Quito (official name: San Francisco de Quito) is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in northern Ecuador The city's elevation is 9,300 ft (2,850m) above sea level (measured at the Plaza de la Independencia), making Quito the second highest capital city in the world. The city's population according to the most recent census is 1,399,378.
Quito is located about 22 miles (35 km) south of the equator. A monument marking the equator is known locally as "la mitad del mundo" (the middle of the world).
The "centro histórico", historical center, was appointed as the first UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Siteand has many appealing plazas and manierist and baroque churches, including the Cathedral, the convent and church of St. Francis and the church of the Society of Jesus. There are also several museums, many of them dedicated to Colonial art and history; some of the most renowned are the City Museum, the Metropolitan Cultural Center and the museum of the Convent of St. Francis. Markets are scattered throughout the area.
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