2007-12-28 Morona Santiago Province

Autor: Administrador Del Portal The Morona Santiago Province emerge privileged by its strategic location in center of the Ecuadorian Amazonian Region, green earth that enjoys of human heat of its people, exuberant natural places and wealth of its ground. It has great amount of attractive tourist of great cultural and natural beauty. This has made it deserving of title “Temple of the Amazonia”. Country:    Republic of Ecuador Province:   Morona Santiago Capital:     Macas, founded in May 29 of 1539   Population:   115 412 inhabitants                Urban:     38 472 inhabitants                 Rural:      76 940 inhabitants Territorial Extension:   24 062, 78 Km2 Provincial Limits:  North:  Pastaza and Tungurahua Provinces South:  Zamora Chinchipe Province and International Limit with Peru Republic  East:   Limit the International with Peru Republic  West:  Chimborazo, Cañar and Azuay Provinces Political division:   The Morona Santiago province is divided in 12 cantons:                 •  Morona                     •  Limón Indanza                 •  Palora                        •  San Juan Bosco                 •  Huamboya                 •  Pablo Sexto                 •  Sucúa                        •  Gualaquiza                 •  Santiago                     •  Taisha                 •  Logroño                     •  Tiwintza Climate:   By the irregularity of rains there are no marked stations, but according to the altitude can be distinguished three types of climates: cold, subtropical humid, and tropical humid. The temperature in the capital fluctuates between 18 and 23º C. Precipitation:   The annual average precipitation is of 25000mm, presenting frequent rains of December to July. Geography: The Andes Eastern mountain range is highest and important of this province. Her unfasten other mountain ranges of smaller altitude: Condorzazo, Huamboya, Logroño, Cruzado and Patacocha.   The elevations of greater altitude are: the Altar (5319m) and the Sangay (5230m) to western end of province. The Cutucú old mountain range is located to east, besides of Upano River valley. To southeastern is the Cóndor mountain range historical, scene of military confrontations between Ecuador and Peru. Hydrography:   The main rivers are: Pastaza, Paute, Negro, Upano, Pescado, Abanico, Chiguaza, Bomboiza, Zamora, Morona, Santiago, Macuma and Palora. Flora: The climate influences in exuberant vegetation. The natural forests and great extensions of pasture land abound, wich are destined to cattle breeding. A great amount of highly quoted trees by the quality of its wood exists: mahogany, pitiuca, cedar, laurel, guayacán, pechiche, jiquinda, washiqui, canelón, among other many. There are oily plants, textile fibers, gum tree and ornamentals. In Morona Santiago is most of Sangay Nacional Park, declared by UNESCO, like Natural Patrimony of the Humanity. Also it has extensive primary forests that include important riches of flora, fauna and reserve of oxygen. It is a true biogenetic bank. Fauna: Between the wild fauna are very colorful exotic birds: parrots, toucans, several classes of wild turkey hens, parakeets, the mount rooster and varieties of hummingbirds. There are great varieties of multicolored butterflies. Between the mammals stand out “sainos” or wild pigs, danta or tapir American, guatusa, deer, armadillo, jaguars, tigrillos, foxes, jumbumbes and several tens of monkeys. Between the reptiles they are amphibious boa, that it measures of 5 to 8 meters in length, snake X and the coral of several shining colors. Economy: Wealth and Potentialities The province is fundamentally farming. The land production is oriented mostly to local market and auto-consumption. The most important products are hard corn, banana, yucca, chinese potato, coffee, cacao, pitajaya and naranjilla. The cattle’s breeding is abundant in the entire province, especially in Sucúa, Macas, Mendez, Limón and Gualaquiza. The cattle production is sold in the markets of coast, especially in Guayaquil, and also in Peru. The pig cattle destines specially for auto-consumption and local market. In Colai and Shingata are gold and silver mines. In Méndez, Gualaquiza, Limón and Bomboiza gold in great amounts is washed. Of Limon Indanza canton leaves great amounts of clay for ceramics that takes place in this country and quartz sand (silica), used raw material for the elaboration of glass. Of Gualaquiza, Lemon, and Santiago de Méndez is extracting barium carbonate (barite), used in petroleum extraction. Ethnic groups: Shuar Ancestral ethnic group well-known world-wide by head reductions, reckless, soldiers and great hunters, has inhabited by centuries in Morona Santiago territories. In principle they had nomadic habits, characterized to live in forest next to rivers and lagoons, they being arrived to depend on great form of hunting and fishes. At the moment they are sedentary and they complement these activities with agriculture, they are skillful for artisan article elaboration with natural products like seeds, peels and others of folkloric use in celebrations. Achuar Ethnic group very similar to Shuar, at the moment lives throughout the Cutucú mountain range. This group has managed to maintain and to preserve better the cultural manifestations as its cuts of hair, the great seriousness that characterize to them, very good producers of basketwork and ceramics. Macabea Originating culture of mestization, this has lived for long time and continues living in the present Macas. Characterized to have a feeding based on rolaquimba, yucca, peanut, meat, etc. with seasoning and it marinates own of his creativity. The drink of guayusa is the particular characteristics of Macabea people. They have a sociable life form, differentiated in randimpa work (“minga”), activity that had like reason the communitarian work to help in the small farm.