Ecuador Geography

What is the terrain and geography like in Ecuador?

Overview

Ecuador straddles the Equator, its namesake, on the west coast of South America. Two north-south ranges of the Andes Mountains divide the country into three distinct sections: the Costa, a belt of tropical lowlands 10–100 miles wide along the Pacific coast, where Guayaquil, the major city, is located; the Sierra, a highland plateau 3,000–10,000 feet high, where Quito is located; and the Oriente, jungle lowlands east of the Andes that make up about half the country’s area. In addition, the Galapagos Islands (Archipelago de Colon) lie 640 miles off the coast. The nine main islands are inhabited by some 15,000 people and an amazing variety of wildlife that has fascinated scientists ever since Charles Darwin visited there in 1836.

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.

Geography - note

Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world

Ecuador Use of Natural Resources

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)

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