Real Audiencia of Quito

The Real Audiencia of Quito, also called the Presidencia de Quito or the Reino de Quito, was an administrative unit of the Spanish Empire with political, military and religious jurisdiction over lands that today include Ecuador, parts of northern Peru, parts of southern Colombia and parts of northern Brazil. Philip II of Spain created it by royal decree on 29 August 1563. The decree gave it a district reaching along the coast toward Panama to the port of Buenaventura and inland to Pasto, Popayán, Cali and Buga, with the Pacific as its western border. Although technically subordinate to the viceroyalty in political matters, the Audiencia was effectively autonomous because the viceregal seat was too far away to govern its territory, so its president ran it directly. It belonged first to the Viceroyalty of Peru, then briefly to New Granada from 1717 to 1723, back to Peru, and again to New Granada from 1739. It ended in 1822, when the area joined the Republic of Gran Colombia, and in 1830 three of the departments formed from its territory separated from Gran Colombia to form Ecuador.