El sur de Quito

(South Quito.)

Economically speaking, Quito is a very divided city. Most middle and upper-middle class individuals live in north Quito, while South Quito holds people of lower socio-economic status. South Quito is quickly expanding, and thus the majority of its residents are not originally from Quito. Over the last ten years, Quito's population has nearly doubled from 1.3 million to 2.5 million (this last number is just an estimate, pending the 2010 census results). Much of this expansion has taken place in South Quito. Because South Quito is such a new and rapidly growing part of the city, it contains a far greater diversity of people, from former farmers to recent immigrants.

While I live and spend most of my time in North Quito, I spent some time in South Quito last weekend, and I thought I'd post some pictures:

 Livestock is not technically allowed within the city limits, but the government will generally turn a blind eye until the population becomes dense enough for it to be problem. Given how quickly the city has been growing, the government will likely evict this livestock within the next few years.

A cornfield on the side of the road. Migrants who used to own farms in the countryside generally try to keep part of their former identities for as long as they can.

Ashley and me with a few South Quito residents in a community center.