Loja Canton

The following article is about the Loja Canton. For the Loja Province, see Loja Province and for the city, see Loja, Ecuador.

Loja Canton is located in the southeast of the Province of Loja bordering the Podocarpus National Park and the Province of Zamora-Chinchipe in the east, Peru in the south, and the cantons of Saraguro, Catamayo, Gonzanama, and Quilanga in the north and west. The principal city is Loja which is also the provincial capital. It is also home to Vilcabamba, the "Valley of Longevity."

Demographics

Ethnic groups as of the Ecuadorian census of 2010:

• Mestizo 90.2%
• White 3.5%
• Indigenous 2.6%
• Afro-Ecuadorian 2.5%
• Montubio 1.1%
• Other 0.1%

Sights

• City of Loja
• National Shrine of Our Lady of El Cisne.
• Reynaldo Espinoza Botanical Gardens (one of the world's highest-altitude botanical gardens, at 2100m)
• The Incan ruins of de Ciudadela, Quinara, Taranza, and Llano Grande.

Traditional celebrations

• Border Integration Fair, September 8
• Province Day, September 18
• Independence of Loja, November 18
• Founding of Loja, December 8