COASTAL REGION: CHARACTERISTICS, POPULATION, CLIMATE, HYDROGRAPHY - GEOGRAPHY - 2025

The Ecuadorian coast or littoral region is one of the four geographical subdivisions of Ecuador. It is located between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains. For the most part, the landscape of the littoral zone is made up of forests, which can be dry or humid depending on whether they are located towards the north or south of the region.

This region also consists of scrublands and mangroves, located in the Gulf of Guayaquil. On the other hand, the main city in this area is called Guayaquil and consists of 16 parishes; therefore, it is the largest city in the Costa region.

Guayaquil is a place with extensive urban development, so it has a notable business that specializes in finance and in the political and cultural sphere. Similarly, it is the most populated city in the region.

The Costa region is also made up of other cities that are of great importance to the Ecuadorian Republic, such as Santo Domingo, Portoviejo, Manta and Durán.

In relation to Santo Domingo, this city is on the banks of the Toachi River and has a tropical rainy climate. It is one of the most urban and populated cities along with Guayaquil.

About the coastal people - the inhabitants of this region - it is often said that they are cheerful, effusive and musical, characteristics that are opposed to those of the people of the sierra, who are described as reserved and intimate people. Most of the people from the coast are extroverts, which is why they hold gatherings and play entertaining board games.

As for their language, the dialect used by the coastal people can be found widely throughout all the Pacific coasts, even in some areas of countries such as Colombia, Venezuela and Peru. One of the characteristics of their linguistic expression is that the final "s" of words is pronounced as if it were a slight "j".

General characteristics

Division of provinces and territory

The Ecuadorian coastline is divided into six main provinces: Manabí, El Oro, Santo Domingo, Esmeraldas, Guayas and Santa Elena.

These territories have in common that almost all have an outlet to the sea, except Los Ríos and Santo Domingo. Within these provinces you can find urban parishes, as well as others of a rural nature.

The province of Esmeraldas is one of the largest, since it has 14 893 km ² of surface; However, Manabí exceeds it in territorial extension, since it has 18,400 km ². The smallest provinces are Santa Elena, with 3763 km ²; and El Oro, with 5988km ².

Geographical aspects

The Coastal region of Ecuador has a remarkable number of rivers, which flow into the Pacific Ocean.

An example of this is that in the province of Santa Elena there is the largest fluvial network in Ecuador; This is called the Guayas River basin and it is spread over several tributaries that allow the development of some important populations such as Daule, Macul and Paján.

The fact that the altitude of this region is quite uniform has led to a uniform climate, which results in a fairly balanced and similar type of landscape.

Only in the tropical forest located in the north can certain variations be noticed, as well as in the desert-like plains that are to the south of the coast. Similarly, in the Costa region you can find small hills and elevations of narrow altitude, since it is a coastal area.

This coastline is made up of various national parks, such as Manglares-Churute and Machalilla, places where ecotourism can be carried out.

Likewise, thanks to its tropical climate, the provinces of this Ecuadorian region are a good alternative to install homes. It can be said that the coastal soil is quite fertile, which allows the development of agriculture.

Beaches and tourism

The coastal region has a large number of beaches that function as an important tourist attraction. One of the most visited beaches is called Esmeraldas, which is located in the northwestern area, exactly 318 km from Quito. According to tourists, this beach is very beautiful thanks to its white sand and green mountains.

The city of Esmeraldas has several types of natural landscapes, it has virgin forests and archaeological sites such as La Tolita, where there is a great variety of specimens of fauna and flora.

For its part, Atacames is the largest beach of natural origin in Ecuador, also being the closest to the capital of Quito; This makes it one of the most visited and popular towns in the region. As a tourist attraction, Atacames offers surfing practices thanks to its high waves.

In this place you can also see humpback whales, which are one of the most common animals in this territory. In this same area an island called Los Pájaros is located where, as its name indicates, you can see various species of colorful birds.

This beach in Ecuador also has an aquarium called "The life of the sea", in which various marine animals typical of the country are appreciated.

Population

According to the census carried out in 2015, the province of Guayas has the largest population in the region, its capital being the city of Guayaquil. This town has a number of 4,086,089 inhabitants.

In second place is the province of Manabí, whose capital is Portoviejo. This area has a population of 1,495,666 inhabitants. Then, in third place is the province of Los Ríos, which has 865,340 inhabitants.

The provinces with the least number of inhabitants are those with the smallest land area. In this case, the provinces of El Oro and Santa Elena are those with the scarcest population; the first has 671,817 inhabitants, while the second has 358,896 residents.

Weather

The Ecuadorian coastline, being close to the coast, is characterized by a tropical and fairly uniform climate, which makes it ideal for living. However, there are some variations depending on the altitude.

For example, towards the south the climate is drier, thanks to which it remains quite warm; on the other hand, towards the north the climate becomes humid.

However, in both cases the tropical atmosphere is maintained. The degrees of temperature that have been registered in this region have been between 25 ° C and 36 ° C, which depend on the relief and geographical location.

