Machala
Encyclopedia
Machala is a city in south-west Ecuador
. It is the capital of the El Oro Province
and located near the Gulf of Guayaquil
on fertile
lowland
s. Machala has a population
of 230,901 (2010 census), making it the fourth biggest city of the country; it has been referred to as the Banana Capital of the World.
industries. There is a large trade in banana
s, coffee
and cocoa. The banana industry is especially oriented for exportation, and plays a huge role in the city's economy. Bananas are shipped out from nearby Puerto Bolívar
mainly to North America. Machala's geographical position near Guayaquil
also makes it an important transportation center. Many travelers heading south to Peru or north to Guayaquil funnel through the city. It is not known as a tourist destination among Ecuadorians or international tourists though its proximity to the Pacific Ocean
positions it close to beaches. Machala has a growing economy that was marked in 2007 by the inauguration of its first mall, with a movie theater, on the outskirts of the city.
and the Jambelí Islands, which can only be reached by ferry. Machala has a small airport
which currently has no commercial flights (IATA location identifier: MCH). In the past there have been flights to Guayaquil and Quito with Ecuadorian airline TAME
.
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. It is the capital of the El Oro Province
El Oro Province
El Oro province is the southernmost of Ecuador's coastal provinces. It was named for its historically important gold production. Today it is one of the world's major exporters of bananas. The capital is Machala.-Geography:To the north and east the province has borders with the provinces Guayas,...
and located near the Gulf of Guayaquil
Gulf of Guayaquil
The Gulf of Guayaquil is a large body of water of the Pacific Ocean in western South America. Its northern limit is the city of Salinas, in Ecuador, and its southern limit is Punta Pariñas, in Peru.The gulf takes its name from the city of Guayaquil...
on fertile
Fertile
The term fertile describes a condition whereby organisms are able to produce physically healthy offspring.Fertile may also refer to:...
lowland
Lowland
In physical geography, a lowland is any broad expanse of land with a general low level. The term is thus applied to the landward portion of the upward slope from oceanic depths to continental highlands, to a region of depression in the interior of a mountainous region, to a plain of denudation, or...
s. Machala has a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 230,901 (2010 census), making it the fourth biggest city of the country; it has been referred to as the Banana Capital of the World.
Economy
Machala is a commercial center for the surrounding agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
industries. There is a large trade in banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s, coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
and cocoa. The banana industry is especially oriented for exportation, and plays a huge role in the city's economy. Bananas are shipped out from nearby Puerto Bolívar
Puerto Bolívar
Puerto Bolivar is part of the municipality of Machala, El Oro Province, Ecuador. Puerto Bolívar is one of the world's largest shipment points for bananas, most of them destined for Europe; about 80% of Ecuador's banana production is shipped through these port facilities.The port was named in honor...
mainly to North America. Machala's geographical position near Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
also makes it an important transportation center. Many travelers heading south to Peru or north to Guayaquil funnel through the city. It is not known as a tourist destination among Ecuadorians or international tourists though its proximity to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
positions it close to beaches. Machala has a growing economy that was marked in 2007 by the inauguration of its first mall, with a movie theater, on the outskirts of the city.
Orientation
The center of Machala is dominated by a large Catholic church and a central plaza. The plaza was built in the early 2000s to include a large fountain. There are many hotels situated in the center of the city. Las Brisas, located nearly a mile from the central plaza, is another popular place in Machala. It is a wealthier neighborhood which used to serve as a popular hang out for local teenagers. But the remodeling of La Zona Rosa, as well as the decreased safety of the area have led to it becoming less popular.Education
Machala has two universities, the Universidad Técnica de Machala and the "UTSAM,", Universidad Tecnologica San Antonio de Machala. There are many private schools in Machala and one public high school- Colegio 9 De Octubre. The city serves as a stopping-off point on the way to nearby Puerto BolívarPuerto Bolívar
Puerto Bolivar is part of the municipality of Machala, El Oro Province, Ecuador. Puerto Bolívar is one of the world's largest shipment points for bananas, most of them destined for Europe; about 80% of Ecuador's banana production is shipped through these port facilities.The port was named in honor...
and the Jambelí Islands, which can only be reached by ferry. Machala has a small airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
which currently has no commercial flights (IATA location identifier: MCH). In the past there have been flights to Guayaquil and Quito with Ecuadorian airline TAME
Tame
Tame may refer to:*Taming, the act of domesticating wild animals*River Tame, Greater Manchester*River Tame, West Midlands and the Tame Valley*Tame, Arauca, a Colombian town and municipality...
.
External links
- Municipio de Machala Web site of the municipality in Spanish
- Orenses - El Oro - Machala - Ecuador / Comunidad Virtual de la Provincia de El Oro News about Machala in Spanish
- Chat Orenses - El Oro - Machala - Ecuador Chat Orenses - El Oro - Machala - Ecuador
- Investor info for Ecuador and Machala
- Universidad Technica de Machala
- Sitio informativo de la Capital Bananera del Mundo
- Ecuador, Travel in Machala