Geography

Area

Climate

tropical climate along the coastline, transitioning to cooler temperatures inland at higher altitudes; tropical conditions prevail in the lowlands of the Amazonian jungle

Terrain

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

Land use

Location

Located in Western South America, it borders the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, situated between Colombia and Peru

Coastline

2,237 km

Elevation

Irrigated land

12,520 sq km (2022)

Map references

South America

Land boundaries

Maritime claims

Natural hazards

frequent seismic activity; landslides; volcanic eruptions; floods; intermittent droughts

volcanism: volcanic activity is predominantly located along the Andes Mountains; Sangay (5,230 m) is recognized as the most active volcano on the Ecuadorian mainland; other notable volcanoes with historical activity in the Andes include Antisana, Cayambe, Chacana, Cotopaxi, Guagua Pichincha, Reventador, Sumaco, and Tungurahua; Fernandina (1,476 m), a shield volcano, is the most active among the numerous Galapagos volcanoes; additional historically active Galapagos volcanoes comprise Wolf, Sierra Negra, Cerro Azul, Pinta, Marchena, and Santiago

Geography - note

Cotopaxi, located in the Andes, is the highest active volcano in the world

Natural resources

petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower

Area - comparative

slightly smaller in area than the state of Nevada

Geographic coordinates

2 00 S, 77 30 W

Population distribution

nearly half of the population resides in the interior, with significant populations also located along the western coastal region; the eastern rainforests remain largely uninhabited

Major watersheds (area sq km)