Riobamba

Riobamba on the map of Ecuador

Riobamba (full name San Pedro de Riobamba ) is a city in Ecuador, capital of the Ecuadorian province of Chimborazo and seat of the Bishop of Riobamba. It has 124 807 inhabitants (2004) and is the center of an agricultural region and a major transportation hub in Ecuador.

• 4.1 traffic
• 4.2 Education

Geography

Riobamba is located in the central Sierra in 2750 meters above sea level in a basin of the Andes in the valley of the river Chambo. It is surrounded by the snow-covered and partly active volcanoes Chimborazo ( 6,310 m), El Altar ( 5,319 m) ​​, Carihuairazo ( 5,020 m), Tungurahua ( 5,023 m), Cubillín ( 4,711 m) and Sangay ( 5,230 m). Except for the Sangay all can be seen from the city. Due to its location Riobamba is therefore apostrophized by locals as " Sultana of the Andes".

History

The area around present-day Riobamba was the center of Puruhá culture. The Puruhá were subjected after long struggles of the Incas. In the area of Riobamba probably originated under Huayna Capac an important administrative and supply post of the Incas between Tomebamba (now Cuenca), Latacunga and Quito. Strategically shelter the area of the Inca rule, which was exercised by the current Quito.

Riobamba was probably Rumiñahui, a general of the victorious in the war for the succession of Huayna Capac, Atahualpa ( a son of Huayna Capac with the given in marriage to him only daughter of the last ruler of the Shyris ), on the retreat after his defeat by the forces of the Spanish conquistadors Sebastian de Benalcázar destroyed. Belalcázar is a little later, the towns of Santiago and San Francisco have established in August 1534 in the area around Riobamba, which were later moved to the north or west or newly founded and today form Guayaquil and Quito.

Riobamba initially made little attention. 1575 a place called San Pedro de Riobamba was newly founded, which was primarily a military base under different names. But agriculture and livestock on the surrounding fincas and haciendas and textile factories were bit by bit grow the civil importance of Riobamba, so the city became an important market and cultural center in the 18th century.

On February 4, 1797, the city was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake, which also approximately half the population, and large sections of the ruling class were killed. In 1799 it was finally established about 15 kilometers north of its present position again. Today the place Cajabamba At the site of the old Riobamba.

On April 21, 1822 Riobamba was explained by the troops of liberation fighter Antonio José de Sucre independent. It then became part of Gran Colombia to. In Riobamba the first constitution of Ecuador was developed in August and September 1830 and proclaimed the independence on 23 September the Venezuelans Juan José Flores the first president. One of the main streets of Riobamba, therefore, is now called Primera Constituyente.

In the second half of the 19th century Riobamba became the administrative center and the provincial capital with the Supreme Court. At the beginning of the 1860s was by Pope Pius IX. the Bolívar - established diocese based in Riobamba.

The construction of the railway line Riobamba received at the beginning of the 20th century a significant upturn and was the third largest city in the country. Many immigrants from abroad, could be a dealer down here. Magnificent buildings and suburbs emerged. Mid-1920s, the city lost development momentum and stagnated for several decades. High numbers of emigrants to Quito, Guayaquil and were abroad and are the result, although the growth of the city has increased significantly since the mid- 1980s.

Culture and sights

Structures

Due to the destruction and foundation Riobamba has relatively few buildings worth seeing. The churches of the city are largely unadorned in its interior. The cathedral, should nevertheless note: while their facade in Españada - style ( " Mestizo Baroque " ) to be reconstructed from the ruins of the old Riobamba, dominate inside with concrete, glass and wood modern elements. Your connected is a museum.

Built in 1883-1915 Basilica at Parque La Libertad is considered the only round church in Ecuador.

On the hill Loma de Quito in the northern city center is built by Franciscans Iglesia de San Antonio. From this hill one has a particularly good view of the city and part of the surrounding volcanoes.

Museums

The museum of religious art in the church Iglesia de la Concepción, which belongs to the convent of the Sisters of the Order of the Holy Conception, shows paintings, sculptures and other objects, particularly from the colonial era.

The Colegio Maldonado, which stands on the site of the Dominican monastery, in the 1830 Constituent Assembly met, houses a natural history museum.

Natural Monuments

Riobamba is the starting point for mountain walks and mountaineering expeditions to the surrounding volcanoes. Further, one can visit this tourist spot on the train ride through the Andes of Riobamba on Alausí at the " Devil's Nose " by after Huigra (and back) from a distance. Not far from Riobamba is the Sangay National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Economy and infrastructure

The environment, especially in the south and southeast of Riobamba is a major agricultural center for the supply of large cities in Ecuador. There are grown, brought together in Riobamba and distributed to the entire country especially vegetables (onions, potatoes, lentils, peas, beans, etc.). There are also industrial enterprises especially in the field of textile, leather, wood and metalwork and ceramics. The kunsthandwerbliche industry mainly produces goods made ​​of ceramic and the Mark of the ivory nut.

According to a study of the Ecuadorian Institute of Statistics ( INEC ) from 2004 Riobamba is after the small town Sangolquí in Quito is the second best -equipped municipal infrastructure Ecuadorian city: 88.9 % of households have running water, 96.4 % are connected to the sewer. 98.4 % are the mains, 53.3 % connected to the telephone network. The garbage collection uses 93 % of households. The safety level is among the highest in the country.

Traffic

Riobamba is a central point in the traffic network in Ecuador.

It lies between Quito and Cuenca at the Pan-American road that runs through the country from north to south direction. In Riobamba crosses and combines partly with another road, on the one hand leads to the Peruvian Tumbes to Guayaquil and Machala on the other hand, on the Pacific coast to the west. To the east, this road passes over Baños to Puyo and thus represents an important link dar. into the Amazon lowlands

Also at the railway line from Guayaquil to Quito Riobamba Durán was a major hub before the part of the track was destroyed by landslides to the coast in 1998 and limited by bus in its meaning. Trips from Riobamba (and sometimes from Quito ) about Alausí after Huigra with the train on the " Devil's Nose " were, however, continue to be offered for tourists. In the years 2009 - 2013 was a fundamental reorganization of the decades neglected rail network, as well as the stations and rolling stock. Since then, the rail line between Guayaquil and Quito Durán is continuously usable again.

Education

In Riobamba, there are two important regional universities, a general education oriented Universidad Nacional and a Polytechnic college.

Sports

In the city the Centro Deportivo Olmedo football team is at home.