Cantons of Ecuador explained

The Cantons of Ecuador are the second-level subdivisions of Ecuador, below the provinces. There are 221 cantons in the country,^[1] of which three are not in any province. The cantons are further sub-divided into parishes, which are classified as either urban or rural. Below is a list of cantons by province.

Azuay Province (15 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
		Camilo Ponce Enríquez
10,859	105	Chordeleg
417,632	3,086	Cuenca
3,075	132	El Pan
12,583	347	Girón
3,125	41	Guachapala
38,587	347	Gualaceo
15,121	636	Nabón
3,231	295	Oña
23,106	267	Paute
20,382	848	Pucará
3,961	142	San Fernando
18,015	781	Santa Isabel
5,234	314	Sevilla de Oro
24,635	657	Sígsig

Bolívar Province (7 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
11,074	175	Caluma
18,685	655	Chillanes
15,005	262	Chimbo
10,951	230	Echeandía
81,643	1,888	Guaranda
5,265	147	Las Naves
26,747	570	San Miguel

Cañar Province (7 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
64,910	613	Azogues
44,389	613	La Troncal
20,727	227	Biblián
58,185	1,804	Cañar
6,221	78	Déleg
8,251	65	El Tambo
4,419	31	Suscal

Carchi Province (6 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
13,898	353	Bolívar
13,515	554	El Ángel
12,919	588	Mira
28,576	383	San Gabriel
6,856	71	Huaca
77,175	1,801	Tulcán

Chimborazo Province (10 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
42,823	1,644	Alausí
10,541	163	Chambo
12,474	273	Chunchi
44,701	829	Cajabamba (also known as Villa la Unión)
9,395	159	Cumandá
35,210	1,216	Guamote
37,888	460	Guano
10,800	377	Pallatanga
6,485	370	Penipe
193,315	980	Riobamba

Cotopaxi Province (7 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
32,115	647	La Maná
143,979	1,377	Latacunga
19,877	715	El Corazón
60,728	1,289	Pujilí
51,304	484	San Miguel
20,815	206	Saquisilí
20,722	1,267	Sigchos

El Oro Province (14 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
22,477	803	Arenillas
5,479	278	Paccha
5,348	69	Balsas
2,665	328	Chilla
41,078	603	El Guabo
40,285	72	Huaquillas
4,781	297	La Victoria
217,696	338	Machala
4,930	147	Marcabelí
62,959	452	Pasaje
23,246	615	Piñas
11,024	282	Portovelo
60,388	889	Santa Rosa
23,407	645	Zaruma

Esmeraldas Province (7 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
30,267	511	Atacames
33,403	4,302	Valdez
157,792	1,351	Esmeraldas
25,080	1,265	Muisne
88,337	3,855	Rosa Zárate (also known as Quinindé)
22,164	1,506	Rio Verde
28,180	3,106	San Lorenzo

Galápagos Province (3 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
1,619	5,368	Puerto Villamil
5,633	849	Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
11,388	1,794	Puerto Ayora

Guayas Province (25 cantons)

Canton	Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno (Jujan)	19,982	216	Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno (also known as Jujan)
	17,262	465	Balao
Balzar (San Jacinto de Balzar)	48,470	1,173	Balzar
	21,049	758	Colimes
	11,054	255	Coronel Marcelino Maridueña
	85,148	462	Daule
	178,714	339	Durán
	64,789	711	El Empalme (also known as Velasco Ibarra)
	34,117	389	El Triunfo
General Antonio Elizalde (Bucay)	8,696	152	General Antonio Elizalde (also known as Bucay)
	2,039,789	5,237	Guayaquil
	8,226	492	Isidro Ayora
	14,194	67	Lomas de Sargentillo
	140,103	401	Milagro
	53,482	2,015	Naranjal
	31,756	226	Naranjito
	14,753	128	Nobol (also known as Narcisa de Jesús)
	14,067	194	Palestina
	36,711	927	Pedro Carbo
Playas (General Villamil Playas)	30,045	269	Playas (also known as General Villamil Playas)
Salitre (was Urbina Jado)	50,379	390	El Salitre
	45,476	388	Samborondón
	33,868	348	Santa Lucía
	20,385	289	Simón Bolívar
	47,630	512	Yaguachi (San Jacinto de Yaguachi)

Imbabura Province (6 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Pop. (2010)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
36,053	43,518	81	Atuntaqui
37,215	40,036	1,726	Cotacachi
153,256	181,175	1,093	Ibarra
90,188	104,874	500	Otavalo
12,951	12,970	437	Pimampiro
14,381	15,671	779	Urcuquí

Loja Province (16 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
27,604	839	Cariamanga
27,000	646	Catamayo
13,358	518	Celica
7,898	311	Chaguarpamba
15,750	514	Amaluza (Espíndola)
14,987	693	Gonzanamá
175,077	1,881	Loja
18,350	575	Macará
5,707	112	Olmedo
24,703	1,145	Catacocha
7,351	200	Pindal
15,505	634	Alamor
4,582	235	Quilanga
28,029	1,075	Saraguro
7,994	410	Sozoranga
10,940	1,209	Zapotillo

