Zamora-Chinchipe Province
Encyclopedia
Zamora Chinchipe is a Province of the Republic
of Ecuador
, located at the southeastern end of the Amazon Basin
, which shares borders with the Ecuadorian province
s of Azuay
and Morona Santiago
to the north, Loja
and Azuay to the west, and with Peru
to the east and south. The province comprises an area of approximately 10,456 km² and is covered with a uniquely mountainous topography
which markedly distinguishes it from the surrounding Amazonian provinces. Zamora-Chinchipe is characterized and largely identified by its mining industry; indigenous ethnic group
s with a rich archaeological legacy; its biodiversity
; and its niche
and tourist
attractions, which include a number of waterfalls well-noted for their beauty. The province takes its name from the bureaucrat
ic fusion of the Zamora and Chinchipe canton
s. The provincial capital is the city of Zamora
.
and mixed race settlers arrived in the province, but the oldest verifiable data shows that in the late 1840s, the Chinchipe River
basin was already inhabited by people arriving from the Loja Province of modern Ecuador and Peru. The migration was also made from the Ecuadorian Province of Azuay to the Yacuambi Canton
, where the Saraguros and mixed race people arrived. During the Spanish Colonial period
, several explorers surveyed the territory, such as the French
geographer
and mathematician
Charles Marie de La Condamine
in a 1743 expedition. In 1781, the Spanish made a second attempt at colonization in the area, lured by the exploitation of gold
deposits, but they found it impossible to dominate the natives.
The current settlement known as Zamora was not permanently reestablished by white and mixed race settlers until March 12, 1921, when the Catholic church founded the Apostolic Vicariate of Zamora, after many prior attempts at colonization, each repelled by the resistance of the Shuar people. In 1911, the Zamora parish
became cantonal head of the Zamora Canton of the Provincia de Oriente. On December 15, 1920, the Santiago-Zamora Province was created. It consisted of the Chinchipe, Macas
, Morona
and Zamora cantons. The Chinchipe and Zamora cantons were each constituted by three parishes. On January 5, 1921, the Yacuambi Canton was created for the Santiago-Zamora Province.
On July 5, 1941, Ecuador was invaded by Peru, with part of the unpopulated territory of the province in contention. A ceasefire
was brokered between the Foreign Minister
s of Peru and Ecuador (with the participation of the United States
, Brazil
, Chile
, and Argentina
as "guarantors") capped with the signing of the Rio Protocol
. The treaty officially brought an end to the state of war which had existed between Ecuador and Peru, and left part of the Ecuadorian provinces of El Oro, Loja, and Zamora-Chinchipe under Peruvian occupation
. After the 1941 war, forced migration of impoverished peasants and citizens to the province was accelerated by drought in Loja Province, resulting in colonization of many areas of the Zamora-Chinchipe territory which had been theretofore uninhabited. The creation of the Zamora-Chinchipe Province was a twelve year process which was due, in large part, to the indefatigable efforts of one Benjamin Carrión
, a citizen of the Ecuadorian province of Loja, and, on November 10, 1953, Zamora-Chinchipe was designated an autonomous province, being separated from the Santiago-Zamora Province by means of a legal term issued in the Ecuadorian Official Registry Nо. 360.
In 1981, the tensions with Peru were rekindled by a military confrontation over the Cenepa River
in the Cordillera del Cóndor
. The conflict was centered in the Paquisha
, Mayaycu and Manchinaza localities. By 1995 the conflict had reemerged, and in 1999 the signing of the Peace Agreement between Ecuador and Peru settled the contours of Zamora-Chinchipe's borders with its southern neighbor.
, its area in square kilometres (km²), and the name of the canton seat or capital.
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
of Ecuador
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...
, located at the southeastern end of the Amazon Basin
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
, which shares borders with the Ecuadorian province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
s of Azuay
Azuay Province
Azuay is a province of Ecuador, created 25 June 1824. It encompasses an area of . Its capital is Cuenca. It is located in the south center of Ecuador in the highlands. Its mountains reach above sea level in the national park of El Cajas....
and Morona Santiago
Morona-Santiago Province
Morona Santiago is a province in Ecuador. The province was established on February 24, 1954. The capital is Macas.- Economy :The provincial economy is industrially unexploited to its potential due to low means of transportation. Its economy relies largely on the tourist sector of the rain forest...
to the north, Loja
Loja Province
Loja Province is one of 24 provinces in Ecuador and shares its southern border on the west by El Oro Province, on the north by El Azuay, and on the east by Zamora-Chinchipe. Founded on its present site in 1548 by Captain Alonso de Mercadillo the site had been previously moved and rebuilt from La...