Hydrography

As mentioned in previous paragraphs, the Costa region of the Ecuadorian country has several rivers that flow into the Pacific.

For example, the Guayas River flows to the Gulf of Guayaquil, which is why it is considered the most important of the drainage systems. In addition, the Guayas river basin extends for 40,000 km ² on the surface of this territory.

This river also flows through several islands located in the delta and in other channels in the region. Within its mouth there are two channels, which surround Puná Island; place that is ideal for navigation due to its depth.

Then there are the river currents of the Esmeraldas coast, which are the second largest river system in the region. In these currents you can see the Guayllabamba River, which empties into the Pacific Ocean. The waters of this river are observed east of the city of this province and it is about 320 km long.

Other important rivers in this Ecuadorian region are the Mataje, the Blanco, the Chone, the Zapotal, the Carrizal, the Babahoyo, the Daule and the Jubones.

Relief

Taking into account its relief, the coastline can be divided into three parts: the coastal mountain range, the coastal plain, the interior mountain range and the north-western plain.

In the subregion of the coastal range there is a mountain range, whose height can vary between 200 and 1000 meters above sea level. This height is parallel to the Andes Mountains, which can be seen from Guayaquil to the province of Esmeraldas.

On the contrary, the sub-region of the plain corresponds to plains that are next to streams, in addition to being surrounded by low hills. For its part, the northwestern subregion covers the entire province of Esmeraldas.

Traditions and customs

Gastronomy

Despite the fact that the gastronomy of the coastal region can be very varied, in this area it is a tradition to eat a remarkable amount of seafood. For example, the coastal people eat some fish quite frequently, such as sea bass, tilapia and trout.

Due to its location, the coastal population also eats the banana, which can be consumed in any of its presentations, whether ripe or green. They also tend to eat dishes consisting of ceviche, yucca, patacón, marinated soup, seafood rice and catfish sancocho.

Regarding the diet of the inhabitants in specific provinces, there are small variations that characterize each area. For example, in El Oro they usually eat ceviche and Tigrillo, while in Esmeraldas it is common to eat dishes that contain coconut and banana, as well as casabe and corviche.

In Guayas they eat roast meat, duck and crab; Also with onions and bouillon (the latter is one of the most exotic dishes in Ecuador).

In the province of Manabí it is usual for the inhabitants to eat various banana-based dishes; likewise, it is common to eat chupe, patacón, curd, yucca, blood sausage and alfajores.

In Santa Elena you eat ceviche and a dish known as seco de chivo; on the other hand, in the province of Santo Domingo, the inhabitants eat mainly sancocho and pandado.

Entertainment

As a form of entertainment, the coastal people have several activities that are a tourist attraction for those travelers who want to know the traditions of Ecuador.

In the coastal region, three main customs are practiced: the Montubio rodeo, the saltpeter rodeo and the amorfinos.

Rodeo montubio

It consists of a festival in which cowboys from different locations along the coast must get involved in a rodeo.

Generally, those who participate in this event are landowners or workers who represent a particular farm or association. At the end, a trophy is awarded to the winner.

Rodeo saltpeter

The saltpeter rodeo is another event that takes place in different areas of the coast. This activity is carried out on October 12 of each year, since its purpose is to celebrate the day of the race (commonly known as the day of the discovery of America).

The setting for this rodeo is made up of a dirt floor that was previously rammed, as well as a set of wires and cables that make up the fence.

Amorphous

Amorfinos are part of the creative culture of the littoral region and consist of a kind of couplets, which are usually improvised by the participants of the rodeo.

They can be sung or just spoken and contain important morals, without losing the sense of humor and grace that correspond to a recreational event.

Folk dances

Ecuador usually stands out for having a wide range of musical genres; However, in the Costa region some rhythms and manifestations specifically stand out, such as amorfino, alza, Andean fox, yumbo and bailente. You can also practice the corridor, the San Juanito and the chota bomb.

One of the typical dances of the coast is the so-called marimba, which consists of a type of music that consists of a marimba, a bass drum, two cunucos and some singer-songwriters of both sexes, who perform a choreographic performance. As it is a festive activity, the theme of the marimba is usually secular and cohesive.

References

1. (SA) (2012), General Information of the Republic of Ecuador. Retrieved on December 18, 2018 from INOCAR: inocar.mil.ec
2. (SA) The coast of Ecuador. (2016) Retrieved on December 18 from Origin: f-origin.hypotheses.org
3. Álvarez, S. (2002) Ethnicities on the Ecuadorian coast. Retrieved on December 18, 2018 from Digital Repository: digitalrepository.unm.edu
4. Maiguashca, J. (sf) History and region in Ecuador: 1830-1930. Retrieved on December 18, 2018 from Biblioteca los Andes: biblio.flacsoandes.edu.ec
5. Manobanda, M. (2013) Ecuadorian coast Ecuadorian coast weather situation and perspectives. Retrieved on December 18, 2018 from INOCAR: inocar.mil.ec