Guaranda vs Rasht

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Guaranda (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡwaˈɾanda]) is a city in central Ecuador. It is the capital of Bolívar, a province located in the Andes mountains. The city is connected by road with other hubs, including Riobamba, Babahoyo and Ambato. Guaranda is a market town located in a valle – a deep valley in the high Andes, serving a vast hinterland of agricultural settlements ("comunidades") peopled by Quechua Indians. Its climate is subtropical, with a long (May – October) dry season ("estio"). Its population is mainly mestizo, but includes many people of different ethnicities . Supposedly, the city was first colonized by Jewish Conversos fleeing from Lima's Inquisition.

This nucleus has been intermarrying for almost five centuries, forming a compact population linked by family connections. Since the 1990s, the indigenous majority has seized political power and most of the local elected officers are of Quechua origin. The city has 55,374 inhabitants (2011 census) and is growing. It suffers severe problems of electricity and water supply. Water is drawn from high surface sources, mostly from the Chimborazo glacier, and is of good drinking quality. The city is known for its week-long Carnaval and for its "Pajaro Azul" alcoholic drink.

Source: Wikipedia

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Rasht (Persian: رشت‎, romanized: Ŕäšt [ɾæʃt] (listen); Gilaki: Rəšt; also romanized as Resht and Rast, and often spelt Recht in French and older German manuscripts) is the capital city of Gilan Province, Iran. Also known as the "City of Rain" (شهر باران, Ŝahre Bārān), it had a population of 639,951 as of the 24 October 2011 census and is the most densely populated city of Iran. Rasht is the largest city on Iran's Caspian Sea coast. It is a major trade center between Caucasia, Russia and Iran using the port of Bandar-e Anzali.

Rasht is also a major tourist center with the resort of Masouleh in the adjacent mountains and the beaches of Caspian as some of the major attractions. Historically, Rasht was a major transport and business center which connected Iran to Russia and Europe, and because of this was known as the "Gate of Europe". The city has a history that goes back to the 13th century but its modern history dates back to the Safavid era during which Rasht was a major silk trade center with numerous textile workshops.

Source: Wikipedia