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The Republic of Ecuador is a territory characterized by the presence of four extremely different regions. It offers a numerous variety of geographical landscapes and a diverse amount of ecological and cultural places. Ecuador is composed of a spacious coastal zone to the west situated next to the Pacific Ocean.The presence of the Andes Mountain Range in the Central North-South axis, and the flat Orient of the Amazon Region. Approximately a thousand kilometers off the coast of the mainland and crossed by the equator, is the Galapagos Archipelago. Ecuador is a small country extremely organized into 22 provinces. It has a population of about 12 million people.The majority of the people live in the Coastal region and in the valleys of the Andean Mountains, while the top of the mountains and Amazon Jungles are less populated. The capital of Ecuador is Quito, which along with Guayaquil, is the principle entrance to foreign tourists.Situated in the Torrid Zone, Ecuador has a tropical rainy climate, but the presence of the Andes.
The Coast of Ecuador is situated between two occidental plains, bathed by the Pacific Ocean. This region has various attractions such as the beaches, fertile savannas, and archaeological monuments that provide evidence of the establishment of Pre-Colombian cultures such as Valdivia, Chorrera, La Tolita and Manteña, in the provinces of Guayas and Manabi.
Other attractions include the presence of the African-Ecuadorian population in the province of Esmeraldas and the typical seafood of this region. In the coastal region, they extensively cultivate important products to be exported, such as banana and shrimp. Also produced in these regions are coffee, cocoa, rice, Soya, sugar cane, cotton, fruits, and other tropical products destined to satisfy the demand of national and international markets.
The Highlands are made by two chains of rocky mountains forming "La cordillera de los Andes", which is connected in the insides forming hollows. In this hollows we can find etnics groups that are millenary. The region has thirty five volcanoes that goes throw north to south.
Thirteen of the volcanoes are considered mainly active. In these group we can find "El Chimborazo", the highest mountain in the Ecuador (6310 m.s.n.m), and "The Cotopaxi" which is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The view that you will find in this region offers a variety of landscapes, like for example, warm valleys as Guayllabamba, El Chota y Vilcabamba. Moores like Cotopaxi, El Angel, Chimborazo. Indian Markets like Otavalo, Salasaca y Pujilí, where you can find unique engraves. You'll also find lakes like Yaguarcocha, Cuicocha and San Pablo. There are colonial cities that in the squares and Temples show up the arquitectonic structure used hundreds of years ago. These cities are the treasure of our cultural identity. There are Indian cultures that still preserve their costumes.
The Orient or Amazon Region is located in the extreme eastern part of the Andean Mountain Range. It forms part of the Amazon Basin, which is covered in a vast majority of diverse animals and plants. The fauna is abundant; you can find pink dolphins, (anacondas), hundreds of species of birds, insects, and muchThe Orient or Amazon Region is located in the extreme eastern part of the Andean Mountain Range. It forms part of the Amazon Basin, which is covered in a vast majority of diverse animals and plants. The fauna is abundant; you can find pink dolphins, (anacondas), hundreds of species of birds, insects, and much more. Various ethnic groups such as the Huahorani, the shuaras, the Quichuas, the Siona- Secoyas, the Cofanes, and the Quijos inhabit this region.
The Galapagos Islands or the insular region is situated in the Pacific Ocean approximately 1000 kilometers from the mainland of Ecuador. It is a region of volcanic origin that consists of 13 large islands, 6 smaller ones and 42 very small ones. It was declared a National Park in 1959, Patrimony of humanity in 1979, a reserve of marine recourses in 1986, a whale sanctuary in 1990 and a Biological Marine in 1996.
The Galapagos have been cataloged as a "laboratory of evolution." The English naturalist, Charles Darwin visited the islands in 1835, and based his theory about the origin of species on the island inhabitants. The islands contain a very diverse fauna such as gigantic turtles, marine wolves, terrestrial and marine iguanas, frigates, and blue-footed and red-footed boobies. Many of these species are endemic of the Galapagos.
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