You are listening our National Anthem !!!   Although it is unknown to many, lately Ecuador has been discovered by more and more people; it is a land of incredible wealth sought after increasingly by travelers from around the world. The warm and friendly people of Ecuador welcome visitors from other countries and help provide the travel experience of a lifetime. Yes! This is Ecuador, the second smallest country in South America but with everything that this continent offers you: scenic splendor... mountains and snow... beautiful beaches... exotic rain forest... historical sites... high living places... adventure-world spaces and much much more. GEOGRAPHY Ecuador is located on the northwestern coast of South America, between Colombia and Peru. It has an extension of 276,670 square kilometers (104,506 square miles) and is divided into four natural regions: Sierra (mountain region); Coast; Oriente (Amazon region) and the Insular Region called "The Enchanted Islands" or Galapagos Islands. All this marvelous country is located on the Equatorial Line, from which its name originates. The Coast: The coastal plains and savannas are tropical lowlands with few hills and warm sandy beaches on the Pacific. This region is greatly affected by the cold Humbolt Current and the warm Panama Current, which account for its moderate climate and rainfall. Almost all of Ecuador's export products are produced in this area: banana, coffee, sugar, rice, cocoa, oil seeds, tuna fish, shrimp, etc. A profusion of large and small rivers is characteristic of the zone, as well as are activities associated with the ocean. The Guayas River (a mile wide) is the largest in the Pacific Ocean and has the richest delta from Alaska to Cape Horn. The Sierra: Two ranges of the Andean mountains system, crossing South America from north to south, form it. Twenty-two lofty peaks, from 14,000 to more than 20,000 feet in altitude, dominate the Andean ranges. Because most of them are volcanic, German scientist Alexander Von Humbolt called the Western and Eastern ranges, along with their intervening valley, the "Avenue of the Volcanoes". Several transversal ranges called "nudos" divide the Inter-Andean plateau into river valleys or "hoyas", where highland agriculture and cattle breeding is both rich and varied. The Oriente or Amazonia: Located on the east side of the third range of the Andes, this area takes its name from the Amazon, the great river discovered by an expedition which originated in Quito, and was lead by the Spanish Francisco de Orellana. The Amazonian region covers an area of 134,000 square Kms., nearly half of the Ecuadorian territory; it is one of the least exploited areas of our planet, although the exploration of oil fields in the zone is also matched by gold and mineral prospecting and tropical agriculture. Without a doubt, a visit to the Amazon rain forest represents a gesture of total support for the protection of an ecological terrain that houses a wealth of animals and plant life. The Galapagos Islands: Located in the Pacific Ocean about 600 miles from the Ecuadorian coast, the Galapagos Archipelago, or Province of Galapagos, is made up of 13 islands, 16 islets and 47 rocks, covering an area of 3,029 square miles, with a total population of nearly 10,000 residents. Their total isolation from the continental mass, due to their volcanic origin, has allowed unique ecosystems to flourish with special fauna and flora. These "Enchanted Isles" attained world fame after the English naturalist Charles Darwin conceived, while visiting there, the "Theory of the Origins and Evolution of the Species". Named for the giant tortoises of the islands, the Galapagos Archipelago has been declared a "Natural Patrimony of Mankind" by the UNESCO, because of its unique flora and fauna. CLIMATE Ecuador's geographic conditions, physical location and marine currents, provide a great variety of climates and remarkable contrasts. Tropical climate is found in certain areas of the coast and the Amazon Basin, with average temperatures of 28°C to 30°C (82°F to 86°CF) with lots of rain. The temperature climate in the Andean valleys yield average temperatures of 14°C to 16°C (58°F to 61°F). The climate in the snow-capped mountains is glacial with temperatures of 0°C (32°F) or less. ELECTRIC CURRENT Electric current is 110 AC, 60 cycles. Large hotels have 220 v connections. CURRENCY The monetary unit is the "Sucre" with different denominations of coins and bills. Currency exchange may be carried out freely at banks and money exchange houses. DEPARTURE TAXES The departure tax from Ecuador is $ 25,00 USD (or equivalent in sucres), paid at the airport on departure. TIPPING In hotels and mayor restaurants, the gratuity is included in the bill. Most tip and additional 10% anyway. Porters, bellboys, etc., generally $ 0.50 USD per bag. Taxi, generally no tip is required. Tour guides & drivers: most appreciate tips in USD currency. A rule of tumb is $ 15 USD per day for guide and $ 8 USD per day for the driver. For the Galapagos: $ 20 USD per day for the guide and $ 5 USD per person for each crewmember. It is recommendable to tip everybody separately. It is advisable to tip the Captain of the boat more than the rest of the crewmembers. STRIKING FACTS The Indians of Ecuador speak Quichua, not Quechua that is use in Peru and Bolivia. More than 26 dialects of Quichua are spoken in Ecuador. Head hunting goes back more than 3.000 years and has been documented on numerous ceramic pieces taken from archaeological sites. Ecuador has the widest river and coastal basin on the Pacific Coast of South America. It extended 180 kilometers, From the shores of the Pacific to the Andes (Guayas River). Only about 4% of the primary forest still exists west of the Andes within Ecuador but over 75% stills exists in the Amazon basin. 70% of the 329 hummingbird's species can be found in Ecuador and 15 species are endemic, 4.500 species of butterflies, and 358 amphibians' species. 280 species of mammals, 1.559 bird species and more than 25.000 vascular plants has been identified in Ecuador. Ecuador has the 2 biggest flying birds, the Andean condor and the albatrosses of the Galapagos Islands. Ecuador has more catalogued orchids than any other country in this hemisphere with 3.257 species known and about 100 new species being classified each year. The Colorado Indians have catalogued more than 250 species of medicinal plants. The coast and Amazon Indian cultures believe the giant kapok "Ceibo" tree is a sacred symbol of life, this believe is similar to the belief of the Maya and other northern cultures.