Esmeraldas, Ecuador
Esmeraldas | |
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City | |
Photos taken in the city | |
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Flag | |
Esmeraldas | |
| Coordinates: 0°58′00″N 79°39′10″W / 0.96667°N 79.65278°W | |
| Country | Ecuador |
| Province | Esmeraldas |
| Canton | Esmeraldas |
| Founded | September 21, 1526 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Vicko Villacís |
| Area | |
• City | 28.03 km2 (10.82 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 15 m (49 ft) |
| Population (2022 census) | |
• City | 155,487 |
| • Density | 5,547/km2 (14,370/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Esmeraldeño / Esmeraldeña |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (ECT) |
| Area code | (+593) 6 |
| Climate | Aw |
| Website | Official website (in Spanish) |
Esmeraldas (Spanish pronunciation: [esmeˈɾaldas]) 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. 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 Ecuador national football team. The main activities of the city are commerce, industry and agriculture. It has beaches with landscapes and a warm climate, which make it one of the most visited tourist destinations in the area.
On 19 December 2016, a 5.8 Richter scale earthquake shook the city of Esmeraldas.