Straddled across the Andes on the most westerly point of South America, Ecuador is about half size of France (271,000 sq.km/103,000 sq.
The striking geographical and cultural contrasts between these regions in one small country are what make Ecuador such a fascinating place to visit.
‘’avenue of the volcanoes’’ Was coined by the German explorer Alexander von Humboldt.
Mining in Ecuador has come at a great environmental cost, though it has provided some financial revenue.
Ecuador had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 7.66/10, ranking it 35th globally out of 172 countries.