Ecuador's Geography

Ecuador has a diverse climate since it straddles the equator. The country is 283,561 square kilometers, including the Galapagos Islands. Ecuador encompasses three topographical regions; the Costa (the coastal plain), the Sierra (the highlands), and the Oriente (the Amazon region). Each region has its individual features. The Costa makes up 16% of Ecuador’s national territory and makes an “agricultural belt” spanning from the Pacific to the Sierra. The Sierra is a quarter of national territory and is a plateau 9,850 feet above sea level. The Sierra region is subject to natural disasters such as earthquakes and landslides with 22 massive volcanoes planted throughout the region. The Oriente is over half of the national territory with a flat rainforest east of the Andes. The Galapagos includes nineteen volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean and has five ocean currents. The overall weather in Ecuador is warm and tropical with a rainy and hot period from January through May and then cool dry weather the remaining months of the year. The country gets a whole twelve hours of daylight year round due to the fact that it’s on the equator. Ecuador’s unique topography makes it a fascinating place and even more so since it lays directly on the equator. ​​