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Geography of Ecuador
Ecuador has diverse and varied physical features, from the high Andes Mountains to the coastal lowlands. Ecuador is 283,561 kilometers in area and slightly smaller than Nevada. Ecuador additionally borders Peru and Colombia and is located on the continent of South America. It is on the equator, and its west coast borders the Pacific Ocean. The climate of Ecuador can generally be divided into 2 seasons, the wet and the dry seasons. The country can additionally be divided into 3 distinct climatic regions.
One of them is the Sierra, an elevated plateau which varies in elevation from 3,000 to 10,000 feet above sea level. This region is home to the capital of Ecuador, Quito, and the western Andes Mountain range. Some important geographical features in this area include Cotopaxi, one of the world’s tallest and most renowned volcanoes, and Mount Chimborazo, one of the highest mountains in the world. This region is located in the central to eastern part of the country.
The eastern part of Ecuador, known as the Oriente, is at a much lower elevation than the Costa area. It is a lowland jungle and makes up about half of Ecuador’s total land area. The countries of Peru and Colombia border it and Ecuador includes the significant San Miguel and Putamayo rivers. It experiences a humid subtropical climate with an abundant rainfall.
Another area is the Costa, in the coastal western part of Ecuador. It is where Guayaquil, a major Ecuadorian city, is located and it is at a lower elevation than the Sierra. Similar to the Costa area, it has significantly more rainfall than the Sierra region and has a higher temperature. The area is home to a lot of diverse wildlife and beautiful natural features due to its location near the Pacific Ocean.
The Galapagos Islands, islands in the Pacific Ocean that belong to Ecuador, have a very distinct climate compared to the mainland Ecuadorian climate. It is similar to the climate of the Costa region of Ecuador, but a bit cooler due to the winds and currents of the Pacific Ocean. The islands encounter low rainfall and low humidity. The higher elevation zones are covered with many plants and trees, and the lowlands are covered with a less dense cactus forest. This shows that the climate of Ecuador is diverse and ranges from mountainous features in the Sierra to jungles in the Costa and Oriente to the natural features of the Galapagos Islands.
A river and greenery in Ecuador's Amazon Rainforest.
One of the beaches of the Costa region.
Hand-Drawn Map of Ecuador
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