Name: Republic of Ecuador

Capital: Quito

Population: 12.5 million

Languages: Spanish is the official language, plus a range of indigenous languages. Some English is spoken.

Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic

The political situation
Ecuador has been both economically and politically unstable over recent years. Last year, the country suffered 60% inflation, unemployment rose to 20%, and only one person in three had a full-time job. This has led to a great deal of unrest within the country. CONAIE, the powerful indigenous people's organisation, made up of mainly indigenous people from the Ecuadorian Andes, joined forces with certain sections of the military and trade unions to overthrow President Jamil Mahaud in a coup on the 22nd of January this year. He was replaced by the then Vice President Gustavo Noboa.

The principal reason for the dissatisfaction with the former president was the economic decision to replace the Ecuadorian sucre with the US dollar in an attempt to curb inflation and allow Ecuador to borrow money at US interest rates. Coup leaders have said the new president has just six months to improve the situation. Ecuador's political crisis looks far from over.

Currency: 1 pound sterling = 40,490.0 Ecuador sucre

Area: 272,045 square kilometres

Location: Equatorial western South America, bordered by the Pacific Ocean and situated between Colombia and Peru.

Geography
Ecuador can be split into four distinct geographical zones: Sierra, El Oriente, Costa and the Galapagos.
El Oriente lies in the east of the country, part of the Amazon Basin, a tropical rainforest region fed by a network of rivers.
Costa is the coastal area stretching between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes and used extensively for farming of crops such as bananas, coffee and sugar.
Sierra lies between the Cordillera Occidental (western) and the Cordillera Oriental (Eastern) ranges of the Andes Mountains, this valley is highly populated and has been cultivated for years. The Sierra also contains a range of volcanoes, some of which are still active, and has the world's highest active volcano, Cotopaxi, at 5,897 metres.
The Galapagos is an archipelago of isolated volcanic islands located 1,000 kilometres off the coast of Ecuador.

Getting there
By air: most major airlines fly in to Quito, check with travel agents for prices and availability. Nearly all flights from Europe go via the US or Caribbean.
By land: there are regular bus services from Colombia and Peru.

Travelling in Ecuador
Ecuador is a small and cheap country to travel around with a relatively efficient internal air transport, bus and train system. There may be some disruption because of recent industrial action by transport workers.

Documentation
No visas are required for travellers staying up to three months in Ecuador. Passports must be valid for at least six months, and travellers must show a return air ticket at the airport. For further details and before travelling, always check with the Embassy:

Embassy of Ecuador
Flat 3b
3 Hans Crescent
London SW1X OLS
Tel: 020 7584 8084
Fax: 020 7823 9701
Contact the Consulate section for travel enquiries.

Climate
Ecuador is on the equator, so temperatures vary according to altitude and geographical range, not according to the seasons. El Oriente is the most humid area with temperatures reaching as high as 38C, the Costa is hot and humid with an average temperature of 26C. In the Sierra, temperatures range from 7-21C according to altitude, Quito the capital city, at 2,850 metres above sea level has an average annual temperature of 13C.

Health
According to the Embassy of Ecuador, travellers are not required to produce certificates of vaccinations. However, they do advise to check with your GP before travelling and, if travelling to the jungle or coastal areas, malaria precautions may be required.

What to expect
Ecuador is a relatively small country compared to the rest of Latin America and has a rich geographical and cultural diversity. Travellers are able to experience the capital city, Quito, and in the same day visit the Amazonian jungle, or the Andes mountain range.

Attractions
Quito, the capital of Ecuador, has been called the most beautiful city in South America. It is situated at 2,850 metres above sea level and surrounded by snow-capped mountains and volcanoes. The city has an old colonial centre, a modern centre and bustling markets.

Consisting of 13 main islands and six smaller ones, the Galapagos Islands are a national park and protected from the effects of tourism by restrictions on where tourists can go. Getting to the islands is expensive by air or sea, costing up to £1000; boats leave from Guayaquil, and flights from Quito and Guayaquil. Once there expect to see a barren, volcanic landscape and a range of indigenous wildlife that is unparalleled in the rest of the world.

Ecuador also offers a wide variety of activities for the traveller, such as jungle excursions into El Oriente, swimming in the warm Pacific coastal waters, and trekking and climbing in the highlands.

Travel advice
As at February 2000, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (tel: 020 7238 4503) advises travellers that volcanic activity from Mount Pichincha is on yellow alert and the city of Quito is not currently thought to be under any threat. However, do check with the Embassy for changes in volcanic activity. Expect air travel disruptions if volcanic ash increases and covers the airport.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office says that the recent coup in Ecuador is no longer a problem for travellers. There may be some disruption to travel because of strikes and industrial action of transport unions, so expect some delays while travelling.

Ecuador's economic crisis means that travelling is very cheap for foreigners as the sucre continues to devalue. Accommodation and eating out in establishments that do not take dollars is currently very reasonable. The growing poverty and economic desperation of the poorest Ecuadorians has meant an increase in muggings and robberies, so be extra vigilant and keep money and valuables in hotel safe deposit boxes.

Books

Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands: a travel survival kit by Rob Rachowiecki (Lonely Planet Publications, 1997) £12.99.
Comprehensive travel guide in the excellent Lonely Planet series. Designed for all budgets, the guide features background essays on Ecuador's wildlife, geography, people and places. Contains over 50 detailed regional and city maps.

Footprint: Ecuador & Galapagos Handbook by Alan Murphy (Footprint Handbooks, 1999) £11.99.
Well-illustrated guide with colour maps and colour photographs of Galapagos wildlife, together with up-to-date information on 'adventure' tourism.

Insight Guide: Ecuador (APA Publications, 1998) £16.99.
Travel guide to Ecuador featuring colour-coded bars to aid orientation; information boxes giving background info and tips; and cross-referencing to maps of key places of interest.

Let's Go 1999: Ecuador and Galapagos Islands (Macmillan, 1999) £13.99.
Guide with maps and good listings of everything from restaurants to entertainment. Plenty of information on the culture, history and people of Ecuador.

Websites

Tropic Ecological Adventures in Ecuador
www.tropiceco.com/
Offers nature-based trips with genuine environmental and social commitment in Ecuador. Runs programmes to all regions of Ecuador, but specialises in the Amazon and the Galapagos.

Planeta.com: Eco Travels in Latin America
www2.planeta.com/mader
Clearinghouse of environmental news and ecotourism information for the Americas. As a traveller's resource centre, provides more than 8,000 pages of short articles and in-depth scholarly reports.

South American Explorers Club
www.samexplo.org/
Non-profit educational corporation provides a comprehensive range of resources for travellers or anybody curious about South America.

Green-Travel
www.green-travel.com/
Global directory on sustainable travel, providing information and links.

Lonely Planet
www.lonelyplanet.com/dest/sam/ecu.htm
Comprehensive online travel guide, gives information on the history, culture and environment of Ecuador, plus plenty of travel advice.