There is some confusion about Quito's position as the second highest capital in the world, but La Paz, Bolivia, which is where the Bolivian government functions, is the governmental capital of Bolivia. Sucre is the legal capital of Bolivia.

Quito is located about 22 miles (35 km) south of the equator. A monument marking the equator is known locally as "la mitad del mundo" (the middle of the world). Due to its altitude and location, the climate in Quito is mild to cool, fairly constant all year round, with a high temperature typically around 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21°C) on any given day. There are only two seasons in Quito, summer (the dry season) and winter (the rainy season).

Quito is the second most populous city in Ecuador after Guayaquil.

Pre-Hispanic

Quito's origins date back to the first millennium, when nomadic tribes roamed the area and ultimately formed a commercial center where Quito is currently located. Early in the 16th century, the Incas conquered the city, hoping to further the reach of their kingdom, but upon the arrival of the Spanish in 1533, those plans were abandoned. Rumiñahui, an Inca war general, burned the city to prevent the Spanish from taking it, thereby destroying any traces of the prehispanic city.

Spanish colony

Indigenous resistance to the Spanish conquest continued during 1534, with Diego de Almagro founding Santiago de Quito on August 15 of that year. On December 6, 1534 [2], the city was officially founded by 204 settlers and Sebastián de Belalcázar, who captured Rumiñahui and effectively ended organized resistance. Rumiñahui was then executed on January 10, 1535. On March 14, 1541, Quito was named a city, and on February 14, 1556, was given the title "Muy Noble y Muy Leal ciudad de San Francisco de Quito" ("Very Noble and Loyal City of San Francisco of Quito").

The Spanish promptly established the Catholic religion in Quito, with the first temple (El Belén) built even before the city had been officially founded. On January of 1535, the San Francisco Convent was constructed, the first of about 20 more churches and convents built during the colonial period. The Spanish heavily evangelized the indigenous people and also used them for construction, especially in the initial stages. The Diocese of Quito was established in 1545 and was elevated to the Archdiocese of Quito in 1849.

In 1809, after nearly 300 years of Spanish colonization, Quito was a city of about 10,000 inhabitants, and on August 10, 1809, it was there where the first proclamation of independence was heard. The movement was ultimately defeated on August 2, 1810, when Spanish forces came from Lima, Peru, and killed the leaders of the uprising and about 200 inhabitants of the city. A chain of conflicts concluded on May 24, 1822 when Antonio José de Sucre, under the command of Simón Bolívar, led troops into the Battle of Pichincha. Their victory marked the independence of Quito and the surrounding areas.

Gran Colombia

Just days after the Battle of Pichincha, on May 29, 1822, the leaders of the city proclaimed their independence and allowed the city to be annexed to the Republic of Gran Colombia. Simón Bolívar went to Quito on June 16, 1822, and was present at the signing of the Colombian Constitution on June 24, 1822.

The northern part of Quito is where the main business district of the city is located. It also contains upper-middle class neighborhoods and a substantial number of buildings. It is also where the international airport and major recreational areas are located.

Museo del Banco Central

This museum [11] is a comprehensive showcase of Ecuadorian art, history and culture. On the ground floor it has an extensive collection of pre-colonial (including pre-Incaic) potteries, sculptures, gold, lithics, and even a mummified body. There are also some remarkable but somewhat distorted models that help evoke the way various parts of Ecuador must have looked like, from the Pambamarca fort to the Cochasquí tumuli complex. The highlight of this collection is a golden sun mask of the La Tolita culture. The second floor is dedicated to Colonial art; several paintings and sculptures with religious themes are in exhibition. The third floor is devoted to contemporary Ecuadorian art.

Parks

1. Parque Metropolitano [12], with its 1,376 acres (5.57 km²) is the largest urban park in South America. (As reference, New York's huge Central Park is 843 acres (3.4 km²) large.) The park is located in the north of Quito, on the hillside, behind the Atahualpa Olympic (Soccer) Stadium. The park is suited for mountain biking, walking, or running. Most of it is eucalyptus forest with trails. There are many sculptures on display for the public. The park has 4 sites that can be used for picnic or BBQ. The eastern part of the park has a view of Cotopaxi, Antisana [13] and the Guayllabamba river basin.
2. La Carolina [14] is a 165.5 acre (670,000 m²) park located in the Benalcázar parish in the middle of Quito's business and shopping district, between the avenues known as Avenida Amazonas, Avenida Shyris and Avenida Naciones Unidas. Quiteños gather at La Carolina mostly on weekends to play fútbol (soccer), básket (basketball), ecua-volley (an Ecuadorian variation of volleyball with less emphasis on spiking to score; more of a throw and it allows using your feet like soccer), doing aerobics, flying kites, running, snacking or just observing the thralls of people just walking around. The southern part of the park has a small pond where paddle boats can be rented. Artists are known to perform on weekends at the park. In the western part of the park visitors will find the Quito Exhibition Center [15] with different exhibits every month, the Quito botanical gardens and a Vivarium.
3. El Ejido [16] is the park situated between the old part of the city and the modern section. This park is known for handicrafts available for sale every Saturday and Sunday. Local painters sell copies of paintings by Oswaldo Guayasamín [17], Eduardo Kingman or Gonzalo Endara Crow. Otavaleños sell traditional sweaters, ponchos, carpets and jewelry.
4. La Alameda [18] park has the oldest astronomical observatory [19] in South America. The park has a monument of Simón Bolívar and a small lake where boats can be rented.

Source: Wikipedia