Ecuador can be divided into three ecological regions: the coastal lowlands, the Andean highlands, and the eastern forested plains--known respectively as costa, sierra, and oriente. The Andean highlands run like a wide backbone north-southward through the centre of the country, and it is their altitude that dramatically diversifies the equatorial climate and vegetation of the whole country.

Two parallel ranges containing high volcanic peaks--such as Cotopaxi at 19,347 feet (5,897 meters) and Chimborazo at 20,702 feet (6,310 meters)--mark the edges of these highlands. The ranges are separated by a wide trough composed of ten basins averaging more than 7,000 feet (2,100 meters) in height. Though each basin varies in size and altitude, all are characterised by rugged relief, the result of rivers cutting through glacial terraces and extensive fans of volcanic ash. Quito, the national capital--like Ibarra, Cuenca, Ambato, and Loja--nestles within one of these basins. In the sierra region the principal resources are a fertile but easily eroded soil and a climate that has been compared to an eternal spring. The plains that descend abruptly eastward from the flanks of the highlands toward the Amazon River are predominantly shrouded in thick tropical rain forest.

The characteristics of the western coastal region perhaps explain the relative neglect of the east of Ecuador. Here, at elevations of normally less than 1,000 feet (300 meters), there is relatively flat land that is easily accessible from the historic highland core. On the coast one can pass within a few degrees of latitude from tropical rain forest in the north to absolute desert conditions in the south.

Ecuador is the smallest of the Andean countries, and in many ways the easiest and most pleasant to travel in. It has spectacular volcanic and jungle landscapes, vibrant Indian markets and a rich colonial history. The Galapagos Islands, part of Ecuadorian territory, are considered to be one of the world's greatest natural-history treasures. Ecuador is draped across the equator in the north-western corner of South America. It shares a disputed border with Peru to the south and east, borders Colombia to the north and abuts the Pacific Ocean to the west. The country can be divided into fouregions. 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. The highest peak is Chimborazo (6310 metres). Thanks to its climate and the variety of habitats (alpine grasslands, coastal swamps, tropical rainforest), Ecuador is one of the most species-rich nations on earth. Ecologists have dubbed it a 'megadiversity hotspot'. Animals include several species of monkey, plus sloth's, llamas and alpacas. Bird-watchers come from all over the world to see the famous Andean condor but there are plenty of other bird species: about half of the 58 species found on the Galapagos Islands are endemic. Ecuador's freshwater fish are equally exotic, but most visitors would rather not personally experience the amazing qualities of electric eels, piranhas and the tiny candiru catfish - which can swim up the human urethra and lodge there by erecting sharp spines.

Health risks: Dengue fever, hepatitis, malaria, typhoid, and a minor risk of cholera, rabies and diphtheria. Get a yellow-fever vaccination if you plan to visit the jungles of the Oriente.