Quito, the capital city of Ecuador, is surrounded by the Andes Mountains with an elevation of 9,350 feet (2,800 meters above sea level), and is the highest capital city in the world housing the administrative, legislative and judicial function

Quito´s population is around 2,197,698 according to the last census (2001).

The Historic Center of Quito has one of the largest, least-altered and best-preserved historic centers in the Americas. Quito is the first World Cultural Heritage Sites declared by UNESCO in 1978. The central square of Quito is located about 25 kilometers (16 mi) south of the equator; the city itself extends to within about 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) of zero latitude. A monument and museum marking the general location of the equator is known locally as la Mitad del Mundo (the middle of the world), to avoid confusion, as the word Ecuador is Spanish for equator.

Quito has a subtropical highland climate. Because of its elevation and its proximity to the equator, Quito has a fairly constant cool climate, with spring-like weather year-round. The average temperature at noon is 18.7 °C (65.7 °F) with a normal night-time low of 9.3 °C (48.7 °F). The annual average temperature is 14.0 °C (57.2 °F).