EcuadorGeography
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Location:
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Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru
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Geographic coordinates: |
2 00 S, 77 30 W
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Map references: |
South America
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Area: |
total: 283,560 sq km
land: 276,840 sq km
water: 6,720 sq km
note: includes Galapagos Islands
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Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Nevada
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Land boundaries: |
total: 2,010 km
border countries: Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km
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Coastline: |
2,237 km
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 200 nm
continental shelf: 100 nm from 2,500 meter isobath
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Climate: |
tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands
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Terrain: |
coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chimborazo 6,267 m
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Natural resources: |
petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower
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Land use: |
arable land: 5.85%
permanent crops: 4.93%
other: 89.22% (2001)
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Irrigated land: |
8,650 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards: |
frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts
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Environment - current issues: |
deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution; pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas of the Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands
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Environment - international agreements: |
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note: |
Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world
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More about Ecuador:
Introduction
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues
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