Ecuador is nestled in the northern part of South America, it shares its border in the North with Colombia, in the South-Southeast with Peru and in the West the Pacific Ocean.

The Equatorial Line or Parallel 0° cuts the country in the northern part, it divides Earth in two hemispheres, North and South. A unique experience if you stand over the Equatorial Line with one leg on each hemisphere.

The climate of Ecuador although is in the heart of the tropics ranges from glacial to tropical. In the Sierra region (Andes) temperatures range from subtropical, warm, cold and glacial. In the Coast and Amazonian regions you will find temperatures ranging from dry tropical, warm tropical and high humidity tropical. These factors determined specific vegetation and fauna for the regions. Temperatures are unpredictable and marked more by altitude than by the calendar.

Galapagos, the Costa and the Highlands share a rainy  period from January to May, the difference is that the Coast and Galapagos have an average temperature of 80°F and the highlands of 60°F. Quito's temperature remain constant and moderate year round, lows in the mid 40°F, highs in the low 70°F. The Amazonia is year round hot and humid  but the rainiest months are from April to September.

Although a small country,  Ecuador contains within its borders a wide variety of landscape,  fauna and culture. Like most of South America, Ecuador carries the mixture of three cultures,  the Spanish, the Incas and the local indigenes. Spanish is the official language of the country, but a great majority of the  indigene community speak the Indian language. Quichua was the language imposed by the Incas in  the western local tribes. Jivaroan (Jivaro) is the language spoken by the Indians in the Oriental part of the country. The Jivaro tribes are well known around the world as the famous and feared "Shrink-Heads".

Quito is the capital of Ecuador, architectonic treasure  represented in its temples and  monasteries that conserve the creativity, intellect and art, an indelible sign of its culture. Here is where in the past a group of courageous  adventurers departed to "El País de la Canela".  A heroic event that ended with the discovery of the great Amazon river. Quito's old town is so beautiful that was declared a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978.

Ecuador is the example of America. This was demonstrated with the first fight for freedom on August 10, 1809. This event was the beginning of a consolidation of ideas for freedom that was finally achieved on May 24, 1822, with the independence from Spanish Conquistadors.

Ecuador is divided by two distinct Andean mountain chains, the "Cordillera Occidental" in the west, and the "Cordillera Central" in the east. Home of spectacular volcanoes and snowcapped mountains like: Chimborazo, Cotopaxi (the highest active volcano in the world ), Tungurahua, Cayambe, Antisana, Altar, Iliniza, Sangay, Cotacachi and others that stand like great guardians of the nations. These peaks include some of the highest in South America, in all some ten peaks well over 5,000 meters or 16,600 feet.

Ecuador's subsoil is rich in minerals, some of them in high abundance: oil, gold, silver, zinc, lead, nickel, sulfur, quartz and marble among others.  The Ecuadorian economy is ruled by two mayor groups, oil and agricultural products, a third and smaller group is the tourism industry.

Oil of high quality is found in the Amazonian Region and transported to Esmeraldas in the Pacific Coast across the Andean Region trough pipelines. Here the oil is part processed for internal consumption and the rest is exported to various countries in the world. Oil represents approximately 30% of the total exports in Ecuador.

The Coastal Region harbors extensive plantations of tropical products. Ecuador is the world's largest exporter of bananas, other products includes: coffee, cacao, heart of palm, mangoes, melons and citrus among others. Another important part of the Ecuadorian economy in this region is the shrimp-farming industry. Ecuador has become the second largest exporter of pool-grown shrimp in the world, both in whole and as processed products.

The tourism in Ecuador is a growing industry. Dominated by ecological riches and cultural heritage Ecuador has several points of attractions, one of the most important sites is the Galapagos Islands, a living wonder that was formed trough thousands of years of volcanic activity at sea. For the mountaineer the High Sierra holds some of the most spectaculars scenarios of South America and for the explorers the jungle in the Oriente is loaded with biological diversity.

One of the latest industries born in Ecuador are the flowers. Roses and carnations started being exported in 1983, since then the plantations have expanded to many different type of flowers that are being exported to countries like: United States, Spain, Holland and Russia among others.

Ecuador 21 Provinces are: Azuay, Bolivar, Cañar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi,  El Oro, Esmeraldas, Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Manabi, Morona-Santiago, Napo, Pastaza, Pichincha, Sucumbios, Tungurahua y Zamora-Chinchipe. Galapagos Island located approximately 600 miles of the Coast of Ecuador completes the total administrative division of 21 Provinces.

The country is geographically divided into four zones:

1.- Coast - Coastal Zone

2.- Sierra - The Andes Mountains

3.- Oriente - The Amazonian Tropical Rain Forest    

4.- Insular - The Galapagos Islands

Important Facts about Ecuador:

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I wish to thank my wife, Marie Elena, my sons, Branden, Angel and my sisters, Betty, Jacqueline and Mercy  in Ecuador for their collaboration.