ABOUT ECUADOR

LOCATION: At the Northwest side of South America

BORDERS: Ecuador has territories in both the Northern and the Southern hemispheres. It borders with Colombia to the north, Peru to the south and east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

POPULATION: 12.6 million inhabitants. More than half of the population live at the Coast and less than a half live at the Highlands. Less than seven hundred thousands inhabitants live at the Jungle. Nearly seventeen thousands inhabitants live at Galapagos Islands.

CURRENCY: Since 1999 the US Dollar became the National Currency

RELIGION: 95% Roman Catholic (Not practicants)

SURFACE: 256,370 square kilometers.

GEOGRAPHY: It is geographically divided into four regions:

• The Amazon Rainforest: Distributed into 6 provinces and where you find less inhabitants per square meter.
• The Highlands - Sierra: Two parallel ranges run from North to South Ecuadors. At the Andes you find amazing snow capped mountains, the highest among them in Ecuador is the Chimborazo with 6,310 meters above the sea level. The Highlands have 7 provinces.
• The Coast: 5 provinces along 640 Km form the lowlands of the Coast.
• The Galapagos Islands: Made up of 13 main islands, 17 islets, and dozens of ancient rock formations It is politically split into 22 provinces and into 205 cantons.

HISTORY: The first people arrive to Ecuador around 12,000 years BC. The theories confirm that these people could come from Asia. Traces of the existence of the ancient group were found at Ilalo near Quito.

According to the traces found it is possible to conclude that these people had developed social organizations with their own beliefs, rites, and ceremonies and an economical activities based primarily on hunting, gathering, and agriculture.

During the XV Century Ecuador as well as other Andean Countries was the seat of the Inca Empire. The Incas came to Ecuador from Peru and gained a big territory from the south of Colombia to the north of Chile this territory was well known as Tahuantinsuyo. This empire did not last to long as the Spaniards arrived to Ecuador in 1532. During that time heavy fighting took place between Spaniards and the Incas, who resisted the conquest but as this Empire was weak due to internal fights it was not very difficult for the Spaniards to conquer them. For the Spaniards, America represented a land full of richness, taken in the name of the Crown. Francisco Pizarro and Diego de Almagro were the main protagonist of the time and conquered the native people in a bloody manner. The Spaniards used a variety of strategies such as indoctrination and the use of rival Indian chiefs.

The Spaniards established the Audiencia de Quito in 1563, it covered a vast territory of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Until the XVII this Audiencia de Quito was part of the Viceroyalty of Peru afterwards under orders of the Viceroyalty of Nueva Granada.

Social decadence sped up in the second half of the XVIII century. The Colonial system felt down, perhaps due to the following things: the end of production of silver in Potosi. Textile making decreased significantly. The power of the private elite was also limited by reforms which were introduced. With the Help of Simon Bolivar and Antonio Jose de Sucre Ecuador finally got its independence in 1822.

Simon Bolivar formed a new nation called Gran Colombia together with all Andean Countries. This nation lasted just 8 years but broke up. After the collapse of Gran Colombia, the Republic of Ecuador was created in 1830. Since them political conflict has characterized life in the Republic. The new State was unable to integrate the different regions. The mountain region and the coast developed in different ways. Also, autonomous local bodies formed which entered into conflict with the state and which, in addition, administered their own resources.

ECOLOGY: Ecuador is one the planets top 17 most biologically diverse nations. The nations drastic geographic and climatic variations have led to evolution of thousands of species of flora and fauna. Despite its tiny size, Ecuador is home to rain forests, jungles, mountains, islands, deserts, valleys, and snowcapped peaks. One of its main attractions is the Galapagos Archipelago and its marine reserve, which contain endemic species unique to the area.

Around 4,669,871 hectares of land and 14,110,000 of water are protected through National Parks and Ecological Reserves.

CULTURE: Ecuador is a Multicultural and Multiethnical country. Many indigenous groups live all over the country, maintaining their own traditions and ways of life. The following are the principal indigenous groups of the Amazon region: Huaoranis, Achuar, Shuar, Cofan, Siona-Secoya, Shiwiar and Zaparo. The principle indigenous groups of the highlands are the Quichua, Caaris, and Saraguros. On the Pacific coast, live the Chachis, Cayapas, Tsachilas, and Huancavilcas. The nations cities and villages are primarily populated by people of mixed race, white, and Afro-Ecuadorians, although large numbers of indigenous migrants have moved from the country to the city. This has caused some problems such as growth of slums, lack of housing and schools, unemployment, crime, among other issues.

WEATHER: Due to geographic differences in altitude, because of the presence of Andes Mountain Range, the Equator Line, and the climatic effects of the Pacific Ocean, Ecuador has very different climates and microclimates. The Pacific coast has a rainy season between December and May and a dry one from June to November. The temperature oscillates between 23 and 26 degrees centigrade. The Highlands, on the other hand, has a rainy, cold climate from November to April and a dry one from May to October. The temperature here is between 13 and 22 degrees centigrade. In the Amazon, the climate is rainy and humid between January and September, with temperatures between 23 and 36 degrees centigrade, and it is dry between October and December. The Galapagos has a temperate climate with temperatures ranging between 22 and 32 degrees centigrade.