Puná Island
Encyclopedia
Puná Island is an Island off the coast of southern Ecuador
at approximately 80 degrees west longitude
and 3 degrees south latitude
. It is located at the head of the Gulf of Guayaquil
, south of the mouth of the Guayas River
and the city of Guayaquil
, Ecuador's largest city and chief port. It is bordered by Jambelí Channel on the east and Morro Channel on the west, both of which connect the open Gulf of Guayaquil to the narrow mouth of the Guayas River. The total area of Puná Island is 330 sq. mi. (855 km²). The island is a parish of Guayaquil Canton in Guayas Province
.
, fought on the island in April 1531, was an engagement of Francisco Pizarro
's during the Spanish conquest of Peru. It was fought by the Spanish conquistadores against the native Tumbez people who had managed to resist even the vast Inca Empire
.
The missionary first bishop of Cuzco, Vincent de Valverde, was put to death and eaten there by the islanders on 31st October 1541.
Puná Island is where rugby union in Ecuador
was first played, in the 1930s, by English merchants.
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...
at approximately 80 degrees west longitude
80th meridian west
The meridian 80° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, North America, the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, Central America, South America, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole.In Antarctica, the...
and 3 degrees south latitude
3rd parallel south
The 3rd parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 3 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, Australasia, the Pacific Ocean and South America....
. It is located at the head of 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...
, south of the mouth of the Guayas River
Guayas River
The Guayas River is a river in western Ecuador. It gives name to the Guayas Province, and it is the most important river in South America that does not flow into the Atlantic Ocean or any of its seas. Its total length, including the Daule River, is 389 km.-Course:The Guayas River has one of...
and the city of 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...
, Ecuador's largest city and chief port. It is bordered by Jambelí Channel on the east and Morro Channel on the west, both of which connect the open Gulf of Guayaquil to the narrow mouth of the Guayas River. The total area of Puná Island is 330 sq. mi. (855 km²). The island is a parish of Guayaquil Canton in Guayas Province
Guayas Province
Guayas is a coastal province in Ecuador. It is bordered to the west by Manabí, Santa Elena, and the Pacific Ocean ; to the east by Los Ríos, Bolívar, Chimborazo, Cañar, and Azuay; to the north by Los Ríos and Bolívar; and to the south by El Oro and the Pacific Ocean.With a population of over 3...
.
History
The Battle of PunáBattle of Puná
The Battle of Puná, a peripheral engagement of Francisco Pizarro's conquest of Peru, was fought in April 1531 on the island of Puná in Ecuador. Pizarro's conquistadors, boasting superior weaponry and tactical skill, decisively defeated the island's indigenous inhabitants...
, fought on the island in April 1531, was an engagement of Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro González, Marquess was a Spanish conquistador, conqueror of the Incan Empire, and founder of Lima, the modern-day capital of the Republic of Peru.-Early life:...
's during the Spanish conquest of Peru. It was fought by the Spanish conquistadores against the native Tumbez people who had managed to resist even the vast Inca Empire
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
.
The missionary first bishop of Cuzco, Vincent de Valverde, was put to death and eaten there by the islanders on 31st October 1541.
Puná Island is where rugby union in Ecuador
Rugby union in Ecuador
Rugby union in Ecuador is a minor, but growing sport.-Governing body:The governing body is the Federación Ecuatoriana de Rugby, which is affiliated to CONSUR but not to the IRB-History:...
was first played, in the 1930s, by English merchants.
Sources
- http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9061897
- Catholic Encyclopaedia- Vincent de Valverde