Fun facts

Flag description: Three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double width), blue, and red with the coat of arms superimposed at the center of the flag. The flag retains the three main colors of the banner of Gran Columbia, the South American republic that broke up in 1830. The yellow color represents sunshine, grain, and mineral wealth, blue the sky, sea, and rivers, and red the blood of patriots spilled in the struggle for freedom and justice.

Coat of Arms: In the background of the oval shield is the mount Chimborazo, while the river originating from its base represents the Guayas. They both symbolize the beauty and wealth of the respective regions (Sierra or Costa). The ship on the river is named Guayas as well. In 1841 it was built in Guayaquil and was the first riverine steamship built on the South American west coast. Instead of a mast it features a Caduceus representing trade and economy. On top a golden sun surrounded by the astrological signs for Aries, Taurus, Gemini and Cancer representing the months March to July to symbolize the duration of the March Revolution of 1845.
The condor on top of the shield stretches his wings to symbolize power, greatness and strength of Ecuador. The shield is flanked by four flags of Ecuador. The laurel on the left represents the victories of the republic.^[1] The palm leaf on the right side is a symbol of the martyrs of the fight for independence and liberty. The Fasces below the shield represents the republican dignity.

Language: Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)

Religion: Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%

Time Zone: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Electricity: The majority of outlets in Ecuador are 110/120V AC (60 Hz).

Location: Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru.

Area:109,483 square miles (283,561 square kilometers)

Population: 15,439,429 (July 2013 est.)

Capital: Quito

Geography: Ecuador is divided into three continental regions—the Costa, Sierra, and Oriente—and one insular region: the Galápagos Islands. The continental regions extend the length of the country from north to south and are separated by the Andes Mountains. The Galápagos Islands, officially called the Archipiélago de Colón, are located 620 miles west of the Ecuadorian coast.

The main spoken language in Ecuador is Spanish (94% of the population). Languages of official use in native communities include Quichua, Shuar, and eleven other languages. Ecuador has a land area of 283,520 km². Its capital city is Quito, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the 1970s for having the best preserved and least altered historic center in Latin America.^[9]The country's largest city is Guayaquil. The historic center of Cuenca, the third-largest city in the country in size and economically,^[10] was also declared aWorld Heritage Site in 1999 as an outstanding example of a planned, inland Spanish-style colonial city in the Americas.^[11]

There is great variety in the climate, largely determined by altitude. It is mild year-round in the mountain valleys, with a humid subtropical climate in coastal areas and rainforest in lowlands. The Pacific coastal area has a tropical climate with a severe rainy season. ( except that the annual rainfall is 45" per year, which is the same as NC, so the rainy season can't be that severe! Costa Rica gets 196" of rain a year in certain places...yikes!) The climate in the Andean highlands is temperate and relatively dry, and the Amazon basin on the eastern side of the mountains shares the climate of other rainforest zones. 

Because of its location at the equator, Ecuador experiences little variation in daylight hours during the course of a year. Both sunrise and sunset occur each day at the two six o'clock hours.

Check out the temperature of the water. It all makes it sound like heaven, we can't wait to check it out in person, we are so ready!! Thanks for taking this journey with us, we will continue to share, hope you enjoy. Bueno Dias!