| Imbabura | |
| Official Name: | Province of Imbabura |
| Settlement Type: | Province |
| Image Map1: | Cantones de Imbabura.png |
| Map Caption1: | Cantons of Imbabura Province |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Seat: | Ibarra |
| Parts Type: | Cantons |
| Parts Style: | coll |
| Leader Title: | Provincial Prefect |
| Leader Name: | Richard Calderón |
| Established Title: | Settled |
| Established Title1: | Legal establishment |
| Area Total Km2: | 4785 |
| Population As Of: | 2022 census |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 469879 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | ECT |
| Blank Name Sec2: | HDI (2017) |
| Blank Info Sec2: | 0.747[2] · 7th |
| Registration Plate: | I |
Imbabura (pronounced as /es/) is a province located in the Andes of northern Ecuador. The capital is Ibarra. The people of the province speak Spanish, and a large portion of the population also speaks the Imbaburan Kichwa variety of the Quechua language.
The summit of Cotacachi Volcano at an elevation of 4944m (16,220feet) is 15km (09miles) north-east of the town of Cotacachi. The volcano is located in the large Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve.
Imbabura Volcano is also located in the province. Best reached from the town of La Esperanza, the 4609m (15,121feet) high mountain can be climbed in a single day.
The province is divided into six cantons. The following table lists each with its population at the 2001 census and 2010 census. its area in square kilometres (km²), and the name of the cantonal seat or capital.[3]
| Canton | 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 |
The governor of Imbabura is Paolina Vercoutere Quinche. She was appointed on 17 June 2022.[4]
Ethnic groups as of the Ecuadorian census of 2010:[5]