Ecuador is divided into 24 provinces. The provinces of Ecuador and their capitals are:
Loja Province is one of 24 provinces in Ecuador and shares its southern border on the west with El Oro Province, on the north with El Azuay, and on the east with Zamora-Chinchipe. Founded on its present site in 1548 by Captain Alonso de Mercadillo (Spanish), the site had been previously moved and rebuilt from La Toma due to earthquakes. It also is named as "Cuxibamba Valley", from the Quichua language, which means the "Smiley Valley".
Loja, formerly Loxa and fully City of the Immaculate Conception of Loja, is the capital of Ecuador's Loja Province. It is located in the Cuxibamba valley in the south of the country, sharing borders with the provinces of Zamora-Chinchipe and other cantons of the province of Loja. Loja holds a rich tradition in the arts, and for this reason is known as the Music and Cultural Capital of Ecuador. The city is home to two major universities.
Matilde Navarro Hidalgo de Procel was an Ecuadorian physician, poet, and activist. Hidalgo was the first woman to exercise the right to vote in Latin America, and also the first to receive a Doctorate in Medicine. Hidalgo fought for the recognition of women's rights and is one of the most important women in Ecuadorian history. In 1973 she was paralyzed by a stroke, and she died in Guayaquil on February 20, 1974.
Zaruma, officially Villa Real de San Antonio del Cerro de Oro de Zaruma is a town in the south of Ecuador, El Oro Province. It is located in the south-east of this province, at an altitude of 1200 metres above sea level, on an inter-Andes route where the Vizcaya mountain range branches off from the Chilla mountain range. It is the seat of Zaruma Canton, one of the oldest cantons in the province.
Max Berrú Carrión was an Ecuadorian and Chilean musician. He was one of the two founders of Inti-Illimani where he was a lead singer between 1967 and 1997.
Paltas Canton is located to the south of Loja city and is one of the oldest cantons of province of the same name. It was named after the Paltas, a community who used to live over the new city now called Catacocha in Ecuador.
Chaguarpamba is a canton in the Province of Loja Ecuador. Its seat is Chaguarpamba. The canton is located in the north of the province and is bordered by the cantons of Catamayo, Olmedo, Paltas, and the province of El Oro. The name is Quichua for "Valley of Jaguars." It occupies an area of 313.4 km2 at an altitude of 1050 m, with a population of 6,857. Average temperature is between 18 and 24 °C
Espíndola is a canton in the Province of Loja Ecuador. It is located in the south-east, bordered by the cantons of Quilanga and Calvas, the province of Zamora-Chinchipe and the country of Peru. It covers an area of 632 km2 at an altitude of 1720 m, with a population of 19,213. The average temperature is 19.9 °C.
Gonzanamá is a canton in the Province of Loja, Ecuador. It is located in the south-east of the province, bordered by the cantons of Catamayo, Loja, Quilanga, Calvas, and Paltas. It is the "agricultural, farming, and craftsmanship capital of Loja." Gonzanamá Canton covers 681.9 km2 at an altitude of 2,045 m, with a population of 12,247. The principal town is Gonzanamá.
Catacocha is a town in the Loja Province of Ecuador. It is the seat of the Paltas Canton.
Salcedo is a canton in the Cotopaxi Province, Ecuador. in 2022 it had a population of 67,493. The capital of the canton is San Miguel de Salcedo.
The Miss Ecuador 2005 was on March 12, 2005. There were 16 candidates for the national title. The winner was Ximena Zamora from Pichincha who was crowned by Susana Rivadeneira from Pichincha as Miss Ecuador 2005. She represented Ecuador at Miss Universe 2005.
Chaguarpamba is a location in the Loja Province, Ecuador. It is the seat of the Chaguarpamba Canton.
Catamayo is a city in the Loja Province, Ecuador. It is the seat of the Catamayo Canton, and is located 18 kilometres (11 mi) west of the province capital, Loja.
Celica is a town in the Loja Province, Ecuador. It is the seat of the Celica Canton.
Saraguro is a canton of Ecuador, located in Loja Province. Its capital is the town of Saraguro. The area of the canton is 1,085 square kilometres (419 sq mi). The capital of the canton is the parish and town of Saraguro.
Sozoranga Canton is a canton of Ecuador, located in the Loja Province. Its capital is the town of Sozoranga. Its population at the 2001 census was 7,994.
Azuay Department was created with the 1824 reform of the subdivisions of Gran Colombia.
Ecuador is a nation in northwest South America known as the Republic of Ecuador. Hundreds of thousands of kinds of plants and animals can be found there as a result of the diversity of its four zones. There are roughly 1640 bird species there. Along with the 4,500 kinds of butterflies, there are also 345 reptiles, 358 amphibians, and 258 mammals. Ecuador is regarded as one of the 17 nations with the highest concentration of biodiversity on Earth. The majority of its animals and plants are found in 26 state-protected areas. It also provides gastronomy, a range of cultures and customs, and historical attractions like Quito.
