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Reaching the Mestizos of the Central Andes
Few countries in the world can
boast the variety of contrasting environments found in
the small nation of Ecuador.
One can find conditions ranging from perpetually
snow-covered volcanoes in activity where ice meets with
plumes of sulfuric vapor at elevations surpassing 20,000
feet, to exuberant and intricate jungles, colonial
cities and beautiful beaches bordering the Pacific
Ocean. The people
are nearly as diverse as the land itself with a
fascinating mixture of tribal Indians (40%),
fair-skinned people of European descent (10%), Black
Ecuadorians (10%), and “Mestizos” – people of mixed
descent (40%).
Ecuador is about the size of
the state of Nevada or the country of Italy, and is
named after the
imaginary line of the equator which the country
straddles.
Ecuador is bordered on the north by Colombia and on
the east and south by Peru.
Ecuador is normally divided into four geographical areas:
(1) The Coastal Lowlands, a flat plain running from north to south along the Pacific coastal regions.
(2)
The Andes Highlands, extending the length
of the country. The Andes Mountain range divides
the coastal lowlands from the eastern jungles.
This area includes Chimborazo, the
highest mountain in the world measuring from the
center of the earth, and also Cotopaxi, the
world’s highest active volcano.
(3)
The Eastern Jungle, also called the
Oriente, covers almost one-half of the
entire country.
This is a region of thick tropical
forests and jungles and is the beginning of
the Amazon River basin.
Little of the region has been
developed and the people travel mainly by
boat on the rivers.
(4)
The Galapagos Islands,
located 500 miles west of the
Pacific coastline, consists of a number
of volcanic islands known around the
world for it’s unique indigenous species
of animals.
PHOTOS OF ECUADOR
PHOTOS OF ECUADOR
