Machala is a city in south-west
EcuadorEcuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador , literally, "Republic of the equator") 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 that...
, capital of the
El Oro ProvinceThe El Oro Province is the southernmost of Ecuador's coastal provinces. It has been named that way because of its historically important gold production. It is one of the worlds major banana exporters...
. It is located near the
Gulf of GuayaquilThe 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
fertileFertile is the ability in organisms, including people or animals, to produce healthy offspring.Fertile may also refer to:*Fertile material, nuclides which generally themselves do not undergo induced fission, but from which fissile material can be generated*Fertile, Iowa, a small city in the United...
lowlandsLowlands or The Lowlands can refer toGeographic regions* Scottish Lowlands, all of mainland Scotland that isn't the Highlands * Northern European Lowlands, a region of Europe between the Central Highlands and the North Sea...
. It has a
populationIn biology, a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular species; in sociology, a collection of human beings. Individuals within a population share a factor may be reduced by statistical means, but such a generalization may be too vague to imply anything...
of 426,901 (2008 estimate). Machala has been referred to as the "Banana Capital of the World"
Machala is a commercial centre for the surrounding
agricultureAgriculture is the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and...
industries. There is a large trade in
bananaBanana is the common name for a herbaceous plants of the genus Musa, and the commonly eaten fruit it produces. They are native to the tropical region of Southeast Asia, and are likely to have been first domesticated in Papua New Guinea. Today, they are cultivated throughout the tropics.Banana...
s,
coffeeCoffee is a brewed beverage prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the coffee plant. They are seeds of "coffee cherries" that grow on trees in over 70 countries. It has been said that green coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world behind crude oil. Due to its...
and
cocoaCocoa is the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of the cacao tree, from which chocolate is made. "Cocoa" can often also refer to the drink commonly known as hot chocolate; to cocoa powder, the dry powder made by grinding cocoa seeds and removing the cocoa butter from the dark, bitter cocoa...
. Especially banana industry is orientated to exportation, and plays a huge role in the city's economy.
Machala is a city in south-west
EcuadorEcuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador , literally, "Republic of the equator") 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 that...
, capital of the
El Oro ProvinceThe El Oro Province is the southernmost of Ecuador's coastal provinces. It has been named that way because of its historically important gold production. It is one of the worlds major banana exporters...
. It is located near the
Gulf of GuayaquilThe 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
fertileFertile is the ability in organisms, including people or animals, to produce healthy offspring.Fertile may also refer to:*Fertile material, nuclides which generally themselves do not undergo induced fission, but from which fissile material can be generated*Fertile, Iowa, a small city in the United...
lowlandsLowlands or The Lowlands can refer toGeographic regions* Scottish Lowlands, all of mainland Scotland that isn't the Highlands * Northern European Lowlands, a region of Europe between the Central Highlands and the North Sea...
. It has a
populationIn biology, a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular species; in sociology, a collection of human beings. Individuals within a population share a factor may be reduced by statistical means, but such a generalization may be too vague to imply anything...
of 426,901 (2008 estimate). Machala has been referred to as the "Banana Capital of the World"
Machala is a commercial centre for the surrounding
agricultureAgriculture is the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and...
industries. There is a large trade in
bananaBanana is the common name for a herbaceous plants of the genus Musa, and the commonly eaten fruit it produces. They are native to the tropical region of Southeast Asia, and are likely to have been first domesticated in Papua New Guinea. Today, they are cultivated throughout the tropics.Banana...
s,
coffeeCoffee is a brewed beverage prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the coffee plant. They are seeds of "coffee cherries" that grow on trees in over 70 countries. It has been said that green coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world behind crude oil. Due to its...
and
cocoaCocoa is the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of the cacao tree, from which chocolate is made. "Cocoa" can often also refer to the drink commonly known as hot chocolate; to cocoa powder, the dry powder made by grinding cocoa seeds and removing the cocoa butter from the dark, bitter cocoa...
. Especially banana industry is orientated to exportation, and plays a huge role in the city's economy. It houses a
universityA university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
and serves as a stopping-off point on the way to nearby
port||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-|}A port is a facility for receiving ships and/or transferring cargo. It is usually found at the edge of an ocean, sea, river, or lake. The best ports have deep water in channels or berths, and protection from the wind and waves...
Puerto BolívarPuerto 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. Machala has a small
airportAn 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
TAMETame 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...
.
Most hotels are situated in the centre of the city.
Esmeraldeño soccer forward
Eduardo HurtadoEduardo Estíguar Hurtado Roa is a former footballer who played as a striker. He has the record of being the 2nd all-time leading scorer for the Ecuador national football team with 26 goals in 74 caps....
played in Machala's professional soccer team Audaz Octubrino.
External links