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| World, Abya Yala, Ecuador August
19th, 2002 A short geographic trip to Ecuador. By Dr. LESLIE JERMYN.Ecuador is one of the smallest Latin American countries at 283,560 sq.km. It is nestled between Peru to the south and Colombia to the north and is an Andean nation. The Andes Mountains form a natural division between the Pacific Coastal Plain in the west and the Amazon lowlands to the east.Between the two lowland areas, mountains rise to heights of over 6000m. The two chains or cordilleras of the Andes enclose a series of 10 basins or valleys where approximately half the population lives. The main highland cities of Ibarra, Otavalo, Quito, Latacunga, Ambato, Riobamba, Baños, Cuenca and Loja are all located in intermontane valley areas. Peasant, dairy and cut flower farming dominate valley agriculture while small industry and services dominate highland city economies. Most of the rest of the population lives in the Pacific coastal region where the Andes gradually soften into hills that meet the sea. The main cities here are Esmeraldas in the north and Puerto Viejo, Guayaquil and Machala in the south. Esmeraldas is the country's oil processing and shipping terminal while Guayaquil is the major shipping port for all other commodities. The southern Pacific coast is dedicated to banana and African palm plantations and shrimp farming. A very small percentage of the population (less than 5%) lives in the Amazon region which represents about 50% of national territory and is known as the Oriente ('the east'). The eastern Andes give way very gradually to the high Amazon at 900m in Puyo to intermediate levels (600m) at Tena and finally low Amazon at the Peruvian and Colombian borders in the far east. The northern Oriente near Lago Agrio and Coca is the site of intense oil exploration and drilling while the southern region is relatively less developed and therefore less deforested. Rivers cut the landscapes of both eastern and western lowlands as they carry the liquid snow of the volcano peaks, through the country to the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Both of these regions are dotted with fantastic tropical and cloud forests and are home to the bulk of Ecuador's native species. The Andes offer a stark contrast with distant horizons and magnificent snow-capped mountains. As Ecuador is on the equator, temperatures at low altitudes are consistently warm and humid. Closer to the Andean divide, temperature is directly dependent on altitude and sunshine. The higher up you go, the colder it gets and a warm sunny day turns frosty in the rain. © Dr. Leslie Jermyn and The Global Aware Cooperative.
leslie@globalaware.org
Dr. Leslie Jermyn is a professor at both the University of Toronto and the University of Trent. She specialises in social issues and Latin American Studies. Historical: Cartografía Histórica Pontificia Universidad Católica del
Ecuador Ecuador map in world context. worldatlas.com University of Texas: Ecuador Map A map showing indigenous territories and peoples: Indigenous Peoples of Ecuador UN map of Ecuador
leslie@globalaware.org
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