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The Republic of Ecuador straddles the Equator, and is bordered by Colombia to the north and northeast, and Peru to the south and southeast.
Although it is one of the smallest countries in South America (about the size of Nevada), Ecuador is one of the
most geographically and ecologically diverse countries in the world. Endowed with a dramatic topography, Ecuador features five distinct ecological "zones" with unique climates, vegetation, and wildlife. Without leaving the country, you can experience the rainforest, the mountains, and the seacoast!
Five million years ago the mountain range now named the Andes appeared, dividing Ecuador into two low forested plains and a narrower, intermediate band bordered by the "Avenue of the Volcanoes." About the same time, a cluster of islands were forming 1,000 Km. off Ecuador's Pacific coast. The Galapagos archipelago is comprised of 13 large islands, six smaller ones and over 40 islets. Together they cover 7,500 sq. Km. Most are south of the equator where several marine currents converge.
Ecuador is often pictured as a land of steamy jungles astride the Equator, bordered by the Pacific Ocean. But a large area is Andean Sierra, dominated by a range of towering volcanoes and highland valleys that form a significant temperate ecological region sustaining numerous wildlife species.
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