados (200,000), Manta (183,000), and Eloy Alfaro (175,000).