Some facts about Ecuador

• The Republic of Ecuador (Equator) is a representative democratic republic in South America.
• Ecuador borders the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru.
• The capital of the country is Quito
• Quito was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the 1970s.
• Ecuador's largest city is Guayaquil
• Official language: Spanish
• 95 percent of Ecuador's population is Roman Catholic
• Ethnic groups Mestizo 65%, Indigenous 25%, White 7% and Black 3%
• Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands are slightly smaller than Nevada.
• Area - 109,483 sq mi (272,046 km²)
• Population - 2010 estimate 14,790,608
• Demonym Ecuadorian
• Ecuador became independent in 1830
• Ecuador is one of only 2 countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border with Brazil.
• The country has a tropical climate along the coast, becoming cooler inland and at higher elevations.
• Its main natural resources are fish, petroleum, timber and hydropower.
• Ecuador's main agricultural products are cocoa, bananas, rice, coffee, plantains, potatoes, sugarcane, manioc (tapioca), cattle, sheep, pigs, beef, pork, dairy products, balsa wood, fish and shrimp.