Location Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru

Geographic coordinates 2 00 S, 77 30 W

Map references South America

Area
total: 283,560 sq km
note: includes Galapagos Islands
water: 6,720 sq km
land: 276,840 sq km

Area - comparative slightly smaller than Nevada

Land boundaries
total: 2,010 km
border countries: Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km

Coastline 2,237 km

Maritime claims
continental shelf: claims continental shelf between mainland and Galapagos Islands
territorial sea: 200 NM

Climate tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands

Terrain coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chimborazo 6,267 m

Natural resources petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower

Land use
arable land: 6%
permanent crops: 5%
other: 89% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 8,650 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution; pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas of the Galapagos Islands

Environment - international agreements
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world

NOTE: The information regarding Ecuador on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Ecuador Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Ecuador Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.