and Azuay to the west, and with Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
to the east and south. The province comprises an area of approximately 10,456 km² and is covered with a uniquely mountainous topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
which markedly distinguishes it from the surrounding Amazonian provinces. Zamora-Chinchipe is characterized and largely identified by its mining industry; indigenous ethnic group
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
s with a rich archaeological legacy; its biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
; and its niche
Ecological niche
In ecology, a niche is a term describing the relational position of a species or population in its ecosystem to each other; e.g. a dolphin could potentially be in another ecological niche from one that travels in a different pod if the members of these pods utilize significantly different food...
and tourist
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
attractions, which include a number of waterfalls well-noted for their beauty. The province takes its name from the bureaucrat
Bureaucrat
A bureaucrat is a member of a bureaucracy and can comprise the administration of any organization of any size, though the term usually connotes someone within an institution of a government or corporation...
ic fusion of the Zamora and Chinchipe canton
Cantons of Ecuador
The Cantons of Ecuador are the second-level subdivisions of Ecuador, below the provinces. There are 226 cantons in the country, of which three are not in any province. The cantons are further sub-divided into parishes, which are classified as either urban or rural...
s. The provincial capital is the city of Zamora
Zamora, Ecuador
Zamora is a city in southeastern Ecuador, capital of Zamora-Chinchipe province and cantonal head of Zamora Canton.Zamora is the second populous city in Zamora-Chinchipe after Yantzaza...
.
History
Human habitation in the region is thought to date to at least 4500 BCE, and was grounded in the Mayo-Chinchipe cultural complex. In approximately 1548, Spaniards made their first contact with the region's indigenous people. On October 4, 1549, Hernando de Barahona, accompanied by Alonso de Mercadillo and Hernando de Benavente, founded the city of Zamora de los Alcaides. Fifty years after their arrival, the Spanish were driven from the city by the Shuar revolt. In 1850, the Zamora de los Alcaides city ruins were discovered by a group of colonists. It cannot be established exactly when the first whiteWhite people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
and mixed race settlers arrived in the province, but the oldest verifiable data shows that in the late 1840s, the Chinchipe River
Chinchipe river
The Chinchipe River is a river in northern Peru. It rises in the Cajamarca Region's San Ignacio Province and flows in an eastwardly direction....
basin was already inhabited by people arriving from the Loja Province of modern Ecuador and Peru. The migration was also made from the Ecuadorian Province of Azuay to the Yacuambi Canton
Yacuambi Canton
Yacuambi Canton is a canton of Ecuador, located in the Zamora-Chinchipe Province. Its capital is the town of Yacuambi. Its population at the 2001 census was 5,229....
, where the Saraguros and mixed race people arrived. During the Spanish Colonial period
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
, several explorers surveyed the territory, such as the French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
geographer
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
and mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
Charles Marie de La Condamine
Charles Marie de La Condamine
Charles Marie de La Condamine was a French explorer, geographer, and mathematician. He spent ten years in present-day Ecuador measuring the length of a degree latitude at the equator and preparing the first map of the Amazon region based on astronomical observations.-Biography:Charles Marie de La...
in a 1743 expedition. In 1781, the Spanish made a second attempt at colonization in the area, lured by the exploitation of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
deposits, but they found it impossible to dominate the natives.
The current settlement known as Zamora was not permanently reestablished by white and mixed race settlers until March 12, 1921, when the Catholic church founded the Apostolic Vicariate of Zamora, after many prior attempts at colonization, each repelled by the resistance of the Shuar people. In 1911, the Zamora parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
became cantonal head of the Zamora Canton of the Provincia de Oriente. On December 15, 1920, the Santiago-Zamora Province was created. It consisted of the Chinchipe, Macas
Macas
Macas is the capital of Morona Santiago province in southeastern Ecuador. The city is also the seat of the county Morona. Known as the "Emerald of the East" due to its location east of the Andes mountains, Macas lies in the Upano Valley overlooking the Upano river...
, Morona
Morona
The Morona is a tributary to the Amazon River, and flows parallel to the Pastaza River and immediately to the west of it, and is the last stream of any importance on the northern side of the Amazon before reaching the Pongo de Manseriche....
and Zamora cantons. The Chinchipe and Zamora cantons were each constituted by three parishes. On January 5, 1921, the Yacuambi Canton was created for the Santiago-Zamora Province.
On July 5, 1941, Ecuador was invaded by Peru, with part of the unpopulated territory of the province in contention. A ceasefire
Ceasefire
A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces...
was brokered between the Foreign Minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
s of Peru and Ecuador (with the participation of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
as "guarantors") capped with the signing of the Rio Protocol
Rio Protocol
The Protocol of Peace, Friendship, and Boundaries between Peru and Ecuador, or Rio Protocol for short, was an international agreement signed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on January 29, 1942, by the foreign ministers of Peru and Ecuador, with the participation of the United States, Brazil, Chile, and...
. The treaty officially brought an end to the state of war which had existed between Ecuador and Peru, and left part of the Ecuadorian provinces of El Oro, Loja, and Zamora-Chinchipe under Peruvian occupation
Military occupation
Military occupation occurs when the control and authority over a territory passes to a hostile army. The territory then becomes occupied territory.-Military occupation and the laws of war:...
