Manta

For the fish, see manta ray; for other things of this name, see Manta (disambiguation).

Manta
—  City  —
San Pablo de Manta
A view of one of Manta's modern districts
Nickname(s): El Primer Puerto Maritimo del Ecuador
Manta Location in Ecuador
Coordinates: 00°57′00.08″S 80°42′58.32″W / 0.9500222°S 80.7162°W / -0.9500222; -80.7162Coordinates: 00°57′00.08″S 80°42′58.32″W / 0.9500222°S 80.7162°W / -0.9500222; -80.7162
Country	Ecuador
Province	Manabí
Canton	Manta
Government
- Mayor	Jaime Estrada Bonilla(SUM)
Area
- Total	60.49 km2 (23.4 sq mi)
Population (2001)
- Total	192.322
	Decadal national census by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC)
Time zone	ECT (UTC-5)
Website	http://www.manta.gov.ec/

Manta is a mid-sized city in Manabí Province, Ecuador. It is the second most populous city in the province, the fifth most populous in the country and, economically, the third most important city of Ecuador. Manta has existed since Pre-Columbian times. It was a trading post for the Mantas. The city of Manta has grown in the last 50 years to 192.322+ inhabitants. Its main economic activity is tuna fishing. Other economic activities include tourism and a chemical industry with products from cleaning supplies to oils and margarine.

Manta has an international cargo airport, Eloy Alfaro International Airport and an important military base (also known as Manta Air Base or Eloy Alfaro Air Base). Manta possesses the largest seaport in the country.

Since 1999 Manta has been used as a military location for U.S. air forces in conjunction with Ecuador for supporting anti-narcotics military operations and for carrying out surveillance flights in a strategic warfare program against Colombian drug trafficking cartels called Plan Colombia. It also serves as a geographical look out point for the U.S. for any war craft heading north from the Middle East and Asia. A regular stop for U.S. Navy warships, Manta proves to be of importance for its location and for the respite it offers the U.S. military with its beauty and untrampled wilderness.

Manta was the port used by Charles Marie de La Condamine upon his arrival in Ecuador when leading the French mission to measure the location of the equator in 1735. From Manta, Condamine started his trip inland towards Quito.

Manta is recognized thanks to its international film festival featuring groups from different places in the world. The Ecuadorian actor Carlos Valencia, once invited to Cannes Film Festival for his performance in Ratas Ratones y Rateros (1999) directed by Sebastián Cordero, was born in the city of Manta.

Sport

As in the entire country, fútbol (soccer) is the main sport of the city. The city has two professional teams: Delfín S.C. and Manta F.C. However, most inhabitants are fans of C.S. Emelec, the teams with most fans base in Manabí.

The practice of water sports is also very significant in the city. Water sports include surfing (Manta was the host for the 2004 Bodyboarding World Cup), scuba diving, water skiing, kiteboarding and kitesurfing.

Manta has some of South America's most breathtaking beaches. Manta was selected as the site of the sixth South American Windsurfing Championship. It is renowned for its diving and sport fishing, with Black and Blue Marlins reaching even the 1.000 pound mark.^{[citation needed]}

Tennis is also widely practiced in Manta. A number of ATP Challenger Series have been played in the city.

Entertainment

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Manta hosts an International Theater Festival in September. Sporting events take place in November, and from January through April. The Central Bank Museum includes an important collection of Pre-Columbian craft. A MAAC cine, one of four in Ecuador, shows independent and non-Hollywood productions.

Economy

Manta possesses one of the most solid city economies in Ecuador. The main industries are fishing and tuna canning and processing. Processed tuna is exported to Europe and the U.S. International tuna corporations including Bumble Bee, Van Camps, British Columbia Packers, and Conservas Isabel, as well as leading national tuna processor Marbelize, have sizable factories in Manta. Other important products include vegetable oil. Large Ecuadorian corporations including La Fabril and Ales have their main factories in Manta. According to a recent survey by "Vistazo" (important Ecuadorian magazine), Manta's metropolitan area possesses many of the largest (by revenue) companies in Ecuador (following Quito and Guayaquil which have larger companies than Manta). Tourism is increasingly important for Manta's economy. Various cruise ships will make a port of call visit to Manta while traveling the southern Pacific Ocean. In addition, produced in Manabí and known throughout the world are the original and official "Panama" hats, which are made in the nearby town of Montecristi. Panama hats are favorite souvenirs among visitors of Manta. Manabí is also famous for its delicious cuisine.^{[citation needed]} For those who enjoy seafood Manta is second to none.^{[citation needed]}

Tourism

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Manta receives numerous visits from foreign as well as local tourists. The most visited beaches include "El Murciélago", "Santa Marianita", "San Lorenzo" and "Barbasquillo". Surfers often travel to San Lorenzo to find powerful waves (regularly head high). Kitesurfing has recently become very popular in Santa Marianita (Playa Bonita) because of the excellent wind conditions and large beach.

Nearby, also, is the small town of Montecristi, founded in the early 1600s. With its colonial architecture, this small town is best known for its wickerwork weaving, and as the original birth place of the Panama hats which, despite their name, were historically produced in Ecuador.

The Malecon Escenico; a boardwalk with stores and seafood restaurants

Manta as seen from the Barbasquillo Beach

Sunset in the Murcielago Beach

San Lorenzo Beach

Education

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Manta possesses a number of Universities and High Schools. The largest and most traditional University is the Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro; other universities include Universidad del Pacifico (Pacific University) and Manta Institute of Technology. The most traditional high schools include Colegio San Jose, and Colegio Manabi. Other foreign oriented upper class high schools include Thomas Jefferson High School (American), Julio Pierregrosse High School (Spanish), Leonardo Da Vinci High School(Italian), and Stella Maris High School (French). These are the most prestigious high schools in the city with international standards.

Sister city

Manta has one sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International:

• Long Beach, California, USA

External links

• Municipality of Manta Official Site,