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Quito: Spring city at the equator:
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TOGETHER with Rio de Janeiro (里约热内卢), Buenos Aires (布宜诺斯艾利斯) and Lima (利马), Quito (基多) is one of the cities with the most impact in South America.
Quito is the capital of Ecuador (厄瓜多尔). The city is picturesquely situated on the lower slopes of Pichincha volcano in a narrow, fertile valley of the Andes Mountain at an altitude of 2,850 m above sea level. Because of its elevation it has a pleasant, moderate climate throughout the year despite its being just south of the equator. There are slight rains between October and April--the most severe winter period.
Quito is only 25 km from the equator. On the equator line, it is Mitad del Mundo, the famous Equator Line Monument (赤道纪念碑). Visitors often take pictures there, standing with one foot on the northern hemisphere and the other on the southern hemisphere.
Quito is the oldest South American capital and retains much of its colonial aspect. The city is laid out mainly according to a rectangular plan and has an expansive central plaza, many quiet parks and flower gardens, and numerous steep, narrow streets.
The architecture of the city is principally in the Spanish baroque (巴洛克) style. Notable structures located here include a 17th-century cathedral and the churches of San Francisco, San Augustin and Santo Domingo.
The city is also the site of the Central University of Ecuador (1769), the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (1946), and the National Polytechnic School (1869).
Tourism is one of the major sources of income for Quito. Quito has little heavy industry. Its chief manufactures include textiles, processed food, beverages, leather, cement, furniture, and gold and silver handicrafts. The city is linked with the Pacific Ocean by a railroad (opened in 1908) and is on the Pan-American Highway.
(SD-Agencies)
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