. After the 1941 war, forced migration of impoverished peasants and citizens to the province was accelerated by drought in Loja Province, resulting in colonization of many areas of the Zamora-Chinchipe territory which had been theretofore uninhabited. The creation of the Zamora-Chinchipe Province was a twelve year process which was due, in large part, to the indefatigable efforts of one Benjamin Carrión
Benjamín Carrión
Manuel Benjamín Carrión Mora was an Ecuadorian writer and cultural promoter.He was born into an aristocratic family in Loja. He was a lawyer by training, and occupied various positions in the public arena, including Minister of Education, legislator, diplomat in several countries of Europe and...
, a citizen of the Ecuadorian province of Loja, and, on November 10, 1953, Zamora-Chinchipe was designated an autonomous province, being separated from the Santiago-Zamora Province by means of a legal term issued in the Ecuadorian Official Registry Nо. 360.
In 1981, the tensions with Peru were rekindled by a military confrontation over the Cenepa River
Cenepa River
The Cenepa River rises in the Condor mountain range in Peru, South America and has a length of 185 km. It borders to the North on Ecuador, to the East on the districts of Río Santiago and Nieva, on the South with the district of Imaza, and on the West with Ecuador....
in the Cordillera del Cóndor
Cordillera del Cóndor
The Cordillera del Condor is a range in Ecuador and Peru....
. The conflict was centered in the Paquisha
Paquisha War
The Paquisha War was a brief military clash that took place between January and February 1981 between Ecuador and Peru over the control of three watchposts. While Peru felt that the matter was already decided in the Ecuadorian-Peruvian War of 1941, Ecuador did not agree with the Rio de Janeiro...
, Mayaycu and Manchinaza localities. By 1995 the conflict had reemerged, and in 1999 the signing of the Peace Agreement between Ecuador and Peru settled the contours of Zamora-Chinchipe's borders with its southern neighbor.
Political division
The province is divided into nine cantons. The following table lists each with its population as of the 2001 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, its area in square kilometres (km²), and the name of the canton seat or capital.
| Canton | Pop. (2001) | Area (km²) | Seat/Capital |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centinela del Cóndor Centinela del Cóndor Canton Centinela del Cóndor Canton is a canton of Ecuador, located in the Zamora-Chinchipe Province. Its capital is the town of Zumbi. Its population at the 2001 census was 7,230.... |
7,230 | 519 | Zumbi |
| Chinchipe Chinchipe Canton Chinchipe Canton is a canton of Ecuador, located in the Zamora-Chinchipe Province. Its capital is the town of Zumba. Its population at the 2001 census was 8,495.... |
8,495 | 1,194 | Zumba |
| El Pangui El Pangui Canton El Pangui Canton is a canton of Ecuador, located in the Zamora-Chinchipe Province. Its capital is the town of El Pangui. Its population at the 2001 census was 7,441.... |
7,441 | 614 | El Pangui |
| Nangaritza Nangaritza Canton Nangaritza Canton is a canton of Ecuador, located in the Zamora-Chinchipe Province. Its capital is the town of Nangaritza. Its population at the 2001 census was 4,797.... |
4,797 | 2,096 | Guayzimi (Nangaritza) |
| Palanda Palanda Canton Palanda Canton is a canton of Ecuador, located in the Zamora-Chinchipe Province. Its capital is the town of Palanda. Its population at the 2001 census was 7,066.-History:... |
7,066 | 1,925 | Palanda |
| Paquisha Paquisha Canton Paquisha Canton is a canton of Ecuador, located in the Zamora-Chinchipe Province. Its capital is the town of Paquisha.... |
Paquisha | ||
| Yacuambi Yacuambi Canton Yacuambi Canton is a canton of Ecuador, located in the Zamora-Chinchipe Province. Its capital is the town of Yacuambi. Its population at the 2001 census was 5,229.... |
5,229 | 1,242 | Yacuambi |
| Yantzaza Yantzaza Canton Yantzaza Canton is a canton of Ecuador, located in the Zamora-Chinchipe Province. Its capital is the town of Yantzaza. Its population at the 2001 census was 14,552.... |
14,552 | 990 | Yantzaza Yantzaza Yantzaza is a town in the Zamora Chinchipe province of Ecuador. It is the seat of the Yantzaza Canton.- References :*... |
| Zamora Zamora Canton Zamora is a canton in the Zamora-Chinchipe Province of Ecuador. It was named after Zamora city, the provincial capital and head of the canton of the same name.-History:... |
21,791 | 1,876 | Zamora Zamora, Ecuador Zamora is a city in southeastern Ecuador, capital of Zamora-Chinchipe province and cantonal head of Zamora Canton.Zamora is the second populous city in Zamora-Chinchipe after Yantzaza... |