Ecuador

At a Glance

Ecuador is a compact South American country that packs remarkable geographic and biological diversity into a small area, from the Amazon jungle and the high Andean páramo to the Pacific coast and the extraordinary Galápagos Islands. The indigenous cultures of the highlands are vibrant and visible in the markets and festivals of cities like Otavalo. Quito, high in the Andes, is one of the best-preserved colonial capitals in the Americas.

• First country in the world to enshrine the rights of nature in its constitution — in 2008.
• The Galápagos Islands belong to Ecuador — and inspired Darwin's theory of evolution.
• Despite the name, the actual equator runs through here — you can stand with one foot in each hemisphere.