Facts About Ecuador
Here in Quito, the nights freeze and the daytime temperature is an average of 71 degrees year-round. I'll be wearing lots of tank tops and flannel nighties. :)

Location: Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru

Geographic coordinates: 2 00 S, 77 30 W

Map of Ecuador Area
total: 283,560 sq km
land: 276,840 sq km
water: 6,720 sq km
note: includes Galapagos Islands

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Nevada

Land boundaries
total: 2,010 km
border countries: Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km

Coastline: 2,237 km

Maritime claims
continental shelf: claims continental shelf between mainland and Galapagos Islands
territorial sea: 200 nm Climate
tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands

Terrain
coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)

Flag of Ecuador Elevation extremes
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chimborazo 6,267 m

Natural resources
petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower

Land use
arable land: 6%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 18%
forests and woodland: 56%
other: 15% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 5,560 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues
deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution; pollution from oil production wastes

Environment - international agreements
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world