Manta is a mid-sized city in
ManabíManabi is a province in Ecuador. Its capital is Portoviejo. The province is named after the Manabí people.-Economy:Manabi's economy is based heavily on natural resources such as cacao, bananas, cotton, etc. It's industrial sector is based on Tuna canning, tobacco, and alcoholic beverage production....
Province,
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...
. It is the second most populous city in the province, the fifth most populous in the country and, economically, the third most important city of Ecuador.
Manta has existed since
Pre-ColumbianThe Pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic to European colonization during the...
times. It was a trading post for the Mantas. The city of Manta has grown in the last 50 years to 192.322+ inhabitants. Its main economic activity is
tunaTuna are ocean-dwelling carnivorous fish in the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers—they have been clocked at —and include several warm-blooded species...
fishing. Other economic activities include
tourismTourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other...
and a chemical industry with products from cleaning supplies to oils and margarine.
Manta has an international cargo airport, Eloy Alfaro International Airport and an important military base (also known as
Manta Air BaseManta Air Base is a combination civilian airport and military air base on the outskirts of Manta in the province of Manabí in western continental Ecuador. The airport, also known as Eloy Alfaro Air Base, was inaugurated by the Ecuadorian Air Force on October 24, 1978.-Former U.S...
or Eloy Alfaro Air Base). Manta possesses the largest seaport in the country.
Since 1999 Manta has been used as a military location for U.S. air forces in conjunction with Ecuador for supporting anti-narcotics military operations and for carrying out surveillance flights in a strategic warfare program against Colombian drug trafficking cartels called Plan Colombia. It also serves as a geographical look out point for the U.S. for any war craft heading north from the Middle East and Asia. A regular stop for U.S. Navy warships, Manta proves to be of importance for its location and for the respite it offers the U.S. military with its beauty and untrampled wilderness.
Manta was the port used by
Charles Marie de La CondamineCharles Marie de La Condamine was a French explorer, geographer, and mathematician.La Condamine was born in Paris. He was trained for the military profession, but turned his attention to science and geographical exploration...
upon his arrival in Ecuador when leading the French mission to measure the location of the equator in 1735. From Manta, Condamine started his trip inland towards
QuitoSan Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito, is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
.
Manta is recognized thanks to its international film festival featuring groups from different places in the world. The Ecuadorian actor
Carlos Valencia Carlos Alberto Valencia is a Colombian left wing back who plays for Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba in Argentina.Valencia left Colombia at the age of 15 to go and play in the River Plate youth academy...
, once invited to Cannes Film Festival for his performance in
Ratas Ratones y Rateros (1999) directed by
Sebastián CorderoSebastián Cordero is a film director, writer and editor, often recognized for his work in Ratas, Ratones, Rateros, his debut film which portrays the life in a poverty-stricken Ecuador...
, was born in the city of Manta.
Sport
As in the entire country, fútbol (soccer) is the main sport of the city. The city has two professional teams: Delfín S.C. and Manta F.C. However, most inhabitants are fans of Barcelona S.C., the team with the largest fan base in Ecuador.
The practice of water sports is also very significant in the city. Water sports include
surfingSurfing is most commonly known, the term is used for a surface water sport in which the person surfing moves along the face of a breaking ocean wave . However, surfing is not restricted to saltwater, but can sometimes take place on rivers, using a standing wave...
(Manta was the host for the 2004 Bodyboarding World Cup),
scuba divingScuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater for recreation, commercial or industrial reasons.Unlike early diving, which relied exclusively on air pumped from the surface, scuba...
,
water skiingthumb|left|Slalom skierWaterskiing is a sport where an individual is pulled behind a motor boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water. The skier is either wearing one or two skis...
,
kiteboardingKiteboarding may refer to several sports that use a kite for propulsion while riding a board, including:* Kitesurfing, a sport in which participants ride a form of surfboard or wakeboard harnessed to a large kite which is controlled by strings most commonly attached to a bar.* Kite Landboarding or...
and
kitesurfingKitesurfing or kiteboarding is a surface water sport that uses wind power to pull a rider through the water on a small surfboard or a kiteboard . Generally kiteboarding refers to a style of riding known as freestyle or wake-style, whereas kitesurfing is more "wave-riding" oriented...
