Chimborazo Province
The Chimborazo Province (Spanish: Provincia de Chimborazo ) is a province in Ecuador. Covering an area of 5,600 km ² it has about 430,000 inhabitants. The capital is Riobamba. The province is located in the Central Andes of Ecuador and is named after the 6,310 -meter high volcano Chimborazo.
Geography
The Chimborazo province is bordered on the north by the province of Tungurahua, on the east by the province of Morona Santiago, on the south by the province of Cañar and on the east by the provinces of Guayas and Bolivar. In addition to the Chimborazo are the volcanoes El Altar, Cubillín and parts of Sangay and the Sangay National Park in the province of Chimborazo. In addition, the Colta Lake ( Laguna de Colta ) is part of the natural heritage of the province.
The train ride from Riobamba on Guamote, the " Devil's Nose " ( Nariz del Diablo ), Alausí Sibambe, Huigra to Bucay or sections thereof shall apply as a tourist attraction. Earlier this stretch was the most spectacular part of the railway from Guayaquil to Quito - Durán, but which is no longer serviced regularly due to distance washouts and the displacement by bus.
The Pan-American Highway traverses the province and is divided from the north at Cajabamba in two sections, both of which lead through the highlands and the coastal plain to Peru.
Population
The province is that in Ecuador with the greatest percentage of indigenous population, especially Quichuas especially the ethnic group of Puruhá live here.
History
Historically, the province was part of the settlement and dominion of Puruháes. In 1500 the Inca Túpac Yupanqui invaded under northward. The region around the semi-desert of Tiocajas in the present province of Chimborazo was according to tradition the scene of intense armed conflict between Puruháes and with them allied groups like the Caras and the Inca Huayna Capac below. The latter won eventually. Atahualpa, son of Huayna Capac and a local princess was Huayna Capac and successor should be the last Inca remain before the Spanish conquest. Atahualpa's general Rumiñahui tried in vain from Quito, after the execution of Atahualpa in Cajamarca to stop the troops of the conquistadors Sebastián de Belalcázar. Between the two, there was again a battle in the area of Tiocajas that won Belalcázar. In the course of its advance this founded on Colta lake on the territory of today's province of Chimborazo in 1534 the cities of Santiago and San Francisco, which today form by geographical relocation and relaunch the largest cities in Ecuador, Guayaquil and Quito, which are often located far from the founding place.
The modern province of Chimborazo was based on colonial precursors as part of the big Colombian Departamento del Ecuador by the law on the territorial division (Spanish Ley de División territorial ) of Greater Colombia from June 25, 1824 founded. After the founding of the state of Ecuador ( 1830) they remained.
Policy
The directly elected Prefect of Chimborazo is called Mariano Curicama. He belongs to the Pachakutik, the political movement of the indigenous umbrella organization CONAIE and was elected for a coalition of Pachakutik and Movimiento Patria Solidaria. For the same alliance was also the mayor of the capital, Riobamba, Ángel Yáñez Ignacio, elected into office.
Pablo Morillo has since January 2007 appointed by President governor of the province. He is a supporter of the political movement Movimiento País of President Correa.
Cantons
The Chimborazo province is currently divided into 10 cantons. These are ( in order of establishment ):