For the fish, see manta ray; for other things of this name, see Manta (disambiguation).

Manta is a mid-sized city in Manabí Province, Ecuador. It is the most populated city in the province, the fifth most populated in the country and, economically, the third most important city of Ecuador. Manta has existed since Pre-Columbian times. It was a trading post for the Mantas. The city of Manta has grown in the last 50 years to 250,000+ inhabitants. Its main economic activity is tuna fishing. Other economic activities include tourism and a chemical industry with products from cleaning supplies to oils and margarine.

Manta has an international airport, Eloy Alfaro International Airport and an important military base (also known as Manta Air Base or Eloy Alfaro Air Base). Manta possesses the largest seaport in the country.

Since 1999 Manta has been used as a military location for U.S. air forces in conjunction with Ecuador for supporting anti-narcotics military operations and for carrying out surveillance flights in a strategic warfare program against Colombian drug trafficking cartels called Plan Colombia. It also serves as a geographical look out point for the U.S. for any war craft heading north from the Middle East and Asia. A regular stop for U.S. Navy warships, Manta proves to be of importance for its location and for the respite it offers the U.S. military with its beauty and untrampled wilderness.

Manta was the port used by Charles Marie de La Condamine upon his arrival in Ecuador when leading the French mission to measure the location of the equator in 1735. From Manta, Condamine started his trip inland towards Quito.

Manta is recognized thanks to its international film festival featuring groups from different places in the world. The Ecuadorian actor Carlos Valencia, once invited to Cannes Film Festival for his performance in Ratas Ratones y Rateros (1999) directed by Sebastián Cordero, was born in the city of Manta.

Sport

As in the entire country, fútbol (soccer) is the main sport of the city. The city has two professional teams: Delfín S.C. and Manta F.C. However, most inhabitants are fans of Barcelona S.C., the team with the largest fan base in Ecuador.

The practice of water sports is also very significant in the city. Water sports include surfing (Manta was the host for the 2004 Bodyboarding World Cup), scuba diving, water skiing, kiteboarding and kitesurfing.

Manta has some of South America's most breathtaking beaches. Manta was selected as the site of the sixth South American Windsurfing Championship. It is renowned for its diving and sport fishing.

Tennis is also widely practiced in Manta. A number of ATP Challenger Series have been played in the city.

Entertainment

In addition, Manta hosts an International Theater Festival in September. Sporting events take place in November, and also from January through April. In the city one also finds a selection of first rate nightclubs, an amusement park, and cinemas. The Central Bank Museum includes an important collection of Manta's Pre-Columbian craft.

Aside international chain movie theathers, Manta boosts a MAAC cine. MAAC cines are movie theaters that show independent and non-Hollywood productions. MAAC cines are found only in 4 cities in Ecuador (Guayaquil, Quito, Cuenca, and Manta).

Economy

Manta possesses one of the most solid city economies in Ecuador. The main industries are fishing and tuna canning and processing. Processed tuna is exported to Europe and the U.S. International tuna corporations including Bumble Bee, Van Camps, British Columbia Packers, and Conservas Isabel, as well as leading national tuna processor Marbelize, have sizable factories in Manta. Other important products include vegetable oil. Large Ecuadorian corporations including La Fabril and Ales have their main factories in Manta. According to a recent survey by "Vistazo" (important Ecuadorian magazine), Manta's metropolitan area possesses many of the largest (revenues) companies in Ecuador (only Quito and Guayaquil have more large companies than Manta). Tourism is increasingly important for Manta's economy. Various cruise ships find bay in Manta while traveling the South American Pacific Ocean. In addition, produced in Manabí and known throughout the world are the original and official "Panama" hats, which are made just outside of Manta in the town of Montecristi. Panama hats are favorite souvenirs among visitors of Manta. Manabí is also famous for its delicious cuisine. For those who enjoy seafood Manta is second to none.

Tourism

Manta receives numerous visits from foreign as well as local tourists. The most visited beaches include "El Murciélago", "Santa Marianita", "San Lorenzo" and "Barbasquillo". Surfers often travel to San Lorenzo to find powerful waves (regularly head high). Kitesurfing has recently become very popular in Santa Marianita (Playa Bonita) because of the excellent wind conditions and large beach.

Nearby, also, is the small town of Montecristi, founded in the early 1600s. With its colonial architecture, this small town is best known for its wickerwork weaving, and as the original birth place of the Panama hats which, despite their name, were historically produced in Ecuador.

Montecristi is a great place for shopping for local crafts at a number of shops across from the main plaza, featuring ceramics, wickerwork and Panama hats in a variety of shapes and colors.

The evenings are full of activity: partying people, loud music and groups of young people gather around the waterfront Malecón (jetty) that arcs around the bay and its nearby side streets. The Malecón is always a pleasant area to walk in the evening with its refreshing evening breezes.

The refurbished Playa Murciélago (Bat Beach), very popular with locals, is in the Malecón area; it features a scenic boardwalk, restaurants serving excellent seafood fresh out of the ocean, recreational sports, craft markets, bars and other places for fun and relaxation.

Other important sites include Iglesia La Dolorosa, the "Mirador" at San Lorenzo beach, the Teatro Chusic, the "Parque de la Madre", and the "Plaza Civica".

Education

Manta possesses a number of Universities and High Schools. The largest and most traditional University is the Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro; other universities include the Universidad del Pacifico and Manta Institute of Technology. The most traditional high schools include Colegio Julio Pierregrosse, Colegio San Jose, and Colegio Manabi. Other foreign oriented high schools include Thomas Jefferson High School (American)and Colegio Leonardo Da Vinci (Italian).

Sister City

Manta has one sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):

• Long Beach, California, USA

External links

• Municipality of Manta Official Site,
• Academia Surpacifico, Spanish school in Manta
• Manta360.com, Tourism information and picture gallery of Manta (Spanish)
• Mantacity.com - News, history and tourism information, (Spanish)
• Michael Flynn, "What's the deal at Manta?", Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, January/February 2005., An article discussing the presence of US Airforce at Manta Eloy Alfaro Airbase
• U.S. Department of State, Support for Plan Colombia