Los Ríos Province (13 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
35,185	516	Baba
132,824	1,076	Babahoyo
47,361	569	San Jacinto de Buena Fe
33,481	562	Mocache
20,067	362	Montalvo
20,658	570	Palenque
29,420	338	Puebloviejo
139,790	303	Quevedo
		Quinsaloma
25,812	377	Catarama
32,870	980	Valencia
71,145	806	Ventanas
61,565	693	Vinces

Manabí Province (22 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
35,627	537	Calceta
117,634	3,017	Chone
69,998	1,245	El Carmen
25,390	1,343	Flavio Alfaro
20,230	575	Jama
11,967	97	Jaramijó
65,796	1,401	Jipijapa
18,491	246	Junín
192,322	309	Manta
43,400	734	Montecristi
9,243	253	Olmedo
35,952	1,079	Paján
46,876	1,932	Pedernales
29,945	1,067	Pichincha
238,430	955	Portoviejo
16,626	420	Puerto López
29,321	280	Rocafuerte
19,116	718	San Vicente
45,287	1,022	Santa Ana
52,158	764	Bahía de Caráquez
33,922	377	Tosagua
28,294	524	Sucre

Morona-Santiago Province (12 cantons)

Canton	Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
	15,288	2,203	Gualaquiza
	5,965	653	Huamboya
	10,192	2,101	General Leonidas Plaza Gutiérrez
	4,621	1,218	Logroño
	31,379	5,095	Macas
	1,188	1,371	Pablo Sexto
	6,317	1,436	Palora
	3,131	1,047	San Juan Bosco
Santiago de Méndez (Santiago)	9,841	1,691	Santiago de Méndez (Santiago)
	14,412	893	Sucúa
	13,078	6,090	Taisha
			Santiago

Napo Province (5 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
18,551	3,029	Archidona
2,943	501	Carlos Julio Arosemena Tola
6,133	3,473	El Chaco
5,505	1,577	Baeza
46,007	3,904	Tena

Orellana Province (4 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
4,658	11,358	Nueva Rocafuerte
42,010	6,995	Puerto Francisco de Orellana (also known as Coca)
26,363	1,195	La Joya de los Sachas
13,462	2,127	Loreto

Pastaza Province (4 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
5,150	8,767	Arajuno
8,088	520	Mera
45,512	19,727	Puyo
3,029	311	Santa Clara

Pichincha Province (8 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
69,800	1,189	Cayambe
62,888	1,476	Machachi
25,594	336	Tabacundo
9,965	620	Pedro Vicente Maldonado
17,100	683	Puerto Quito
1,839,853	4,183	Quito
65,882	139	Sangolquí
10,717	839	San Miguel de los Bancos

Santa Elena Province (3 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
77,646	25	La Libertad
49,572	69	Salinas
111,671	3,669	Santa Elena

Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas Province (2 cantons)

Canton	Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
Santo Domingo de los Colorados (Santo Domingo)	287,018	3,805	Santo Domingo de los Colorados
			La Concordia

Sucumbíos Province (7 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
7,409	1,248	El Dorado de Cascales
6,643	3875	Tarapoa
6,964	2,223	Lumbaqui
66,788	3,139	Nueva Loja (Lago Agrio)
6,171	3,559	Puerto Carmen
32,184	2,463	Shushufindi
2,836	1,502	La Bonita

Tungurahua Province (9 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
287,282	1,009	Ambato (San Juan de Ambato)
16,112	1,065	Baños de Agua Santa (Baños de Agua Santa)
6,873	19	Cevallos
6,371	86	Mocha
11,771	315	Patate
48,988	202	Pelileo (San Pedro de Pelileo)
34,925	443	Píllaro (Santiago de Píllaro)
18,187	173	Quero (Santiago de Quero)
10,525	59	Tisaleo

Zamora-Chinchipe Province (9 cantons)

Pop. (2001)	Area (km²)	Seat/Capital
7,230	519	Zumbi
8,495	1,194	Zumba
7,441	614	El Pangui
4,797	2,096	Guayzimi (Nangaritza)
7,066	1,925	Palanda
		Paquisha
5,229	1,242	Yacuambi
14,552	990	Yantzaza
21,791	1,876	Zamora

No provinces

There are or were four areas that are non-delimited. These locations are:

Las Golondrinas: In a referendum held on April 3, 2016, 56.9% of voters voted in favor of Las Golondrinas being incorporated into the Imbabura Province.^[2]
La Manga del Cura: In a referendum held on September 27, 2015, 64.2% of the voters voted in favor of La Manga del Cura being incorporated into the Manabí Province.^[3]
El Piedrero (surrounded by Guayas and Cañar)
Matilde Esther (surrounded by Los Ríos, Guayas and Bolívar)

Authorities

In each canton there is a jefe político, chosen by, and representing the interests of, the president. There is also a mayor (alcalde) and a municipal council (concejo municipal), chosen by popular vote.

References

Web site: De 221 cantones de la Patria, en 198 vence la Revolución Ciudadana. presidencia.gob.ec. 2013-06-02. 2017-08-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20170815082348/http://www.presidencia.gob.ec/de-221-cantones-de-la-patria-en-198-vence-la-revolucion-ciudadana/. dead.
Web site: Las Golondrinas le pertenece a Imbabura. es. 16 October 2016.
Web site: La Manga del Cura decide pertenecer a Manabí. es. 28 September 2015.

Statoids: Cantons of Ecuador