Ecuador Research Paper

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The world is full of countries with diverse cultures, though there is one that specifically caught my attention. The Republic of Ecuador, which is what Ecuador is officially referred to, is one of the most attractive countries in South America. Ecuador, which surprisingly has a rich history, is home to exotic flora, wildlife and a beautiful and endless coastal line. It has also become one of the top tourist destinations on this side of the world. Ecuador is the fourth-smallest country in South America, some what the same size as Colorado. Ecuador is located on the west coast of the continent and is crossed by the equator (the country gets its name from the Spanish word for "equator"). It has a length of 714 km (444 mi) N-S and a width of 658…show more content…
An interesting fact is that, Ecuador has lost about two-thirds of the territory it once claimed to Colombia and Peru. When it comes to the history of Ecuador it all started with the tribes in the northern highlands of Ecuador formed the Kingdom of Quito around 1000. It was absorbed, by conquest and marriage, into the Inca Empire. Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro conquered the land in 1532, and throughout the 17th century a Spanish colony thrived by exploitation of the Indians. The first revolt against Spain occurred in 1809. In 1819, Ecuador joined Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama in a confederacy known as Greater Colombia.When Greater Colombia collapsed in 1830, Ecuador became independent. Although Ecuador was under military rule in the 1970s, the country did not experience the violence and repression unlike the other Latin American military regimes. Democracy lasted for about 30 years; until Peru invaded Ecuador in 1941 and seized a large tract of Ecuadoran territory in the disputed Amazon region. In 1981 and 1995 war broke out again. In May 1999, Ecuador and Peru signed a treaty ending the nearly 60-year border…show more content…
Chimborazo volcano is Ecuador's highest active volcano. The massive, ice-capped volcano lies at the southwest end of the main Ecuadorian volcanic arc, the so-called "Avenida de los Volcanes. Chimborazo had been thought to be extinct, but new studies have shown that it still is an active volcano. Although there are no historical eruptions, Chimborazo erupted at least 7 times during the past 10,000 years. Chimborazo is a popular and challenging climb; climbers from all around the world come to take on this challenge. The normal route up the mountain takes 10 hours to the summit and 4 hours to return. An interesting fact is that Chimborazo's summit is the farthest point of the earth's surface from the center of the earth. The distance of Chimborazo's summit from the center is 6,384.4 km, 2229 m more than the distance of Mt Everest's top to the

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