Loja, Ecuador

Loja, Ecuador is the capital of Loja province. It was was founded by Alonso de Mercadillo in 1548 and has the distinction of being the first city in Ecuador to be wired for electric power provided by a hydroelectric dam completed in 1896.

Loja is also famous for having been visited by Simon Bolivar in his campaign to unite Gran Colombia.

Present-day population is approximately 140,000. It is on the route of the Pan-American Highway.

External Links

• Encyclopædia Britannica
• The Catholic Encyclopedia