Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Anes Mountains, located about 75 kilometres (50 mi) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in the country, reaching a height of 5,897 m. Cotopaxi has an almost symmetrical cone that rises from a highland plain of about 3,800 metres (12,500 ft), with a width at its base of about 23 kilometres (14 mi). It has one of the few equatorial glaciers in the world, which starts at the height of 5,000 metres (16,400 ft). The mountain is clearly visible on the skyline from Quito. It is part of the chain of volcanoes around the Pacific plate known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.