Nueva Loja

Nueva Loja[1] (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈnwe.βa ˈlo.xa]), also known as Lago Agrio, is the capital of the province of Sucumbíos in Ecuador. It was founded in the 1960s as a base camp of Texaco. The official population as of the 2022 census is 55,627.[2]

Nueva Loja
City
From top, left to right: February 12 Street, Monument to the Worker, New Loja Ecological Park, Simon Bolivar Park, Monument to the Heroes of Cenepa, Our Lady of the Swan Cathedral, Aguarico River Bridge and New Loja Recreational Park
From top, left to right: February 12 Street, Monument to the Worker, New Loja Ecological Park, Simon Bolivar Park, Monument to the Heroes of Cenepa, Our Lady of the Swan Cathedral, Aguarico River Bridge and New Loja Recreational Park
Flag of Nueva Loja
Flag
Coat of arms of Nueva Loja
Coat of arms
Nueva Loja is located in Ecuador
Nueva Loja
Nueva Loja
Coordinates: 00°05′05″N 76°52′58″W[1]
CountryEcuador
ProvinceSucumbíos
CantonLago Agrio
FoundedMay 5, 1971
Area
 • City21.65 km2 (8.36 sq mi)
Elevation
297 m (974 ft)
Population
 (2022 census)[2]
 • City55,627
 • Density2,600/km2 (6,700/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Neolojano, -a
Area code(+593) 06
ClimateAf
Websitewww.lagoagrio.gob.ec (in Spanish)

Overview

Nueva Loja is located in central Sucumbíos, in the Amazonian forest, and is one of the most important cities in northeastern Ecuador. Its importance comes from the oil extraction. It is named after Loja as many of the first colonizers came from the Southern Province of Loja.

The area around the city, the Lago Agrio oil field, has many ecological problems. The rainforest has been all but obliterated in this region and environmental degradation is severe, with catastrophic oil pollution in some areas. On February 14, 2011, a judge in Lago Agrio ruled that Chevron, now owner of Texaco, had to pay $9 billion in environmental damages for polluting the rainforest.[3]

In 2017, the Superior Court of Justice of Brasil rejected enforcement of the 2013 Ecuadorian Supreme Court award, with the Prosecutor concluding that verdict was “issued in an irregular manner, especially under deplorable acts of corruption.”[4]

In 2018 the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of Chevron and said the 2013 Ecuador Supreme Court case was obtained "through fraud, bribery and corruption."[5]

Manchester United Right Back Antonio Valencia was born in Nueva Loja.

Air transport

The city is served by Lago Agrio Airport, with daily flights from/to Quito.

Climate

Nueva Loja has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with heavy to very heavy rainfall year-round.

Climate data for Nueva Loja
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 29.9
(85.8)		 29.7
(85.5)		 29.4
(84.9)		 29.1
(84.4)		 28.8
(83.8)		 28.6
(83.5)		 28.5
(83.3)		 29.3
(84.7)		 30.0
(86.0)		 30.4
(86.7)		 30.4
(86.7)		 30.3
(86.5)		 29.5
(85.2)
Daily mean °C (°F) 24.8
(76.6)		 24.8
(76.6)		 24.6
(76.3)		 24.5
(76.1)		 24.2
(75.6)		 24.1
(75.4)		 24.0
(75.2)		 24.3
(75.7)		 24.9
(76.8)		 25.2
(77.4)		 25.3
(77.5)		 25.1
(77.2)		 24.7
(76.4)
Average low °C (°F) 19.7
(67.5)		 19.9
(67.8)		 19.9
(67.8)		 19.9
(67.8)		 19.7
(67.5)		 19.7
(67.5)		 19.5
(67.1)		 19.3
(66.7)		 19.8
(67.6)		 20.0
(68.0)		 20.2
(68.4)		 20.0
(68.0)		 19.8
(67.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 215
(8.5)		 228
(9.0)		 308
(12.1)		 381
(15.0)		 360
(14.2)		 342
(13.5)		 302
(11.9)		 223
(8.8)		 264
(10.4)		 309
(12.2)		 299
(11.8)		 246
(9.7)		 3,477
(137.1)
Source: Climate-Data.org[6]

See also

References
  1. Nueva Loja, Sucumbios, Ecuador at GEOnet Names Server. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  2. Citypopulation.de
  3. "Ecuador Judge Orders Chevron to Pay $9 Billion". The New York Times. 14 February 2011.
  4. Michael I. Krauss (5 April 2019). "The Supreme Court of Canada Dismisses Donziger's Ecuador Petition to Appeal". Forbes. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  5. Karan Nagarkatti; Gary McWilliams (7 September 2018). "International tribunal rules in favor of Chevron in Ecuador case". Reuters. Retrieved 6 April 2019. The tribunal unanimously held that a $9.5 billion pollution judgment by Ecuador's Supreme Court against Chevron "was procured through fraud, bribery and corruption and was based on claims that had been already settled and released by the Republic of Ecuador years earlier."
  6. "Climate: Nueva Loja". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
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