Santo Domingo de los Colorados

Santo Domingo de los Colorados,[3] often simply referred to as Santo Domingo (Quechua: Tsachila), is an Ecuadorian city and seat of the canton that bears its name and the Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas Province. It is the fourth most populous city in Ecuador, with a population of 334,826, and is an important commercial and industrial center.[4] The name, "de los Colorados", refers to a local ethnic group, the Tsáchila, and the custom of men in that tribe to dye their hair with extract of the achiote plant; hence "Santo Dominigo de los Colorados" or "Santo Domingo of the Dyed." This group, which is indigenous to the area, is recognised with a substantial statue near the town center.[citation needed] Santo Domingo is located approximately 133 km west of Quito at an elevation of 625 m. Santo Domingo lies in the foothills west of the Andes. It is important stopping point on the road from Quito to the Pacific coast. The city also connects other lowland cities like Quevedo, Chone, and Quinindé.