Guaranda () is a city in central Ecuador. It is the capital of Bolívar province located in the Andes Mountains. The city is connected by road with other hubs, including Riobamba, Babahoyo and Ambato.

Guaranda is a market town located in a valle – a deep valley in the high Andes, serving a vast hinterland of agricultural settlements ("comunidades") peopled by Quechua Indians. Its climate is subtropical, with a long (May – October) dry season ("estio"). Its population is mainly mestizo, but includes many people of different ethnicities. This nucleus has been intermarrying for almost five centuries, forming a compact population linked by family connections. Since the 1990s, the indigenous majority has seized political power and most of the local elected officers are of Quechua origin.

The city has a population of 30,755 (2022 census)

Parishes

Guaranda, including urban and rural area, has around 65,000 parishioners in eleven parishes.

Urban

  • Angel Polibio Chávez
  • Gabriel Ignacio Veintimilla
  • Guanujo

Rural

  • Facundo Vela
  • Julio Moreno
  • Salinas
  • San Lorenzo
  • San Luís de Pambil
  • San Simón
  • Santa Fé
  • Simiatug

Sister cities

  • Haeju, North Korea
  • Johnson City, Tennessee, United States

References

  • City of Guaranda (Spanish)