Geography
The Republic of Ecuador acquired its name at
the beginning of the nineteenth century from
the equatorial line on which it is located.
The Andes cordillera crosses the country from
North to South and is formed by two mountain
ranges rising to altitudes of over 5000 meters, with peaks such as Cotopaxi, the
second highest active volcano on Earth. In the center of the cordillera is a valley where
most of the Andean cities are located. These cities are combinations of both
the modern and colonial, with farm houses
dating from the 16th century and colorful
Indian markets where native Ecuadorians
gather to exchange or sell their products.
On the western base of the cordillera there is a plain extending towards
the coast. This is the site of the first ceremonial and economic centers of cultures
dating back to 4,000 BC. Today, this area of the country abounds in rice, coffee,
banana, cocoa and tropical fruit plantations.
On the other side of the Andes is the Amazon
region, where 7 different
ethnic groups still
live today, along with over 1,600 hundred
species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects, as well as 200 species of trees.
The last of Ecuador's regions is perhaps its most well-known,
the Galapagos, made famous by Charles Darwin in 1835.
