Free Essays on Ecuador

Ecuador is one of the smallest countries of South America. It lies on the west coast of the continent between Colombia and Peru. The equator crosses Ecuador and gives the country its name. Ecuador is the Spanish word for equator. The Andes Mountains rise through much of central Ecuador. About half the people live in the valleys and on the plateaus of the Andes. Quito, Ecuador's capital, lies more than 9,000 feet (2,700 meters) above sea level on an Andean plateau. A flat, partly forested, tropical plain extends west of the Andes along the Pacific Ocean. This coastal plain is developing faster than any other part of the country. About half the Ecuadorian people live there. During the middle and late 1900's, many people moved to the coastal plain to farm its rich soil. Others moved to the coastal city of Guayaquil to find jobs. Guayaquil is Ecuador's largest city. It is also the country's leading commercial center and chief seaport. East of the Andes Mountains is a large jungle. Ecuador has had more than 15 constitutions since it gained independence from Spain. Most of these constitutions provided for an elected legislature, but in many elections few of Ecuador's people have been allowed to vote. Strong leaders have suspended or replaced many of the country's constitutions in order to stay in office or to increase their power. Most of Ecuador's rulers have been military leaders or have had the support of the armed forces. About 10 percent of Ecuador's people- mostly of European ancestry- make up the wealthiest and most powerful group in the country. Indians and mestizos each form about 40 percent of the population. Blacks, whose ancestors were brought to Ecuador as slaves of the Spaniards, make up the remaining 10 percent of the population. Most Ecuadorians speak Spanish, and more than 90 percent of the population belongs to the Roman Catholic Church. The Ecuadorian government requires all children from 6 to 14 year... Free Essays on Ecuador Free Essays on Ecuador ECUADOR ECUADOR COUNTRY DESCRIPTION: Ecuador is a developing country. Travelers to the capital city of Quito may require some time to adjust to the altitude (close to 10,000 feet), which can adversely affect blood pressure, digestion and energy level. Tourist facilities are adequate, but vary in quality. Introduction Epithet after epithet was found too weak to convey to those who have not visited the intertropical regions, the sensations of delight which the mind experiences.- Charles Darwin If an argumentative group of travelers sat down to design a shared destination, they would be hard put to come up with a place that would best Ecuador. Packed like a knee-cap between Peru and Colombia, Ecuador contains within its borders an improbable variety of landscape and culture. For the mountaineer, it is bisected by an epic stretch of the northern Andes. For the jungle explorer, there is a biological mother lode within the Amazonian Oriente. The sea-minded are rewarded with miles of Pacific coastl ine, to say nothing of the living wonders of the Galapagos Islands. Not only are these regions highly defined, but excluding Galapagos they are also wonderfully contiguous. The entire country is about the size of Washington state, and it is home to some of the world's most extraordinary national parks. In a matter of two hundred miles, the traveler can penetrate all of the mainland's defining regionsthe coastal lowlands in the West, the volcanic central highlands, and the rainforests of the East, or Oriente. Ecuador's climate is equally generous to the traveler. Embracing the Pacific, Ecuador rests squarely on the equator (hence its name). Here, seasons are defined more by rainfall than temperature. A warm rainy season lasts from January to April, and May through December is characterized by a cooler, drier period that is ideally timed for a summer trip. History & Culture Ecuador's culture and history mirrors the diversity of its landscape. L... Free Essays on Ecuador The first Spaniards landed in northern Ecuador in 1526. Pizarro reached the country in 1532, and spread terror among the Indians thanks to his conquistadors' horses, armor and weapons. The Inca leader, Atahualpa, was ambushed, held for ransom, 'tried' and executed, and the Inca Empire was effectively demolished. Quito held out for two years but was eventually destroyed by Atahualpa's general: Ruminahui, rather than be lost intact to the invading Spaniards. Quito was refounded in December 1534. Today there is only one intact Inca site in Ecuador - Ingapirca, to the north of Cuenca. After the Incas were defeated, the Spanish became the new rulers of Ecuador. A creole middle class began to emerge and made several attempts to free Ecuador of Spanish rule. This would finally happen on May 24, 1822; thanks to Simon Bolivar. The first years of the Republic were marked by instability and power struggles. History evolved around the figure of the first President, Venezuelan born General Juan Josà © Flores. During this government the first constitution was written. Quito was chosen as the capital of Ecuador and Catholicism was the official religion of the State. By 1860, Gabriel Garcia Moreno consolidated the country and an era of conservatism began with support from the Catholic Church, which lasted until 1895. During the last part of the 19th Century, the country flourished economically, mainly due to cocoa exports. In the late 1800s, Eloy Alfaro led a liberal revolution that reduced the power of the clergy and created an era of capitalist development. Political instability dominated during the 1930s and 1940s. In 1941, Ecuador was invaded by Peru and lost control over much of its Amazon Territory. The border is still a matter of dispute, appearing differently on Ecuadorian and non-Ecuadorian maps. After World War II, Ecuador's economy received a boost due to banana exports. A period of peace from 1... Free Essays on Ecuador Ecuador is one of the smallest countries of South America. It lies on the west coast of the continent between Colombia and Peru. The equator crosses Ecuador and gives the country its name. Ecuador is the Spanish word for equator. The Andes Mountains rise through much of central Ecuador. About half the people live in the valleys and on the plateaus of the Andes. Quito, Ecuador's capital, lies more than 9,000 feet (2,700 meters) above sea level on an Andean plateau. A flat, partly forested, tropical plain extends west of the Andes along the Pacific Ocean. This coastal plain is developing faster than any other part of the country. About half the Ecuadorian people live there. During the middle and late 1900's, many people moved to the coastal plain to farm its rich soil. Others moved to the coastal city of Guayaquil to find jobs. Guayaquil is Ecuador's largest city. It is also the country's leading commercial center and chief seaport. East of the Andes Mountains is a large jungle. Ecuador has had more than 15 constitutions since it gained independence from Spain. Most of these constitutions provided for an elected legislature, but in many elections few of Ecuador's people have been allowed to vote. Strong leaders have suspended or replaced many of the country's constitutions in order to stay in office or to increase their power. Most of Ecuador's rulers have been military leaders or have had the support of the armed forces. About 10 percent of Ecuador's people- mostly of European ancestry- make up the wealthiest and most powerful group in the country. Indians and mestizos each form about 40 percent of the population. Blacks, whose ancestors were brought to Ecuador as slaves of the Spaniards, make up the remaining 10 percent of the population. Most Ecuadorians speak Spanish, and more than 90 percent of the population belongs to the Roman Catholic Church. The Ecuadorian government requires all children from 6 to 14 year...