Ecuador is a country in Northwestern South America, with a Pacific Ocean coastline, lying on the Equator between Colombia, to the northeast, and Peru, to the south and east.
Cotopaxi is the world's highest active volcano. Many cities and sites are integrated in the prestige Unesco World Heritage Sites. Such cities and best known places are the Galapagos Islands, and the city of Cuenca.
The "Republic of the Ecuador" was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Colombia and Venezuela). Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border war with Peru that flared in 1995 was resolved in 1999.
Radio and/or television in Spanish, is available except in some of the particularly remote areas. English-language movies usually are shown in the original language with Spanish subtitles. Many hotels have cable television that may include English-language stations and/or premium movie channels that feature subtitled movies in their original languages.
Ecuador adopted the United States dollar (USD) as its currency in 2000.
Tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Quito's airport has an executive lounge shared by all the airlines with drinks, snacks, and seating areas. The view is not of the airplanes and runway, but there is a view of the airport entrance and the surrounding mountains. Business class travelers get a free invitation. Economy passengers may enter by paying USD $15 as of August 2006.
Another port of entry is Guayaquil, which has a modern airport that includes the typical amenities such as restaurants and duty-free shopping. The airport is located north from downtown.
The Galapagos Islands are one of the Ecuadorian provinces and have two airports, one of which is on Baltra and the other is on San Cristobal. Aerogal is the name of the airline which flies to Galapagos. There is no way to get to the Galapagos without first coming to Ecuador.
By train - There are no international train services into Ecuador.
By car - Driving into Ecuador is discouraged. It is preferable to enter the country by airplane or boat because of the frontier issues with neighboring countries
By bus - If you enter Ecuador by bus you usually have to switch buses at the border. If come from Colombia you have to cross the border at Rumichaca near Tulcan and Ipiales (Colombia). There are several places to cross the border with Peru. As of December 2007, the Ecuador/Colombia border crossing is reguarded as a safe and hassle free while the Ecuador/Peru border crossing is much more dangerous with the likelihood of being scammed out of hundreds of dollars.
By boat - Since Ecuador is situated at the coast and has some very large rivers, a boat ride can be a nice way to get around. Especially in the rainforest a boat ride can get you to places you usually wouldn't be able to go.
STAY SAFE
Tourists should use common sense to ensure their safety. Most tourists who avoid flashing large amounts of money, visiting areas near the Colombian border, civil disturbances, side streets in big cities at night and that sort of thing report few problems. Probably the biggest threat in most places is simple thievery: Belongings should not be left unguarded on the beach, for example, and pickpockets can be found in some of the more crowded areas, especially the Trolébus (Metro) in Quito, in bus terminals and on the busses themselves. Busses allow peddlers to board briefly and attempt to sell their wares; however, they are often thieves themselves, so keep a close eye out for them. Hotel personnel are generally good sources of information about places that should be avoided.
You can always ask to tourist police officers, police officers or in Tourist information center for the dangerous regions.
Ecuador offers great opportunities for hiking and climbing, unfortunately, some travelers have been attacked and robbed in remote sections of well known climbs. Travelers are urged to avoid solo hikes and to go in a large group for safety reasons.
RESPECT
Among many other cultural idiosyncrasies, it is considered impolite to use a downward-facing palm as a reference for the height of a person. Instead, the hand is held on its side, and the measurement taken from the lower edge to the floor. Gesturing with the palm down is appropriate for animals only. When motioning for someone to "come here," it is impolite to motion your hand with the palm facing up. Instead, use a downward swipe of the hand with the palm facing down.
Acceptable clothing varies by region of the country. In the mountainous Sierra region, including Quito, clothes are usually more warm because of the weather. On the coast, meanwhile, more casual clothes predominate.
