Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern
South America, bordered by
Colombia on the north,
Peru on the east and south, and the
Pacific Ocean on the west. Ecuador also includes the
Galápagos Islands in the Pacific, about 1,000 kilometers (621 mi) west of the mainland. The country's
capital is
Quito, but its largest city is
Guayaquil.
The territories of modern-day Ecuador were once home to a variety of
indigenous peoples that were gradually incorporated into the
Inca Empire during the 15th century. The territory was
colonized by Spanish Empire during the 16th century, achieving independence in 1820 as part of
Gran Colombia, from which it emerged as a
sovereign state in 1830. The legacy of both empires is reflected in Ecuador's ethnically diverse population, with most of its 17.8 million people being
mestizos, followed by large minorities of
Europeans,
Native American,
African, and
Asian descendants. Spanish is the official language spoken by a majority of the population, although 13 native languages are also recognized, including
Quechua and
Shuar.
One of 17
megadiverse countries in the world, Ecuador hosts many
endemic plants and animals, such as those of the
Galápagos Islands. In recognition of its unique ecological heritage, the new constitution of 2008 is the first in the world to recognize legally enforceable
rights of nature. (Full article...)
Image 13A satellite map of chlorophyll and phytoplankton concentration (top) paired with a map of oceanic surface temperatures at the same time (bottom). The thriving populations represented by green and yellow in the upper map correlate to areas of higher surface temperatures represented by yellow in the lower map (2 March 2009). (from Galápagos Islands)
Image 27A manuscript map of the islands from the charts drafted by
James Colnett of the British
Royal Navy in 1793, adding additional names (from Galápagos Islands)
Image 31A woman in Ecuadorian dress participating in the 2010 Carnaval del Pueblo. (from Culture of Ecuador)
Image 32Map of the former
Gran Colombia in 1824 (named in its time as Colombia), the Gran Colombia covered all the colored region. (from History of Ecuador)
Image 42Former President
Rafael Correa (left) attends President-elect
Lenín Moreno's (middle) "changing of the guard" ceremony. The two
PAIS leaders were considered close allies before Moreno's "de-Correaization" efforts started after he assumed the presidency. (from History of Ecuador)
Image 48Satellite maps of the concentration of
chlorophyll (representing abundance of
phytoplankton) during
El Niño (top) and
La Niña (bottom). The color scale goes from blue at the lowest concentrations to red at the highest. Currents that normally
fertilize phytoplankton reverse during El Niño, resulting in
barren oceans. The same currents are strengthened by La Niña, resulting in an explosion of ocean life. (from Galápagos Islands)
Image 54The banana boom of the mid-20th century boosted the economy of Guayaquil, where office buildings like these were built. (from History of Ecuador)
Image 55Alpaca Scarf´s at the Otavalo Artisan Market. (from Culture of Ecuador)
Image 58A Galápagos tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra) on Santa Cruz. C. nigra is the largest living species of tortoise, hunted to near extinction during the islands'
whaling era. (from Galápagos Islands)
... that
Julian Assange's lawyer argued that the rules set by the
Ecuadorian embassy requiring Assange to take care of his pet cat Michi were "denigrating"?
... that in February 2023, Ecuadorian entrepreneur Omar Menéndez was elected the mayor of
his canton the day after his assassination?
... that Guayaquil (Ecuador's largest city) became the first intelligent city in incorporating a global free internet access at the hot spots of the city?
... that Ana Lucía Armijos, president of the Ecuadorian Monetary Board, went into hiding for a year after the
Supreme Court of Ecuador called for her arrest in the case of a $200 million bank bailout?