|
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:
|
continental shelf: claims continental shelf between mainland and Galapagos Islands
territorial sea: 200 NM
|
|
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: 5.69%
permanent crops: 5.15%
other: 89.16% (1998 est.)
|
|
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 Galapagos Islands
|
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, 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
|
