The CIP-Quito liaison office is one member of CIP and was officially established on November 21, 1989 and registered with the Ecuadorian government on December 12, 1989. CIP-Quito is stationed in Quito, the capital city of Ecuador, at an altitude of 3058 meters above sea level, thus providing an unique opportunity to study the various varieties of Andean potatoes, sweetpotatoes, and other roots and tubers on site. The CIP-Quito research station is housed at the INIAP Santa Catalina Experimental Station, nestled amongst rolling hills and snow-capped volcanoes, just outside the metropolitan region of Quito. The CIP-Quito office currently consists of over 30 people, including an international staff of researchers, students, and support personnel.