La Maná

La Maná is a town in the Cotopaxi Province of Ecuador. It is the seat of the La Maná Canton. La Maná, is one of seven canton of the Cotopaxi Province in Ecuador. La Maná is not only a canton, but also is the name the main town. The canton has a total area of 66,258 acres. It is the sixth largest canton of the province of Cotopaxi.

The origin of La Mana has its mysteries and charms. La Mana, is derived from LANG MANA ATTI which means "mine of great king". It is named that because of its abundance of gold and other minerals in the subsoil. The "Colorado" word (safiqui) MANA means "beautiful, big" which is attributed to the fertility of the land. La Mana was inhabited by the Tsachilas or "Los Colorados". In the sector, many vestiges of their presence have been discovered, such as pieces of clay, zoomorphic statuettes with ornaments, and clay pots, where presumably, they melted metals like the gold that abounded in the mountains. The legislative Committee of Civil and Penal Law sent a bill for the creation of the canton La Maná, in the Cotopaxi Province. On May 19, 1986, under the government of León Febres Cordero, La Maná became a canton. In the canton, there is a monument to commemorate Carlos Lozada Quintana, who owned the La Merced Hacienda. He donated the lands for plazas, parks, streets, schools, and indispensable services for the community's welfare. La Mana, unlike other towns, is a settlement town by people who came from different parts of the country. They all brought their customs and traditions with them. Its immense forests, its gigantic plantations of banana, orito, yucca, cocoa, tobacco and coffee, as well as its strategic geographic location and its auriferous wealth, confer special characteristics that favor its development and has a leading role in Ecuadorian economy.