Ecuador

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Brazil's Lula seeks to soothe Venezuela-Colombia crisis
BRASILIA, July 28, 2010 (AFP) – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced plans Wednesday to embark on shuttle diplomacy in a bid to resolve a diplomatic crisis between antagonistic neighbors Venezuela and Colombia. Lula told reporters he was to travel to Caracas and Bogota on August 6 to speak with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and outgoing Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and ...... More
Opponents to take to streets against Arizona immigration law
Thousands are expected to march Thursday when an Arizona law making illegal immigration a crime goes into effect over government objections and amid fears it will lead to ethnic profiling.... More
Scorecard: By the numbers
American Association SECOND HALF (x-won first-half title) NORTH DIVISION W L Pct GB x-Sioux Falls 16 5 .762 — SAINTS 13 6 .... More
Free Will Astrology
LEO: Can you force things to grow? Is it possible to induce ripening simply by aggressively exerting your willpower? Normally I'd say no, but these days I think it's within your capacity. by Rob Brezsny LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Can you force things to grow? Is it possible to induce ripening simply by aggressively exerting your willpower? Normally I'd say no, but these days I think it's within your ...... More
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Success coach Tom Ferry says our ability to pursue our dreams can be damaged by four addictions: 1. an addiction to what other people think of us; 2. an addiction to creating melodrama in a misguided quest for excitement; 3. an addiction to believing we’re imprisoned by what happened in the past; 4. an addiction to negative thoughts that fill us with anxiety.... More
Ecuador Map

Latitude: -1.83124 Longtitude: -78.18341

Location:
Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru

Border Countries:
Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km

Terrain:
coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)

Geography:
Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world

Capital:
Quito

About Ecuador
What is now Ecuador formed part of the northern Inca Empire until the Spanish conquest in 1533. Quito became a seat of Spanish colonial government in 1563 and part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717. The territories of the Viceroyalty - New Granada (Colombia), Venezuela, and Quito - gained their independence between 1819 and 1822 and formed a federation known as Gran Colombia. When Quito withdrew in 1830, the traditional name was changed in favor of the Republic of the Equator. Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border war with Peru that flared in 1995 was resolved in 1999. Although Ecuador marked 25 years of civilian governance in 2004, the period has been marred by political instability. Protests in Quito have contributed to the mid-term ouster of Ecuador's last three democratically elected Presidents. In 2007, a Constituent Assembly was elected to draft a new constitution; Ecuador's twentieth since gaining independence.

Population:
13,927,650 (July 2008 est.)

Language:
Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)

Religion:
Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%

Phone Service:
generally elementary but being expanded

Currency:
US dollar (USD)

Climate:
tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands

Natural Hazards:
frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts