General Facts 

• Population: 16,690,405 people
• Capital: Quito; 2,671,191 people
• Area: 109,483 square miles
• Language:  Spanish
• Religion: Roman Catholic
• Currency: US Dollar
• Life Expectancy: 76 years old
• GDP per Capita:U$D. $5,439 per year
• Literacy Percent: 94.5 

Other Fun Facts:

• Ecuador was named after the equator which runs through the country, the only country in the world named after a geographical feature.
• Ecuador and Peru battled over control of Ecuador’s Amazon territories for well over a century, in what became the Western Hemisphere’s longest-running dispute over territory. It ended in May of 1999 with both countries signing an agreement.
• The world’s very first and second UNESCO World Heritage Sites are in Ecuador. The Galápagos Islands and Quito.
• In spite its border conflicts, Ecuador has been peaceful in recent years. Presently it is one of the safest South American countries to visit.
• Ecuador is the world’s largest exporter of bananas, exporting 2.7 billion worth of them annually.
• Ecuador has used the American Dollar as its national currency since 2000.
• Ecuador is the 9th most biodiverse country in the world and offers much for visitors to see and do.
• Spanish is Ecuador’s official language but there are 13 recognized indigenous languages that are also spoken.

Our Suggestions

• The Galapagos Islands:  Dive with schools of hammerheads, manta rays, whale sharks, penguins, and seals.  The only place in the world you can. 
• Head to the jungle for a river cruise or jungle trek on the Amazon.
• Straddle the equator outside of Quito.
• Trek the many volcanoes active and inactive throughout the country.
• Head out to Baños de Agua Santa to take in the sites and chill in a wonderful mountain town