Guayaquil, officially Santiago de Guayaquil (English: St. James of Guayaquil), is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador, with around 5 million people in the metropolitan area, as well as the nation's main port. The city is the capital of the Ecuadorian province of Guayas and the seat of the namesake canton.
Guayaquil is located on the western bank of the Guayas River, which flows into the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Guayaquil.
Geography[]
Guayaquil is the nation's largest city and the capital of Guayas Province. It is on the Guayas River about 40 miles (64.37 kilometers) north of the Gulf of Guayaquil, near the Equator. Guayaquil, along with most of the coastal region, was impacted by the April 16th, 2016 earthquake of 7.8 magnitude. A bridge that was above a major artery, Avenida de las Americas, collapsed in the early evening of April 16th, killing two people.
Climate[]
Guayaquil features a tropical savanna climate (Köppen: Aw). Between January and April, the climate is hot and humid with heavy rainfall, especially during El Niño years when it increases dramatically and flooding usually occurs. The rest of the year (from May through December), however, rainfall is minimal due to the cooling influence of the Humboldt Current, with usually cloudy mornings and afternoons, and evening breezes.
