Ecuador: Geography and Environment

Ecuador takes its name from its position on the equator and spans four distinct geographic regions within a relatively small territory. A narrow coastal lowland lies along the Pacific in the west, the Andes mountains rise through the center in a chain known locally as the Avenue of the Volcanoes, and the Amazon rainforest, called the Oriente, covers the eastern lowlands.

Roughly 1,000 kilometers off the mainland coast, the Galapagos Islands form Ecuador's fourth region, an isolated volcanic archipelago known for unique wildlife shaped by the convergence of several ocean currents. Climate across the mainland varies sharply with elevation and region rather than with season.

Environmental priorities include conservation of the Galapagos Islands' distinct ecosystems, managing deforestation and oil extraction impacts in the Amazon, and monitoring volcanic activity along the Andean chain. Ecuador has also embedded environmental protections directly into its national constitution.