Loja, Ecuador

🇪🇨 Loja (formerly Loxa and fully City of the Immaculate Conception of Loja (Ciudad de la Inmaculada Concepción de Loja), is the capital of Ecuador's Loja Province. It is located in the Cuxibamba valley in the south of the country, sharing borders with the provinces of Zamora-Chinchipe and El Oro, and with Peru in the south. Loja holds a rich tradition in the arts, and for this reason is known as the Music and Cultural Capital of Ecuador. The city is home to two major universities.

The city is situated 2,060 m (6,758 ft) above sea level. It has a mild Andean climate, ranging between 16 and 30 °C.

The Pan-American Highway runs past Loja.

History The city of Loja was colonized by Field Marshal Alonso de Mercadillo in 1548, and it is named for his hometown of Loja in Spain. Originally located near La Toma in the Catamayo canyon since 1546, the city was relocated to its present location (about 35 km east) after a devastating earthquake and problems with Malaria. At nearly 500 years, it is one of the oldest cities in Ecuador. One of its founding-reasons for the Spanish colonizers was to have a fortified town next to the region of Zaruma, which was in that time rich in gold. It was as well a departure point for the Amazon Basin to search for the mystic town of El Dorado. The city was also visited by Simón Bolívar in his campaign to unite Gran Colombia. It declared its independence from Spain on November 18, 1820.

The city of Loja has the distinction of being the first city in Ecuador to be wired for electric power provided by a hydroelectric dam that was completed in the 1890s.

Geography Loja is in the bottom of the broad glacial Cuxibamba valley. It lies between the humid Amazon Basin and the Peruvian sechura, and is composed mainly of paramo, cloud-forest, and jungle. The valley borders the Podocarpus National Park, which is a massive cloud-forest reserve accessible through the Cajanuma gates just minutes outside the city. The Rio Zamora and Rio Malacatos flow through the city of Loja.

Economy Loja is the capital of one of Ecuador's main coffee-growing provinces. Close to the city of Loja, the first wind power station of Ecuador is located with a visitors centre and 11 generators.

Arts and culture There is a thriving musical scene in Loja, in keeping with the city's reputation. There are numerous small music and salsa clubs, and it is not uncommon to hear Lojanos singing as they go about their day. On Sundays, the local police band performs in the Plaza de Independencia outside of San Sebastian Church.

The city is full of public artworks, including massive painted tile murals, frescoes, and statuary. Of particular note are the frescoes of Bolívar and Sucre that greet visitors as they pass through the gates of the city.

Annual cultural events • May 30 - August 15 - Pilgirmage of the Virgin of El Cisne • June 25 - Foundation of Loja Province • September 1–15 - Ecuador-Peru Border Integration Fair • November 1 - Return of the Virgin of Cisne to the town of El Cisne • November 18 - Independence of Loja • December 8 - Foundation of Loja.

Education Loja has some of the top Universities in Ecuador. The Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja is one of the top 3 in the nation, offering local and distance education in different fields, such as Architecture, Medicine, Communications, Law, Accounting, Engineering, Auditing, Electronics and Telecommunications, Trades, Administration, Humanities, Biology, and many more.

In September 2007, the UTPL adopted an academic model based on the European System of Credit Transfer and Accumulation (ECTS), which assesses the student's workload, in order to achieve the objectives of an academic program which are reflected in learning achievements and acquired competencies. This university has partnership programs with many universities around the world, such as the University of California at San Diego, Berkeley College, University of Frankfurt, Technische Universität München, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Universidad de Buenos Aires, and many other top universities around the globe. In addition, the U.T.P.L has three international campuses, besides the principal one in Loja, Ecuador. They are located in New York (USA), Madrid (Spain), and Rome (Italy).

Another notable school, in the top 10 in the nation, is the Universidad Nacional de Loja, which offers programs in Law, Aperture Science, Education, Medicine, Veterinary Sciences, Business, Science and Technology, and Fine Arts. The Loja campus of the Universidad Internacional del Ecuador, in partnership with Harvard University, and the International University of Florida, offers Business Engineering, Finance, Marketing, Ecotourism, Foreign Trade, Economics, Law, Industrial Design, and Interior Design.

Transportation Streets are laid out on a grid system, and named for notable Ecuadorians and city founding dates. Paved walkways frame the two rivers and provide easy access to the north and south through the city. There are several bus lines running in the city, and also many taxis. There is a bus station at the north end of the city, with routes connecting to the rest of Ecuador and into Peru. Loja is served by Ciudad de Catamayo Airport in Catamayo, 30 km away. From there, it is possible to fly to Quito or Guayaquil.

Media The major newspapers are La Hora, and Cronica http://www.cronica.com.ec ; the Quito and Guayaquil dailies are also available here.