.
Manta has some of South America's most breathtaking beaches. Manta was selected as the site of the sixth South American Windsurfing Championship. It is renowned for its diving and sport fishing, with Black and Blue Marlins reaching even the 1.000 pound mark.
Tennis is also widely practiced in Manta. A number of ATP Challenger Series have been played in the city.
Entertainment
Manta hosts an International Theater Festival in September. Sporting events take place in November, and from January through April. The Central Bank Museum includes an important collection of
Pre-ColumbianThe Pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic to European colonization during the...
craft. A MAAC cine, one of four in Ecuador, shows independent and non-Hollywood productions.
Economy
Manta possesses one of the most solid city economies in Ecuador. The main industries are fishing and tuna canning and processing. Processed tuna is exported to Europe and the U.S. International tuna corporations including
Bumble BeeBumble Bee Foods, LLC is a North American brand of canned tuna, salmon, other seafoods, and chicken. The brand is owned by Centre Partners Management, LLC of New York, New York, but is headquartered in San Diego, California, United States...
, Van Camps, British Columbia Packers, and Conservas Isabel, as well as leading national tuna processor Marbelize, have sizable factories in Manta.
Other important products include vegetable oil. Large Ecuadorian corporations including La Fabril and Ales have their main factories in Manta.
According to a recent survey by "Vistazo" (important Ecuadorian magazine), Manta's metropolitan area possesses many of the largest (by revenue) companies in Ecuador (following Quito and Guayaquil which have larger companies than Manta).
Tourism is increasingly important for Manta's economy. Various cruise ships will make a port of call visit to Manta while traveling the southern Pacific Ocean.
In addition, produced in Manabí and known throughout the world are the original and official
"Panama" hatsA Panama hat or just Panama is a traditional brimmed hat of Ecuadorian origin that is made from the plaited leaves of the toquilla straw plant...
, which are made in the nearby town of
MontecristiMontecristi is a town in the Manabí province of Ecuador and the capital of the canton by the same name.As of the 2001 census Montecristi had 14,636 inhabitants....
. Panama hats are favorite souvenirs among visitors of Manta.
Manabí is also famous for its delicious cuisine. For those who enjoy seafood Manta is second to none.
Tourism
Manta receives numerous visits from foreign as well as local tourists. The most visited beaches include "El Murciélago", "Santa Marianita", "San Lorenzo" and "Barbasquillo". Surfers often travel to San Lorenzo to find powerful waves (regularly head high). Kitesurfing has recently become very popular in Santa Marianita (Playa Bonita) because of the excellent wind conditions and large beach.
Nearby, also, is the small town of Montecristi, founded in the early 1600s. With its colonial architecture, this small town is best known for its
wickerWicker is hard woven fiber formed into a rigid material, usually used for baskets or furniture. Wicker is often made of material of plant origin, but plastic fibers are also used....
work weaving, and as the original birth place of the Panama hats which, despite their name, were historically produced in Ecuador.
Education
Manta possesses a number of Universities and High Schools. The largest and most traditional University is the Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro; other universities include Universidad del Pacifico (Pacific University) and Manta Institute of Technology. The most traditional high schools include Colegio San Jose, and Colegio Manabi. Other foreign oriented upper class high schools include Thomas Jefferson High School (American), Julio Pierregrosse High School (Spanish), Leonardo Da Vinci High School(Italian), and Stella Maris High School (French). These are the most prestigious high schools in the city with international standards.
Sister city
Manta has one
sister citySister cities, also known as town twinning, is an agreement between towns, cities and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties...
, as designated by
Sister Cities InternationalSister Cities International is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and fostering sister cities, especially between cities in the United States and cities in other countries....
:
Long BeachLong Beach is a large city located in southern California, USA, on the Pacific coast. It is situated in Los Angeles County, about south of downtown Los Angeles. Long Beach borders Orange County on its southeast edge....
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
, USA