La Sierra
La Sierra is the heartland of Ecuador's
indigenous culture, stemming back to the
time of the Inca Empire, which rose out of
the Cuzco valley of Peru to conquer almost
all of the Andes.
The influence of the Incas is still very strong
in rural Ecuador, where the most common language spoken after Spanish
is Quichua, a regional variation of Quechua, the language spoken by the Inca Empire.
The weather of La Sierra is radically different from that of La Costa and El Oriente,
where swift changes in altitude across the region create a wide variety of climates, which
has over time forced the indigenous cultures of La Sierra to develop different techniques
for cultivating a wide range of crop species. Root plants like potates are the dominant
crops, for their ability to perform well in the harsh temperature variations of the Andes.
The key city in the region of La Sierra is Quito.
Quito
After the Spanish conquest, Quito became one of the cultural centers for Spanish rule and
remains today the center for much of the art and architecture left over from Spanish colonial
rule in South America. Because of its art, its pleasant climate and its international setting,
Quito has become a major tourist and industry center, as well as the rest of La Sierra.
