Loja (), formerly Loxa and fully City of the Immaculate Conception of Loja (), is the capital of Ecuador's Loja Province. It is located in the Cuxibamba valley in the south of the country, sharing borders with the provinces of Zamora-Chinchipe and other cantons of the province of Loja. Loja holds a rich tradition in the arts, and for this reason is known as the Music and Cultural Capital of Ecuador. The city is home to two major universities. The city has a population of about 181,000, and is situated 2060 m (6758 ft) above sea level. It has a mild Andean climate, ranging between 16 and 30 °C. The Pan-American Highway runs past Loja. History The city of Loja was colonized by Field Marshal Alonso de Mercadillo in 1548, and it is named for his hometown of Loja in Spain. Originally located near La Toma in the Catamayo canyon since 1546, the city was relocated to its present location (about 35 km east) after a devastating earthquake and problems with Malaria. At nearly 500 years, it is one of the oldest cities in Ecuador. One of its founding-reasons for the Spanish colonizers was to have a fortified town next to the region of Zaruma, which was in that time rich in gold. It was as well a departure point for the Amazon Basin to search for the mystic town of El Dorado. The city was also visited by Simón Bolívar in his campaign to unite Gran Colombia. It declared its independence from Spain on November 18, 1820. The city of Loja has the distinction of being the first city in Ecuador to be wired for electric power provided by a hydroelectric dam that was completed in the 1890s. Geography Loja is in the bottom of the broad glacial Cuxibamba valley. It lies between the humid Amazon Basin and the Peruvian sechura, and is composed mainly of paramo, cloud-forest, and jungle. The valley borders the Podocarpus National Park, which is a massive cloud-forest reserve accessible through the Cajanuma gates just minutes outside the city. The Rio Zamora and Rio Malacatos flow through the city of Loja. Climate Loja has a mild Andean climate, generally warm during the days and colder and often wetter at night. The average temperature is . June and July brings an eastern drizzle with the trade winds, and is referred to as the "windy season." Due