Location: | Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru |
| Geographic coordinates: | 2 00 S, 77 30 W |
| Map references: | South America |
| Area: | total: 283,560 sq km
note: includes Galapagos Islands
water: 6,720 sq km
land: 276,840 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Nevada |
| Land boundaries: | total: 2,010 km
border countries: Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km |
| Coastline: | 2,237 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 200 nm
continental shelf: 100 nm from 2,500 meter isobath |
| Climate: | tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands |
| Terrain: | coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente) |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chimborazo 6,267 m |
| Natural resources: | petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower |
| Land use: | arable land: 5.85%
permanent crops: 4.93%
other: 89.22% (2001) |
| Irrigated land: | 8,650 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural hazards: | frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts |
| Environment - current issues: | deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution; pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas of the Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands |
| Environment - international agreements: | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note: | Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world
Source: CIA World Factbook
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