• Learn Spanish in Ecuador

• Learn Spanish in Quito.

Know Ecuador

Ecuador is the smallest of the Andean nations located in South America. The country is surrounded by Colombia to the north, Peru to the south and east, and the Pacific to the west.

The country can be divided into four regions:
the western coastal lowlands, the Andean backbone, the eastern jungles of the Amazonian basin, and the Galapagos Islands. The central highlands are composed of two volcanic ranges separated by a central valley, where much of the population lives. To the north, Despite its small size, Ecuador is an incredibly diverse country. The country has some of the world's oldest rain forests, the highest active volcano in the world, and the amazing Galapagos Islands. You will find Amazonian tribes clinging to their traditional way of life, a thriving Andean culture, and Latin America's oldest Indian market.

From an ecological standpoint, Ecuador is one of the most species-rich nations on earth. Throughout Ecuador you will have the opportunity to discover exotic birds, plants, insects, and fish. The highlight of any eco-tour is a trip to the Galapagos Islands. Each island has a distinctive ecosystem, and at least half of the approx. 58 species found on the islands are endemic.

History

Archaeological evidence, indicates the presence of indigenous people in Ecuador for many thousands of years before the expansion of the Incas from Peru in the 1400s. It is generally accepted that the earliest inhabitants were Asian nomads who crossed what is now known as the Bering Strait some 25,000 years ago and began reaching the South American continent by about 12,000 BC.

It is believed that several thousand years later, trans-Pacific colonization by the island dwellers of Polynesia added to the population. Although Stone Age tools found in the Quito area have been dated to 9000 BC, the oldest signs of a more developed culture date back to 3200 BC.

These belong to the Valdivia period and consist mainly of ceramics, especially small figurines, found in the central coastal area of Ecuador. Examples of these can be seen in the major museums of Quito and Guayaquil.

Culture

Ecuador's population is estimated to be 12,700,000. The population is ethnically mixed 55% Mestizo , 25% Indigenous, 10% Caucasian, 9% African, the descendants of African slaves who worked on coastal sugar plantations in the sixteenth century, and 1% of other races. People are incredibly hospitable and helpful. Like most developing countries there isn't a very large middle class in Ecuador and there are both extremes in terms of wealth. The official language of the country is Spanish, but other languages, such as Cha´palachi, Quichua, Shimi, Paicoca Awapit, , Tsafiqui, , A´ingae, Huaotirio, Shuar-chichan, and Záparo, are widely spoken in areas with large indigenous populations. The predominant religion is Roman Catholicism although there is no established church, but many communities still preserve their ancient beliefs of worship of the earth, the mountains, and the sun.