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Destination Ecuador
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Overview Officially Republic of Ecuador, Spanish República del Ecuador, country of northwestern South America. It straddles part of the Andes Mountains and occupies part of the Amazon basin. Lying on the Equator, from which its name derives, it borders Colombia to the north, Peru to the east and the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west; it includes the Pacific island group of the Galápagos Islands, or the Archipiélago de Colón. It is a relatively small country by South American standards, with an area of 103,930 square miles (269,178 square kilometres), including 100,844 square miles on the South American continent. The border with Peru, as defined by the Protocol of Rio de Janeiro (1942), is not considered legitimate by Ecuador, and some of the border markers provided for by that treaty have not been placed. The capital, Quito, is located in the Andean highlands in the north-central part of the country. Geography Ecuador is one of the most environmentally diverse countries in the world, and it has contributed notably to the environmental sciences. The first scientific expedition to explore the Amazon basin, led by Charles-Marie de La Condamine, departed from Ecuador; the renowned naturalists Alexander von Humboldt and Charles Darwin used Ecuadoran research to help establish basic theories of modern geography, ecology, and evolutionary biology. Ecuador has a deeply ingrained cultural heritage, the first agricultural villages and ceramic production of the Americas being associated with what is now coastal Ecuador. Quito came to be the northern capital of the Inca empire, the largest political unit of pre-Columbian America. Economically, Ecuador has become known for the fabrication of (erroneously named) Panama hats and the production of bananas, cocoa (chocolate), shrimp, oil, and gold. Since 1979 Ecuador has been a relatively stable South American democracy, although it has encountered many of the economic ills typical of the region. The Andes Mountains divide the country into three main physical regions: the Costa (coastal region), the Sierra (highland region), and the Oriente (eastern region, also called the Amazon region).The Costa is composed of lowlands that extend eastward from the Pacific Ocean to the western edge of the Andes and rise from sea level to an altitude of 1,650 feet (500 metres). Running north-south, small coastal mountain ranges—the Colonche, Chindul, and Mache mountains—rise to 2,600 feet. Between these coastal ranges and the Andes, interior valleys are mantled with silt deposits left by rivers that largely drain into the Gulf of Guayaquil. Puná, in the gulf, is the major island. The western and central ranges of the Andes bordering the Sierra constitute the country's highest and most continuous mountain chains. Many peaks are volcanic or snow-covered; these include Cayambe, 18,996 feet (5,790 metres); Antisana, 18,714 feet (5,704 metres); Cotopaxi—the world's highest active volcano—19,347 feet (5,897 metres); Chimborazo, 20,702 feet (6,310 metres); Altar, 17,451 feet (5,319 metres); and Sangay, 17,158 feet (5,230 metres). The two ranges are connected at intervals by transversal mountain chains of volcanic origin. Between the transverse mountains are large, isolated valleys or basins, called hoyas, which are named for the main river running through them. The Oriente begins with the eastern spur of the central range, which extends to the border with Peru. This region is crossed by the eastern—and least important—cordillera of the Andes, also composed of three sections: the Cordillera de Galeras, which includes the northern mountains and such peaks as Reventador (11,434 feet) and Sumaco (12,759 feet); the Cordillera de Cutucú, which borders the Upano valley and includes the central peaks; and the Cordillera del Cóndor to the south, which borders the Zamora valley. Beyond this eastern cordillera, to the east, is the Amazon basin, extending below 900 feet.

Culture/People
Ecuador, as discussed above, is a country of great ethnic diversity and great contrasts of wealth and poverty. People identify more with their region or village than with the country as a whole, although the government has attempted to nourish a sense of pan-Ecuadoran national identity. At a minimum the country may be divided into a dozen or so major folk-cultural regions: norteño mestizo, northern Quechua, central highland mestizo, Quiteño urban, central Quechua, Cuencano mestizo, Lojano mestizo, southern Quechua, Esmeraldeño black, coastal mestizo-mulatto, Shuar (Jivaro), and Amazonian Quechua. Numerous smaller or more localized cultures also exist, and there are two culturally mixed areas in the Santo Domingo and northeastern Oriente frontiers. The most prominent and representative groups are the central highland mestizos and coastal mestizo-mulatto mixed culture.


