Napo Province

The Napo Province (Spanish: Provincia del Napo ) is a province of Ecuador. It is located in the Oriente of Ecuador said share in the Amazon lowlands and has an area of ​​approximately 12,426 km ² approximately 90,000 inhabitants. The province is named after the Napo River, which flows through the province and the flow to the other main rivers of the province. The provincial capital is Tena.

• 6.1 infrastructure
• 6.2 Agriculture
• 6.3 Tourism
• 6.4 Natural Resources

Geography

Location

The Napo province is located in the northern center of Ecuador and stretches from the eastern slopes of the Andes on the location, on average, 500 m altitude Andean foothills to the Amazonian lowlands toward. It is bordered on the north by the province of Sucumbios, on the east by the province of Orellana, on the south by the province of Pastaza and to the west by the Andean provinces of Pichincha, Cotopaxi and Tungurahua.

Climate and vegetation

The climate in the province of Napo is tropical humid with heavy rainfall and high temperatures average 25 ° C. Accordingly, much of the province of tropical rain forest are covered with trees up to 80 meters in height. The nature of the province has a very high biodiversity, which is particularly threatened by deforestation.

Mountains

In the west of the province is the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes, from the volcanoes of Antisana ( 5.758m ), Sumaco ( 3.732m ) and Quildaña protrude ( 4.878m ). At Antisana and Quildaña arise significant sources of the Napo.

Population

The approximately 120,000 inhabitants of the province of Napo are for the most part in the context of Kolonisierungsprogrammen and immigrated as a result of oil production mestizos from the more westerly provinces of the country. About a quarter of the population belongs to indigenous peoples groups. Most of them are Amazonian Quichua, Huaorani are another important group.

History

The Napo province was created on 22 October 1959, when the 1921 -founded province of Napo - Pastaza was divided by law into two parts, the northern province of Napo Tena was charged with capital. From the province of Napo province of Sucumbios in 1989 in the north and 1998, the province of Orellana were " outsourced " to the east. The reason for the size of the original Napo Province and their low infrastructural and administrative penetration apply which should be alleviated by the creation of new provinces.

Policy

The Präfektion the province is called Gina San Miguel and belongs to the Partido Social Cristiano on. She shares the power in the province with the mayors of the cities. The capital city of Tena is governed by Washington Varela, the Partido Sociedad Patriótica of ousted President Lucio Gutiérrez belongs. Gutiérrez grew up in Tena, which is why he always had the strongest support in the country there.

From the government in Quito appointed governor of the province is Armando Bastidas.

Cantons

The Napo province is divided into five cantons. These are ( in order of establishment ):

Economy and infrastructure

Infrastructure

Only about 20 percent of the population lives in urban areas of the province. Their largest is the capital of Tena with 19,898 inhabitants ( 2005). Other major cities are Baeza and the port and tourist city of Puerto Misahuallí.

The western part of the province, which contains the larger settlements, connected by road well connected to the major cities of the Andean Ecuador. The regions in the east of the province and between settlements are often only accessible by plane or by boat on the rivers.

Agriculture

In addition to agriculture, although with relatively small growing areas important. Crops are oil palm, maize, rice, yuca and sugar cane. Also, tobacco, coffee and cocoa are at least historically important agricultural products in the province. In recent years, the cattle has become a constantly (even in terms of area ) expanding industry. For this purpose, as well as exclusively for timber, tropical woods are beaten.

Tourism

In addition gaining in the last 15 years of Ecotourism in the rainforests increasingly important. Also, adventure travel (particularly rafting) experienced increasing demand. The Napo Province in Ecuador has the best road access to the rainforest. The most important starting points of these trips are Puerto Misahuallí and Baños ( Tungurahua province ). The main objectives are the Yasuní National Park, Antisana nature reserve, the caves of Jumandi and the San Rafael Waterfall of Coca. The approximately one hour's drive from Quito situated thermal bath Papallacta is a popular destination for weekend visitors from the capital.

Mineral resources

The most important industry in the province 's oil production, even if no longer occur after the spin-off of the provinces of Sucumbios and Orellana large fields in the province.

In many rivers, the province still gold is mined today. The industry of the Napo Province, is meaningless.