Pichincha

Extinct volcano in the Cordillera Occidental of the Andes in Ecuador; height 4,794 m/15,728 ft. The Ecuadorean capital Quito lies at the foot of Pichincha. The volcano last erupted in 1881, but still emits gases.

On 24 May 1882, the Battle of Pichincha, which was decisive in the fight for the independence of Ecuador, was fought on the volcano's lower slopes.

Pichincha

Mountainous province in northwest Ecuador crossed by the Equator and dotted with volcanic peaks; area 16,561 sq km/6,394 sq mi; population (1996) 2,238,527. The provincial capital is the national capital Quito. The terrain of Pichincha is mainly volcanic and subject to earthquakes, though there is much fertile land in the province. The economy is based on the production of wine, beer, cider, tobacco, dairy products, flour, clothes and textiles, chemicals, fruit, vegetables, and animal foodstuffs. There is also some motor vehicle-manufacturing and meat-packing.