Latacunga
Encyclopedia
Latacunga is a plateau
town of Ecuador
, capital of the Cotopaxi Province
, 89 km (55.3 mi) south of Quito
, near the confluence of the Alaques
and Cutuchi
rivers to form the Patate, the headstream of the Pastaza
. At the time of census 2001 Latacunga had 51,689 inhabitants, largely mestizo
and indigenous.
Latacunga is an hour and half south from Quito on the Pan-American Highway. It was previously also on the old road from Quito to Guayaquil
, and has a railway station between those cities. It is 9,055 ft (2,760 m). above sea level
. Its climate is cold and windy, due to the neighboring snowclad heights, and the barren, pumice
-covered tableland on which it stands. The active volcano
Cotopaxi
is only 25 km. away, and the town has suffered repeatedly from eruptions. Founded in 1534, it was four times destroyed by earthquake
s between 1698 and 1798. The neighboring ruins of an older native town are said to date from the Incas Empire.
Latacunga's most noted food is chugchucaras
, empanadas, plantains, popcorn
, and tostado (a type of toasted corn.) Often mixed with ají
, a type of condiment that can be mild to very spicy depending on how it's prepared.
The Latacunga economy is dependent on agriculture, and floriculture. It has an international airport, the Cotopaxi International Airport
, that is not used for international passenger use, but as an Air Force base and some special commercial flights. The local volcanic activity has led to the accumulation of pumice deposits which are currently mined, as well as the presence of natural sparkling water, which is bottled under the brand name San Felipe.
The airplane scene in the film Maria Full of Grace
was filmed out of the Latacunga airport using local extras. The landscape seen from the plane is the area surrounding Latacunga.
The second celebration is a party which all Latacunga’s inhabitants celebrate every year on Independence Day. It is a parade with the participation of well-known people, the army, clergy and others.
Both of these fiestas include a lengthy parade of various cultural characters, all dressed-up in various colors. The 'mama negra' is the last person to pass through, which is the culmination of each parade. It is a person with their face painted in black, riding a horse, and spraying the crowd with milk. Homemade strong alcoholic drinks are freely passed between one another along the parade route, which can be quite chaotic, closing the road at times and making the route unpassable.
is the city's football (soccer) club. They play their home games at Estadio La Cocha
.
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
town of Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, capital of the Cotopaxi Province
Cotopaxi Province
Cotopaxi is one of the provinces of Ecuador. The capital is Latacunga. The province contains the Cotopaxi Volcano, an intermittent volcano with a height of 19,388 feet.- Cantons :The province is divided into 7 cantons...
, 89 km (55.3 mi) south of Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
, near the confluence of the Alaques
Alaques River
Alaques River is a river of Ecuador. It flows through Cotopaxi Province and passes nearLatacunga....
and Cutuchi
Cutuchi River
-References:* Rand McNally, The New International Atlas, 1993.* *...
rivers to form the Patate, the headstream of the Pastaza
Pastaza River
The Pastaza is a large tributary to the Amazon River.It has its headwaters in the province of Tungurahua, where the Tambo River joins the Latacunga River, near the foot of the Volcano Tungurahua, flowing south-east towards the Amazon Basin...
. At the time of census 2001 Latacunga had 51,689 inhabitants, largely mestizo
Mestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
and indigenous.
Latacunga is an hour and half south from Quito on the Pan-American Highway. It was previously also on the old road from Quito to Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
, and has a railway station between those cities. It is 9,055 ft (2,760 m). above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. Its climate is cold and windy, due to the neighboring snowclad heights, and the barren, pumice
Pumice
Pumice is a textural term for a volcanic rock that is a solidified frothy lava typically created when super-heated, highly pressurized rock is violently ejected from a volcano. It can be formed when lava and water are mixed. This unusual formation is due to the simultaneous actions of rapid...
-covered tableland on which it stands. The active volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in the country, reaching a height of...
is only 25 km. away, and the town has suffered repeatedly from eruptions. Founded in 1534, it was four times destroyed by earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s between 1698 and 1798. The neighboring ruins of an older native town are said to date from the Incas Empire.
