Ecuador

Quito serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Ecuador, positioned in South America. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Guayaquil, Cuenca — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Quito sits at 2,850 metres in a valley between volcanic peaks, making it the world's second-highest official capital city and the first city added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1978 — its colonial centre, built by the Spanish atop an Inca city, preserves the most intact 16th-century religious art collection in Latin America.

With a population of approximately 18.0M, Ecuador is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The official language is Spanish, which reflects the country's cultural heritage and connects it with a wide international community. Internationally, Ecuador is reached via the dialling code +593. Ecuador is unique among South American countries in using the US dollar as its official currency since 2000 — a stabilisation measure adopted after a devastating economic crisis that produced a distinct economic pragmatism in a country whose political history includes dozens of presidents in the 20th century and one of the world's first constitutions to grant legal rights to nature.

Ecuador spans 276,841 km², in the South America subregion of Americas. Geographically centred around 2.0°S, 77.5°W, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Americas convention.

The official currency is the United States dollar ($), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Ecuador's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC-06:00, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.

The emblematic dish of Ecuador is Seco de Pollo. Ceviche in Ecuador is prepared differently from Peru's acidic version — marinated for hours rather than minutes, served room temperature with toasted corn, and mixed with tomato sauce to produce a sweeter, less aggressive flavour profile that reflects the Pacific coast fishing communities where fresh shrimp, fish, and conch are the primary proteins.

Football holds a special place in the heart of Ecuador's national identity. Football is paramount, with the national team's 2002 World Cup qualification (Ecuador's first) generating celebrations that briefly eclipsed political news — but it is the sport of chaza, a traditional handball game played in the Andes highlands by indigenous Kichwa communities, that represents the unbroken athletic tradition predating Spanish contact.

The highest point in Ecuador is Chimborazo, rising to 6,263 metres above sea level. The Galápagos Islands, 1,000 kilometres offshore, provided Charles Darwin with the observations that led to On the Origin of Species after his 1835 visit — a volcanic archipelago where blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, and giant tortoises evolved in isolation and still display a remarkable fearlessness around humans who have not historically hunted them.