Named for the equator, which passes through it, the Republic of Ecuador sits on the western coast of South America. One of the smallest countries of the continent, Ecuador nevertheless features a wide variety of terrain: high mountain peaks, tropical forests, grasslands, snow-capped volcanoes, and glacial lakes. Off the Pacific coast, about 600 miles (966 km) to the west, lie Ecuador's renowned Gal̀pagos Islands, home to more than 5,000 species of plants and animals. About half of Ecuadors 15.2 million inhabitants live in the country's fertile, coastal lowlands, where crops like cocoa, bananas, rice, and cotton are grown for export. Ecuador is also known for exports of flowers. The other half of the population resides in the Andean highlands, particularly around the capital city of Quito. More than 70 percent of the population are mestizos, the descendants of Spanish colonists who intermarried with indigenous people. There's a lot to discover about Ecuador!

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