General Data

Official name: Republic of Ecuador
Administrative division: 22 provinces
Capital: Quito
Largest City: Guayaquil
Coordenadas geográficas: 2º 00´ Sur, 71º 00´ Oeste
Total area: 276.840 Km2
Population: 13.111.746 inhabitants
Languages: Spanish and Quechua
Currency: U.S. Dollar

The country is divided in three natural regions: coast, highlands or “sierra” and the orient. More than half the population lives in the coast region, where the export products of banana, shrimp, tilapia, cocoa, rice and coffee predominate. In the highland or “Sierra” region, among two branches of the Andes Mountains, the survival products prevail. The orient or Amazon region is characterized by the exploration and exploitation of oil and hydrocarbons. The Galapagos Islands belong to Ecuador.