What is the terrain and geography like in Ecuador?
Most of Ecuador is covered by equatorial forests. The rest consists of cultivated agricultural areas, some arid scrubland near the coast, and barren mountain ranges with 22 peaks over 14,000 feet high. These peaks include Chimborazo (20,561 ft.) and Cotopaxi, which is the second highest active volcano in the world (19,347 ft.). The spectacular array of snowcapped volcanoes stretching north and south of Quito has been called the "Avenue of Volcanoes," and on a clear day the view from an airplane is breathtaking. On the Pacific slope the principal rivers are the Esmeraldas and the Guayas. Eastern Ecuador is part of the Amazon watershed. Its principal rivers are the Napo and Pastaza Rivers. None of the Amazon tributaries in Ecuador are navigable by oceangoing vessels.
Geographic Location | South America |
Total Area |
109,483 Square Miles 283,561 Square Kilometers |
Land Area |
106,888 Square Miles 276,841 Square Kilometers |
Water Area |
2,595 Square Miles 6,720 Square Kilometers |
Land Boundaries |
1,249 Miles 2,010 Kilometers |
Irrigated Land |
3,295 Square Miles 8,534 Square Kilometers |
Border Countries | Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km |
Coastline |
1,390 Miles 2,237 Kilometers |
Geographic Coordinates | 2 00 S, 77 30 W |
Terrain | coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente) |
Highest Point | 6,267 Meters |
Highest Point Location | Chimborazo 6,267 m |
Lowest Point Location | Pacific Ocean 0 m |
Natural Resources | petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower |
Time Zone |
UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time) time zone note: Ecuador has two time zones, including the Galapagos Islands (UTC-6) |