Language travel Ecuador
SMALL AREA, GREAT COUNTRY
The República del Ecuador, with approximately 14 million inhabitants, is half the size of France, which makes it the smallest country bordering the Andes. The equator runs right through the middle of the country. This geographic feature also gave Ecuador its name. Ecuador’s landscape is breathtaking in its variety. Immediately adjacent to the Pacific coast lies the fertile western plain, moist and tropical in the north, but dry and arid in the south. The Andes in the centre of the country constitute two mountain chains with peaks rising from 3000 to 6000 metres and many volcanoes, some still active. One of the world’s best known active volcanoes is Cotopaxi, 5897 metres high. Farming is carried on even at elevations of 4000 metres. The slopes of the eastern Cordillera drop steeply to the eastern plain in the Amazon River valley and is covered by thick tropical rainforests. The name Ecuador conjures up visions of the Galapagos Islands, 960 km from the continent, with volcanoes, streams of lava and landscapes reminiscent of the moon.
ENORMOUS WEALTH OF SPECIES
The famous islands with their giant turtles, Galapagos penguins, sea lions, lizards that seem to have come from Jurassic Park and a multitude of rare species, fascinated the British researcher Charles Darwin as long ago as 1835. Ecuador has one of the widest ranges of species in the world, including more than 1500 types of bird, 4500 species of butterfly, 300 mammals and 350 reptiles.
A TRADITION OF FRIENDSHIP
Most inhabitants of Ecuador are descended from the Spanish conquerors and the Indios. They are a relaxed, friendly people, who carefully nurture their cultural tradition. The Indios comprise ten different peoples and maintain the traditions dating back to the Incas (and earlier). Many of them still speak the Quechua native language.
LANGUAGE TRAVEL IN ECUADOR:
Language travel Quito
Language travel Cuenca