Latacunga's most noted food is chugchucaras
Chugchucaras
Chugchucaras is the local delicacy of Latacunga, Ecuador, and the surrounding area. Chugchucaras consists of deep fried pork, mote , potatoes, fried plantains, empanadas, popcorn, and pork rinds...
, empanadas, plantains, popcorn
Popcorn
Popcorn, or popping corn, is corn which expands from the kernel and puffs up when heated. Corn is able to pop because, like sorghum, quinoa and millet, its kernels have a hard moisture-sealed hull and a dense starchy interior. This allows pressure to build inside the kernel until an explosive...
, and tostado (a type of toasted corn.) Often mixed with ají
Aji
Aji may refer to:*Ağrı Airport , near the city of Ağrı in the Ağrı Province, Turkey*Ají pepper*Aji , a condiment*Aji , a historical title and rank in the Ryukyu Islands*Aji , in Tieling County, Liaoning, China...
, a type of condiment that can be mild to very spicy depending on how it's prepared.
The Latacunga economy is dependent on agriculture, and floriculture. It has an international airport, the Cotopaxi International Airport
Cotopaxi International Airport
Cotopaxi International Airport is an international airport in Latacunga, the capital of the province of Cotopaxi in Ecuador. It has the longest runway in Ecuador....
, that is not used for international passenger use, but as an Air Force base and some special commercial flights. The local volcanic activity has led to the accumulation of pumice deposits which are currently mined, as well as the presence of natural sparkling water, which is bottled under the brand name San Felipe.
The airplane scene in the film Maria Full of Grace
Maria Full of Grace
Maria Full of Grace is a 2004 joint Colombian-American film, written and directed by Joshua Marston, who won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. Although the movie depicts rural life in Colombia, it was actually filmed in Ecuador...
was filmed out of the Latacunga airport using local extras. The landscape seen from the plane is the area surrounding Latacunga.
Traditional festivals
" La Fiesta de la Mama Negra" is a well known traditional festival in Latacunga. It is a mixture of indigenous, Spanish and African influences. It takes place twice a year. The first one was organized in September by the people from the markets "La Merced y Del Salto" in honor of the "Virgen de la Merced". The Virgin is venerated because she stopped the Cotopaxi Volcano eruption in 1742. That is the reason why Latacunga's inhabitants call her “Abogada y patrona del volcan” meaning (lawyer and boss of the volcano).The second celebration is a party which all Latacunga’s inhabitants celebrate every year on Independence Day. It is a parade with the participation of well-known people, the army, clergy and others.
Both of these fiestas include a lengthy parade of various cultural characters, all dressed-up in various colors. The 'mama negra' is the last person to pass through, which is the culmination of each parade. It is a person with their face painted in black, riding a horse, and spraying the crowd with milk. Homemade strong alcoholic drinks are freely passed between one another along the parade route, which can be quite chaotic, closing the road at times and making the route unpassable.
Historic downtown
Latacunga’s historic downtown extends about 30 squares. Prominent buildings to visit are:- Saint Francis’s church, the first church built in the city.
- The municipal palace; it was built with pumice stone in a neoclassical style.
- The Main Square in which stands a statue of Dr. Vicente Leon.
Sports
Sociedad Deportiva FlamengoSociedad Deportiva Flamengo
Sociedad Deportiva Flamengo, commonly known just as Flamengo, are an Ecuadorian football team from Latacunga, Cotopaxi province. They are currently competing in the Segunda Categoría.-History:Sociedad Deportiva Flamengo were founded in 1923...
is the city's football (soccer) club. They play their home games at Estadio La Cocha
Estadio La Cocha
Estadio La Cocha is a multi-use stadium in Latacunga, Ecuador. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Club Deportivo Universidad Técnica de Cotopaxi of the Serie B de Ecuador, and of Club Social y Deportivo Cotopaxi and Sociedad Deportiva Flamengo of the...
.