Ecuador

I

Introduction

Ecuador, republic in north-western South America, bordered by Colombia to the north, by Peru to the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. The country also includes the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific, about 965 km (600 mi) west of the mainland. Ecuador straddles the equator and has an area of 272,045 sq km (105,037 sq mi). Quito is the country’s capital.

II

Land and Resources

Ecuador is divided into four geographical regions: the Costa, or coastal plain, covers a little more than one quarter of the area of the country; the Sierra, or central highlands, extends as a double row of high and massive mountains enclosing a narrow, inhabited central plateau; the Oriente, or eastern jungle, covering about half the country, consists of gentle slopes east of the Andes; and the Archipiélago de Colón (Galápagos Islands) includes six larger and nine smaller islands containing many volcanic peaks, mostly extinct.

The Sierra region lies between two chains of the Andes, the Western and Eastern Cordilleras, which have more than a dozen peaks higher than 4,877 m (16,000 ft). Cotopaxi (5,897 m/19,347 ft), one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, is located between the Western and Eastern Cordilleras.

A

Climate

Although Ecuador lies on the equator, the country has a wide range of climates because of the varying elevations. The Costa is generally hot and humid, with a mean annual temperature of about 26° C (78° F). On the Sierra the temperatures range between about 7° C and 21° C (45° and 70° F), depending on the elevation. The city of Quito, which is some 2,850 m (9,350 ft) above sea level, has a mean annual temperature of 12.8° C (55° F). The Oriente is warmer and more humid than the Costa; temperatures approach 37.8° C (100° F), and annual precipitation is about 2,030 mm (80 in).

B

Natural Resources

Forests, an important resource of Ecuador, cover more than 40 per cent of the country. The mineral resources of the country include petroleum, gold, silver, lead, zinc, salt, copper, iron, coal, and sulphur.