ECUADOR

1. ECUADOR KENZI WILSON

2. LOCATON: Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru LOCATION/SETTING Ecuador

3. FLAG AND SEAL OF ECUADOR • Yellow - a symbol of generosity • Blue - vigilance, truth and loyalty, perseverance & justice • Red - hardiness, bravery, strength & valour

4. Ecuador’s Geography/ Landforms • Beaches and Coastal areas. • A small amount of jungle and rainforest areas. • Hill and grasslands. • Flatlands and plains. • Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world.

5. Major Cities and Well Known Places • Quito is the capital city, located in central Ecaudor. • Guayaquil has the largest population in Ecuador, and is located near the southern border. • Other prominant cities include: Manta, Cuenca, Ambato, Loja, Otavalo, Esmeraldas, Salinas, Santo Domingo, and Tulcan.

6. The Galápagos Islands The Galápagos Islands (Official name: Archipiélago de Colón; other Spanish names: Islas de Colón or Islas Galápagos, from galápago, "saddle"—after the shells of saddlebackedGalápagos tortoises) are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator, 972 km west of continental Ecuador in the Pacific OceanCoordinates: 0°40′S 90°33′W / -0.667, -90.55. The Galápagos archipelago has a population of around 40,000, is a province of Ecuador, a country in northwestern South America, and the islands are all part of Ecuador's national park system. The principal language on the islands is Spanish. The islands are famed for their vast number of endemic species and the studies by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle that contributed to the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.

7. Historic Sites and Landmarks • The Plaza de la Independencia is a real jewel sitting in the middle of the Andes. By just standing there one can reveal in the battles between the Spanish and the Indians who lived here long before the Spanish arrived. The Plaza is surrounded by some of the incredible buildings of the time, the Government Palace, the Cathedral, the Archbishops Palace called Palacio Arzobispal and the Municipal Palace. It's a good place to explore Ecuador and its surroundings. • San Francisco Church and Plaza is the oldest Church built in Quito between 1536 to 1580. Known as San Francisco de Quito it's a huge complex with over 8,670 acres of land. Located between Cucre and Bolivar Streets, in the Pre-Columbian times it was a huge Indian market. With a combination of architectural styles from Baroque on the interior to a Moorish ornamented ceiling in the narthex, one must not miss this place in his trip to Ecuador.

8. RECREATION AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES • With the alpine environment of the Andes mountains, a huge swath of Amazon rainforest and a long coastline visitors will find plenty of outdoor recreation in Ecuador. Action-packed sports like white-water rafting are balanced by some of the best bird-watching on the planet. Nature is the main star of Ecuador’s outdoor scene, and for team sports it’s all about football (soccer). • Bird Watching • Hiking • Kayaking and Rafting • Scuba Diving

9. Ecuador's geography has endowed the country with a variety of microclimates. The coast is hot all year, with a humid rainy season between December and May. In the mountains climate depends on altitude, becoming cooler the higher you go. The Amazon region is hot, humid and wet while the Galapagos Islands are dry with a steady year-round average temperature of 77ºF (25ºC). Climate and Weather Of Ecuador

10. Transportation City Transportation Long Distance Transportation Airplane Train Ship (mainly to and from Galapagos Islands) • Car • Taxi • Subway • Bus

11. Arts and Culture/ Language • http://videos.howstuffworks.com/hsw/7826-music-of-the-world-ecuador-video.htm • Spanish is the official language of the Republic of Ecuador. Even though other languages and dialects are spoken by the different ethnic groups in Ecuador. Among these languages, Quechua is the most spoken, it is spoken in the towns of the rocky mountain range and jungle where there is two dialects, Quechua of Napo and the Pastaza Quechua. QUECHUA SPANISH

12. FOOD OF EUCADOR To balance the ubiquitous potato, rice and beans, meat is often part of the meal. Pork and chicken are the most common meats eaten, but not the most unusual. An Ecuadorian specialty you may want to try is roasted guinea pig, known as cuy. The seafood along the coast is also very good. The fish, lobster and shrimp are excellent, often served raw as ceviche (a specialty of the coast). Don’t miss out on the bollos de pescado, fish and crushed peanuts steamed in banana leaves.