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Ecuador, República del Ecuador (Republic of Ecuador) is a country located on the South American continent and borders the Pacific Ocean to the west and two South American countries to the north, east and south. Colombia is located to the north and Peru to the east and south of Ecuador. The longer border is shared with Peru and this border is 1,529 km/ 950 miles long. It has a population of 17 million people. Quito with 1.9 million inhabitants is its capital. Spanish is its official language. Government type: Democracy, Republic. Literacy: More than 92% of the people can read and write. Religion: mainly Christians (Roman Catholics 80%). Currency: US Dollar. National Symbols: yellow, blue and red (national colors), Andean condor (national bird). National Anthem: "Salve, Oh Patria!" (We Salute You, Our Homeland). National Day: 10 August (Independence Day). History: Amerindians were the earliest settlers in the region which later became part of the Inca empire. The region was colonized by the Spanish in 16th century. Ecuador proclaimed independence in 1809 and from 1820 - 1830 was part of Gran Colombia. Only in 1840 the independence of Ecuador was recognized by Spain. Since May 2021, Guillermo Lasso is the President of Ecuador. He succeeded Lenín Moreno. The climate in Ecuador is mostly tropical but has a temperate highland climate in the country's centre. Ecuador has coastal plains, a central highland called sierra and rolling hills and flats in the Amazon region. The country has four main regions: The coast, the highlands, Amazonía (in the east) and the Galápagos islands. Ecuador is slightly smaller than the state of Nevada in the USA. Ecuador is a bit smaller than Italy, but bigger in land area than New Zealand. A flight from Barcelona/Spain to Quito/Ecuador takes roughly 8 hours and from New York/USA a flight takes 9 hours. The capital city of Ecuador, Quito, is the second highest capital in the world (after La Paz in Bolivia) and the closest capital to the equator. Quito's elevation is 2,850 m/ 9,350 ft above sea level. The highest mountain of Ecuador is the Volcano Chimborazo with 6,268 m/ 20,564 ft. The top is the earth closest point to the sun and the farthest point from the center of our Earth. Agoyan waterfall, which is 61 m/ 200 ft high, is today the highest waterfall in Ecuador. Before February 2020, the San Rafael waterfalls with 150 m/490 ft were the tallest waterfall in Ecuador, but it disappeared after a sinkhole diverted the waters and created three smaller waterfalls instead. Ecuador has a coastline which is 2,337 km/ 1,452 miles long. The longest river in Ecuador is the Rio Napo which flows through the northeastern parts of the country. Ecuador has two time zones which includes the Galápagos Islands (UTC-6). Quito: Ecuador's capital city is close to the volcano Cotopaxi which is located about 50 km/ 31 miles to the south of Quito. Cotopaxi is one of the highest active volcanos in the world. Quilotoa Crater Lake: The crater lake is 250 m/ 820 ft deep. This crater lake formed about 800 years ago after a massive eruption of the volcano. You can walk down the crater of this dormant volcano and take a swim in the clear waters of this lake. Cuenca: This city in the Southern Andes region is known for its Cathedral Nueva with the blue domes and historic colonial centre. The full name of the city is Santa Ana de los Cuatros Ríos de Cuenca. There are four rivers that flow through this city. This is actually the place where the typical 'Panama hats' originate from! Yasuní National Park in eastern Ecuador is one of the places with the most biological diversity in the world. There are millions of plant, birds, insects and mammal species. There are over 120 reptile species in the park. Salinas is one of the most important spa towns in Ecuador. The city is also known for its beautiful beaches. The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean and are located about 900 km/ 555 miles off the Ecuadorian coastline. These islands are known for their rich biodiversity. The majority of Ecuadorians live in the central provinces of the country, the Andes mountains or along the Pacific coast. Most of the population (64%) live in urban centers. The five largest cities in Ecuador are: Guayaquil (3 million inhabitants). Quito (1.9 million inhabitants). Cuenca (630,000 inhabitants). Santo Domingo (460,000 inhabitants) and Ambit (400,000 inhabitants). Almost a quarter of the population (22%) lives below the poverty line. Poverty and income inequality affect mainly the rural population or the indigenous people. In rural areas, only 10% of the children go on to high school. Most Chileans are of mixed white and native American ancestry, about 71% are referred to as mestizo (of mixed ancestry).

Sources:
https://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/
https://thefactfile.org/

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