People and Population
According to the 2008 census, the population of Ecuador has been estimated to be 13,755,680. The most populated city is Guayaquil which is predominantly a port and industrial city, and is growing at quite a fast pace. The second most populated city is Quito which is also the capital of Ecuador. Another large and interesting city is Cuenca located in the Southern Highlands.
There are 22 provinces in Ecuador which are Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Galapagos, Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Azuay, Bolivar, Canar, Carchi, Rios, Manabi, Morona-Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Pichincha, Sucumbios, Tungurahua, and Zamora-Chinchipe.
Natural Resources and Wildlife
The major natural resources found in Ecuador are petroleum, fish, timber, and hydropower.
Ecuador has a variety of wildlife sanctuaries which is the habitat of a whole range of birds and animal species. Ranging from aquatic creatures to terrestrial animals, Ecuador has a rich and varied biodiversity.
In the Andes you will find Pudu, Andean fox, puma, spectacled bear and mountain tapirs and a variety of hummingbirds and the great Andean Condor. The cloud forest regions of Ecuador are full of birds such as tanagers, hummingbirds, Long-wattled Umbrella birds and plate-billed toucans. The Amazon Jungle is filled with reptiles including large iguanas, lizards, colorful geckos, tortoises, the caiman and huge anacondas. Mammals found in Ecuador's Amazon are river dolphins, ocelots, jaguars, sloths, monkeys, and anteaters. Among the biggest and most unusual terrestrial mammal in Ecuador is the Tapir.
Climatic Conditions
The climatic conditions in Ecuador range from tropical along the coast, while it gets cooler inland at higher elevations and back to tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands. Rainfall in the tropical Amazonian areas is about 500 centimeters every year.
This article provides an overview of the geography of Ecuador. For more on Ecuador, visit- 123independenceday.com
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