Quito, Ecuador

Quito, formally San Francisco de Quito, is the capital and most populous city of Ecuador. Quito is located in a valley on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes, at an elevation of 2,850 m (9,350 ft), making it the second-highest capital city in the world.

Quito is the political and cultural epicenter of Ecuador. The country's major governmental, administrative, and cultural institutions are located within the city.

In the late fifteenth century, the Inca Emperor Huayna Capac defeated the Quitu, the region's original inhabitants, and incorporated Quito into the Inca Empire, turning it into the capital of the Inca Empire's northern region. The Spanish conquest of the city in 1534 is most frequently cited as the city's official founding, making Quito the oldest capital in South America.

Quito's historic center is among the largest and best-preserved in the Americas. Quito's northern limits extend to within about 1 km (0.62 mi) of the Equator, making it the national capital at the lowest latitude.