Esmeraldas is a coastal city in northwestern Ecuador. It is the seat of the Esmeraldas Cantonand the capital of the Esmeraldas Province. It has an international sea port and a small airport (IATA location identifier: ESM). Esmeraldas is the major seaport of northwestern Ecuador. It lies on the Pacific coast at the mouth of the Esmeraldas River. The city is the chief trading centre for the region's agricultural and lumber resources but is lacking in industrial development. Esmeraldas is home to the majority of the Afro Ecuadorian population. It is the terminus of the 313-mile (504-km) Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline from the oil fields in northeastern Ecuador. Esmeraldas is exactly at the antipodes of Padang, Indonesia
