Ecuador

Quick Facts

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Capital

Quito

Government

Presidential Republic

Nationality

Ecuadorian

Population

13,755,000

Languages

Spanish, American Indian languages

Religions

Christianity (Catholic)

Currency

US Dollar (USD)

Calling Code

+593

Time Zone

UTC-5 (-6 for Galapagos Islands)

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Introduction

butterfly

© All Rights Reserved patsybrel

While mainland Ecuador has plenty to offer with its dense Amazon wilderness, magnificent volcanic peaks and historic capital city Quito, the most popular destination for visitors of Ecuador are the lushous Galapagos Islands, more than 600 miles offshore. Boasting a wealth of unique animal and plant life, the islands have attracted travellers and scientists alike, all drawn by the Galapagos' spectacular natural diversity.

Of course, mainland Ecuador has more than enough to tantalize the traveller's senses. But for those after a truly exquisite experience, the Galapagos is the perfect destination.

Brief History

Geography

Ecuador is a small country with a very diverse geography. Being located on the equator and with a coast line climbing up to mountains over 5,000 meters, makes for an amazing topography. This little country has rain forest, cloud forest, temperate pine forests, prairies and coast. To top it all off, Ecuador is home to the worlds' tallest active volcano! Ecuador shares international borders with Peru and Colombia.

Regions

Ecuador has 4 main regions, consisting of a total of 24 provinces.

• Costa (Coast): Esmeraldas, Manabí, Los Rios, Guayas, Santa Elena and El Oro;
• Sierra (Andes): Carchi, Imbabura, Pichincha, Cotopaxi, Bolívar, Tungurahua, Chimborazo, Cañar, Azuay, Loja and the newly created Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas province;
• Oriente (Amazon): Sucumbíos, Orellana, Napo, Pastaza, Morona Santiago and Zamora Chinchipe;
• Galapagos Archipelago is itself a province.

Cities

• Quito, located in northern Ecuador, is the capital.
• Guayaquil is Ecuador's main port and the largest city in the country.
• Cuenca, situated in Ecuador's highlands, is the third largest city.
• Portoviejo is the capital of the Manabí Province.
• Ambato, a market town in the province of Tungurahua.
• Ibarra is the capital of Imbabura Province in northern Ecuador.
• Riobamba is the capital of Chimborazo Province in central Ecuador.
• Manta is located in the Manabí Province one of the country's most important economic cities.

Sights and Activities

Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands around the equator, located about 1000 kilometers west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean and were made famous by Charles Darwin. For more information about visiting the islands, go to the Galapagos Islands article. There is even a special Wildlife In The Galapagos article.

Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi Krater ...

© All Rights Reserved Sylvi

The Cotopaxi volcano in the Andes mountains is located just 75 kilometers from Quito and on a clear day you can see the mountain from the capital. It is part of the chain of volcanoes around the Pacific plate known as the Pacific Ring of Fire and is 5897 meters high. Climbing it is possible but you will need experience and good equipment. For some more information, read the Famous Mountains article, in which the Cotopaxi is listed as well.

Mindo

Mindo is one of the best birdwatching destinations in the world and many species of bird can be found in its cloud forests. It's only a small village but has developed itself as a tourist destination. Read further in the Mindo article for some more details about bird watching.

Salinas de Bolivar

Salinas de Bolivar is famous for products like cheese.

San Luis de Pambil

San Luis de Pambil is an agricultural village on the western side of the Andes in the lower, warmer part of Bolivar Province. This little-visited area between the mountains and the sea has no famous tourist attractions but is worth a visit to get off the beaten track and see genuine rural life.

Baños

Baños is a popular tourist destination on the eastern side of the Andes. What Baños is mainly known for its stunning hot springs and mountain views.

Otavalo

Otavalo is a highland village famous for its textile market and the beautiful traditional clothing worn by local women. It is also home to one of the largest traditional crafts markets in the world every saturday. For more detailed information, visit the Otavalo article.

Sangay National Park

This stunning park has great scenery with two active volcanoes and several ecosystems, ranging from tropical rainforests to glaciers. The park offers striking contrasts between the snowcapped peaks and the forests of the plains. Rare and endangered animals liver in this remote park and include species like the mountain tapir and the Andean condor.

Historical centres

Ecuador has some fine examples of cities and towns with colonial architecture and historical building styles. The main ones are in Quito and Cuenca, which are both on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Events and Festivals

Weather

Getting there

By Plane

LanEcuador is the main airlines based at José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport (GYE) near Guayaquil. Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) near the capital Quito is another hub. Most flights are to and from Latin American cities and the United States, but Iberia serves Madrid and KLM has flights to both cities from Amsterdam and Bonaire.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

Buses travel along the Panamericana in northern and southern directions. Between Ecuador and Colombia, crossing is at Ipiales (Colombia) along the Panamericana. Once in Colombia, from Ipiales you can travel by bus or take flights to Cali and Bogota. Direct buses travel between Quito and Bogota.
Between Quito, there are also direct services to and from Lima in Peru.

By Boat

Getting Around

By Plane

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Red Tape

Money

Work

Study

Language

Related article: Spanish: Grammar, pronunciation and useful phrases

Spanish is the official language of Ecuador.

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

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