Climate/Clothes
Because Ecuador lies on the Equator, most of the country, except in the Sierra, experiences humid tropical climates. The Oriente is influenced throughout the year by an unstable maritime tropical air mass, while the Costa is subject to greater variations associated with seasonal movements of the intertropical convergence zone and the cold Peru Current. Local convectional processes dominate the weather in the higher parts of the Andes. The Oriente experiences fairly continuous and abundant rainfall and high temperatures. The Costa generally has a wet season in the first half of the year and a relatively dry one in the second half. In some years, warm water collects off the coast, causing the weather phenomenon known as El Niño; this can result in torrential downpours that cause devastating ecological damage on the coast and occasionally even in the highlands. In the Sierra, rains reach a maximum during the equinoxes; there is a long dry season from June to September and a shorter one from December through January. Ecuador has a small area of truly dry climate at the Santa Elena Peninsula along the southern coast, with annual rainfall decreasing from 40 inches (1,000 millimetres) near Guayaquil to only 4 inches at Salinas. In the highlands, annual rainfall decreases toward the centres of the canyons and valleys, sometimes dropping below 20 inches or even below 10 inches. Most of the country, however, is humid, receiving more than 20 inches of rain a year. The southern coast and the highlands receive 30 to 80 inches. The wettest areas, the northern coast and the Oriente, receive 120 to 240 inches of rain. Both the Costa and the Oriente regions are warm, temperatures varying only slightly among the seasons; much wider differences occur between day and night. Average daytime high temperatures range from 84° to 91° F (29° to 33° C), while nighttime lows fall to between 68° and 75° F (20° to 24° C). As elevation increases, temperatures drop fairly predictably at a rate of about 9° to 11° F (5° to 6° C) for every 3,300 feet. Pleasantly temperate climates occur between elevations of 2,600 and 6,600 feet. At higher elevations, frost is a possibility, especially in areas of flat relief and during cloud-free nights of the dry seasons. Above elevations of 11,800 to 12,500 feet agriculture becomes increasingly difficult because of the shrinking growing season and increasing frost hazard, and above about 16,400 feet the peaks are snowcapped.

Entry/Exit Requirements
Ecuador requires a valid passport from all travelers, as well as proof of return to your home country or onward journey, though this is rarely checked. At this time no yellow fever vaccination is required. Citizens of most nations can stay in Ecuador for up to 180 days per year. Immigration officials will stamp either 60 or 90 days in your passport when you enter. If you know you need more than 60 days, be sure to tell them before they stamp your passport. Also, if you want to stay longer than 90 days you will have to get an extension or obtain a visa. To learn more about visas, see our immigration section and/or check with your local Ecuadorian consulate or your embassy in Ecuador for details pertaining to your citizenship.

Health Advisories
Health considerations in the Developing World, especially in tropical areas, differ substantially from those that travelers face in North America and Europe. South American travelers need to be particularly cautious with respect to what they eat and drink and to insect bites. Hepatitis A and Typhoid Fever are the two most common diseases transmitted through food and water. Yellow Fever and Malaria are the most common diseases transmitted by insects. As tempting as it may look, it's best to avoid food cooked by street vendors. EcuadorExplorer.com's health section provides an overview of these and other medical considerations for those traveling in Ecuador. In addition to reading the information we provide, you may want to consult our recommended reading list, which includes a number of excellent web sites and books on staying healthy abroad. Health is always an issue of concern for people traveling abroad. Most travelers stay healthy throughout their journeys and return home as fit as ever. You have little to worry about if you educate yourself and take sensible precautions.

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