Ecuador

Ecuador is the smallest country in the Andean region and as its name suggests, sits happily on the Equator. The size of the country doesn't make it any less amazing, however! The country is blessed with the Andes, the jungle and even some beaches, for good measure! They say great things come in small packages! With the cities being typically colonial, the Amazon rainforest at the base of the incredible Andes, and the small Afro- Ecuadorian towns this tiny country is not short on different activities, cultures and things to do! Ecuador has a Southern border with Peru, an Eastern border with Colombia and a pacific coastline. Its geographical regions can be defined by mountain region made from 2 mountain chains, the jungle region of the Amazon basin, the white sandy coastline and The Galapagos Islands offering a home to many aquatic and species. Ecuador's location on the Equator means that the weather all year round is tropical and humid. The ethnicity is mainly indigenous, especially in the mountain regions and most people consider themselves "mestizos" being a mixture of native and Spanish descent. A small part of the population are Afro-Ecuadorians in the North, who are descents of the African slaves. Historically the country was ruled by the Incas and then conquered by the Spanish in 1532. The Spanish ruled for over 300 years and Ecuador officially gained its independence from the Spanish in 1822. Subsequently, there have been a few wars with Peru up until 1942 when a treaty was signed. Now Ecuador is a democratic country yet still has internal conflicts which are usually to do with subsidies and taxes of international investors and the government even had to move its congress to Guayaquil from Quito. Still, there are signs that it will return to the capital soon. The political unrest does not affect tourism and this tiny country is a highlight on many peoples travels through South America.