Map of Esmeraldas
Esmeraldas is a first-level division of Ecuador. Its largest mapped city is Esmeraldas, with about 173,101 people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Esmeraldas, and the tables list its 4 mapped cities along with the ports nearest to them.
- Cities Mapped
- 4
- Largest City
- Esmeraldas
- Country
- Ecuador
Interactive Map of Esmeraldas
About Esmeraldas
Esmeraldas (Spanish pronunciation: [esmeˈɾaldas]) is a coastal city in northwestern Ecuador. It is the seat of the Esmeraldas Canton and capital of the Esmeraldas Province. It has an international sea port and a small airport (IATA location identifier: ESM). Esmeraldas is the major seaport of northwestern Ecuador, and it lies on the Pacific coast at the mouth of the Esmeraldas River. The city is the principal trading hub for the region's agricultural and lumber resources, and is the terminus of the 313-mile (504-km) Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline from the oil fields in northeastern Ecuador.
Esmeraldas is well known around Latin America given the large number of locals that have historically played in the Ecuador national football team. The main activities of the city are commerce, industry and agriculture. It has beaches with landscapes and a warm climate, which make it one of the most visited tourist destinations in the area.
On 19 December 2016, a 5.8 Richter scale earthquake shook the city of Esmeraldas.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Esmeraldas, Ecuador (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Esmeraldas in Depth
Climate
Like most of the Ecuador coast, Esmeraldas has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh) with a wet season from January to April, a dry season from May to December, and consistently very warm to hot and cloudy weather due to fog from the Humboldt Current.
Economy
The port of Esmeraldas is economically important for the northern part of Ecuador, and the port of Balao is an important oil processing facility. Here wood and wood chips are mainly exported; bananas and other agricultural products are also exported.
The soil allows the production of rice, maize, African palm, basil and a variety of tropical fruits. Among the main forest species are: chanul, raft, laurel, sande, guayacán, and tangaré. Cattle and pig rearing are also important. The fishing industry is also an important economic indicator of the region, and includes species like corvina, snapper, lisa and tuna.
Industry in Esmeraldas consists of manufacturing, timber, chemicals and oil. Concerns exist about forest management and deforestation in the Chaco rainforest.
Tourism
Tourist attractions include beaches, virgin forests, the culture of the indigenous Cayapas people, marimba and Afro-Ecuadorian music and the La Tolita archaeological zone. Other attractions include Atacames, famous for the "crazy coconut" (coco-loco, traditional drink made with coconut water) and its handicrafts in black and red coral. Same, an area of large palms and serene blue waters; Muisne, with pristine beaches of warm sand inhabited by red crabs in a tropical atmosphere; Quinindé, with vast African palm trees and guadúa houses; and Tonsupa, famous for its sunsets.
The U.S. State Department advises not to travel to the northern border region of Ecuador, including the northern part of Esmeraldas, due to crime.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Esmeraldas, Ecuador (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Esmeraldas: Key Facts
| Population | 155,487 (2022) |
|---|---|
| Area | 28.5 km² |
| Established | 21 September 1526 |
Facts from Wikidata Q149955 (CC0).
History of Esmeraldas: Empires and States
The atlas records 4 polities whose mapped territory included part of Esmeraldas, from The Inca Empire (Tawantinsuyu) in 1475 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| The Inca Empire (Tawantinsuyu) | 1475–1539 CE |
| The Spanish Empire | 1534–1821 CE |
| Gran Colombia | 1822–1833 CE |
| Republic of Ecuador | 1834–2024 CE |
Historical Maps of Esmeraldas
Esmeraldas on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Largest Cities in Esmeraldas
4 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Esmeraldas | 173,101 | Esmeraldas | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | San Lorenzo | 20,209 | Esmeraldas | Populated place |
| 3 | Muisne | 13,393 | Esmeraldas | Populated place |
| 4 | Valdez | 11,441 | Esmeraldas | Populated place |
Ports in Esmeraldas
1 port mapped. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Esmeraldas | 38.4 m | Very Small | Pacific Coast of South America | large vessels |
Esmeraldas: Quick Answers
- Where is Esmeraldas?
- Esmeraldas is a first-level division of Ecuador, in South America. Its mapped cities centre on 1.0195° N, 79.3839° W.
- What is the largest city in Esmeraldas?
- Esmeraldas is the largest city mapped in Esmeraldas, with a metropolitan population of about 173,101.
- How many cities are in Esmeraldas?
- YearMaps maps 4 cities and towns in Esmeraldas, with a combined metropolitan population of about 218,144. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.