Ecuador Essay -- essays research papers

Ecuador is one of the smallest countries of South America. It lies on the West sailing of the continent between Colombia and Peru. The equator crosses Ecuador and gives the country its name. Ecuador is the Spanish word for equator.The Andes Mountains rise with much of central Ecuador. About half the people live in the valleys and on the p latterlyaus of the Andes. Quito, Ecuadors capital, lies more than 9,000 feet (2,700 meters) above sea level on an Andean plateau. A flat, goly forested, tropical plain extends west of the Andes along the Pacific Ocean. This coastal plain is developing faster than any other part of the country. About half the Ecuadorian people live there. During the middle and late 1900s, many people moved to the coastal plain to farm its generous soil. Others moved to the coastal city of Guayaquil to find jobs. Guayaquil is Ecuadors largest city. It is also the countrys leading commercial message center and chief seaport. East of the Andes Mountains is a larg e jungle. Ecuador has had more than 15 constitutions since it gained independence from Spain. Most of these constitutions provided for an elected legislature, but in many elections fewer of Ecuadors people have been allowed to vote. Strong leaders have suspended or replaced many of the countrys constitutions in order to stay in office or to increase their power. Most of Ecuadors rulers have been military leaders or hav...