Pambamarca

Pambamarca
Pambamarca
Location of Pambamarca
Highest point
Elevation4,062 m (13,327 ft)
Coordinates0°04′47″S 78°12′31″W / 0.07972°S 78.20861°W / -0.07972; -78.20861
Geography
LocationAndes Ecuador
Parent rangePambamarca Group
Geology
Rock agePleistocene
Mountain typeStratovolcano

Pambamarca (alternate, Pimbamarca) is an eroded stratovolcano in the Central Cordillera of the northern Ecuadorian Andes in Pichincha Province. it is 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Quito. The summit is at an elevation of 4,062 metres (13,327 ft).

The mountains of the Pambamarca in the Andean Highlands of Ecuador has many Pre-Columbian fortresses that predate the arrival of the Spanish in the region; Pambamarca has the greatest concentration of these forts. The Pambamarca Fortress Complex has been studied with participation by many international organizations, universities, and the Government of Ecuador with the objective of exploring the cultural landscapes, its prehistoric, historic and contemporary cultures, particularly of Ecuador's important Pre-Columbian cultural heritage. In 1998, Pambamarca was placed on the tentative List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.