🇪🇨 Ecuador: Land of the Equator, Andes, Amazon, and Galápagos
1. Introduction and Overview Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador , is a country in northwestern South America. Its name literally means "Equator" in Spanish, as the Equator line runs through it. Despite its small size, Ecuador is one of the world's most biodiverse nations, encompassing four incredibly distinct regions: the Pacific Coast, the Andean Highlands, the Amazon Rainforest, and the unique Galápagos Islands . Since 2000, Ecuador has used the US Dollar (USD) as its official currency. Feature Information Official Name Republic of Ecuador Capital Quito (Highest official capital city globally) Largest City Guayaquil Area Approx. 283,561 sq. km Population Approx. 18.2 Million Official Language Spanish (Castilian) UN Membership Date December 21, 1945 2. Geography and Regions Ecuador is a country of extreme contrasts, often called "a country of four worlds. " Borders and Neighbors: Ecuador shares borders with Colombia to the north and ...