Republic of the Equator¹ (including the Galápagos Islands)

How is the land laid out?

South of Colombia is the Republic of the Equator (Ecuador) with the same pattern as its northern neighbor: coastal plain, tri-partite mountains--though with little separation--and the Amazonas² basin. Notable peaks include Chimborazo, 5310 meters, and the world's tallest active volcano, Cotopaxi, 5897 meters. Cotopaxi is a tourist destination.

There are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites with nature as their criteron: The Galápagos Islands and its nearby Marine Preserve and Sangay National Park. The islands honor the species diversity, many of which are endemic. Charles Darwin was inspired by this to develop the theory of evolution. Local conditions vary from island to island and with altitude. The marine environment is influenced by upwells associated with the Cromwell Current, as well as by the Peru Flow.

The mainland park features two active volcanoes, Tungurahua (5016 meters) and Sangay (5230 meters), and one extinct volcano, El Altar (5139 meters), all in the Eastern Range (Cordillera Oriental). The attractions include numerous waterfalls and rare animals like the tapir and the Andean condor.³

Who lives there?

This is one part of a large area of the Americas where Spanish and Roman Catholic Christianity represent the majority.

There are two cities of over a million: Santiago de Guayaquil and San Francisco de Quito. Another city that was once prominent in the highlands is San Pedro de Riobamba.

Two UNESCO World Heritage Sites honor culture, one associated with Quito and one with Santa Ana de Los Quatros Ríos de Cuenca.³

Tourists also enjoy: Otavalo; Montañita, a small surfing resort; Tena; and the stretch of train line called Nariz del Diablo.⁵

There is a natural gas field in the southwest of Puņa Island and extending offshore.

Map

Who was there before?

A sampling of of pre-Columbia languages follows. I. Jivaroan languages were spoken in the Amazonian basin. II. The Incan language brought Quechua⁶ from the southeast.

Around the Area

northeast
south and southeast
west

Footnotes

1. Ecuador in Spanish.
2. Amazon in English.
3. UNESCO, World Heritage Sites (Firefly Books, 2010). Access to Tungurahua Volcano and its waterfalls is from Baños.
4. Translates as Grace or Mercy.
5. Located between the small places of Alausi and Sibambe.
6. Sometimes called Quichua.