Ecuador In Context
Ecuador's history has
resulted in a fascinating culture. It is situated in
Latin America,
straddling the Equator, below Colombia and above Peru. Though
it
is a relatively small country, Ecuador has an astonishingly high level
of biodiversity. For example, there are around 1600 species
of birds here, approximately half of all the bird species found
in South America. This compares to around 260 bird
species in the UK and about 1000 in the whole of Europe.
There
are over 17,000 types of plants in Ecuador - more than in the whole of
Europe - and one in every four of these plant species is an
orchid.
The design of Ecuador's
flag is one of the oldest in the world, having been in use since around
1860. The bright yellow, red and blue bands and the coat of
arms in the centre are all symbolically significant. However,
no-one seems to agree exactly on the symbolism of the colours - search
under 'Ecuador flag' on the web and you will find a variety of
explanations and stories about the meaning of the various components of
the flag. The coat of arms features the condor (the
national bird), Mount Chimborazo (Ecuador's highest peak) and South
America's first steamboat chugging along the River Guayas.
The population of Ecuador
is around 14 million people, including several very different ethnic
groups in the rainforests and the highlands, each with their
own culture and traditions. There is a
steady flow of emigrants, many to Spain and the United States of
America, seeking to escape from Ecuador's poverty, or at least to make
some money before returning home to retire. This is
creating serious social problems with abandoned children and elderly
people struggling to cope without the support of their families.
However, it does also create an inflow of money from overseas
which is an important part of the Ecuadorian economy.
Spanish is the official
language of Ecuador. Many of the indigenous peoples speak
dialects such as Quichua. Quito is an ideal location to learn
Spanish. There are many Spanish schools and the local people
tend to speak clearly and relatively slowly. The accents in
the coastal areas are much stronger and people speak faster, making it
more difficult for beginners to understand. Few people
outside of the main tourist areas speak English, so the more Spanish
you can speak and understand, the more you will enjoy your trip to
Ecuador.
The
history of
humans in this region goes back to around 10,000 BC. Many
different early cultures including the Las Vegas, the Valdivia, the
Machalilla and the La Tolita culture, waxed and waned over thousands of
years. The Inca Empire was at its most powerful early in the
16th
Century, until the Spanish Conquest in 1532. After the
repression
of the colonial era and a brief stint as part of Gran
Colombia,
the new Republic of Ecuador was declared in 1830. The
political
history of the republic has been turbulent, unsurprisingly considering
the wide cultural differences between the various groups who make up
the population.
More
about Ecuador's history, culture and traditions will follow soon.
Ecuador
In Context
Culture, history, social & geographic information about
Ecuador.
Ecuador flag - history & design.
