Ecuador

Official Name: Republic of Ecuador Area: 256.370 KM2
Capital: Quito
Form of Government: Democratic
President: Econ. Rafael Correa Delgado
Principal Cities: Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca
Language: Spanish
Independence Day: August 10th
Currency: US Dollars
Religion: Catholic is the dominant religion, Freedom of religion

Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bounded by Colombia on the north, by Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean on the west. The country, which also includes the Galapagos Islands, is among the most biodiversity-rich countries in the world. The capital, Quito, and Guayaquil, the largest city, concentrate both political and economic control of the country. Ecuador’s population of 13 million is growing at a rate of 1.4 percent per year, and one of every four Ecuadorians is between 15 and 29 years old. The population is ethnically diverse and includes Amerindians, who account for approximately a quarter of the population, and a small Afro-Ecuadorian minority.

Baños–Home to FUVIRESE

Baños, a community of approximately 14,000 persons in the central Andean region of Ecuador. The city is approximately 100 miles south of the nation's capital of Quito and is situated at the base of the Tungurahua volcano, which began erupting in the fall of 1999, resulting in the forced evacuation of the entire population of the Baños region--more than 20,000 people--for a period of eight months.

The volcanic nature of the region creates a series of "hot" springs from which the city derived its name, Baños de Agua Santa. Each year visitors from around the world are drawn to bathe in the warm, healing waters and enjoy the natural beauty of the region. Tourism is the region's largest industry.

Residents of Baños call their home "A Piece of Heaven," and any visitor to the city would certainly agree. Only about 30 miles east of Puyo, the official beginning of the Amazon Rainforest, Baños truly possesses a magnificent landscape.

Every morning purple mists hug the lush green valleys and hide the snow-capped peaks of the Andes from view. As the sun burns brighter in the sky and the mists dissipate, countless waterfalls are revealed cascading down the mountainsides. Inside the town, palm trees spread their shade over the town's wide streets and the sound of falling water accompanies the daily bustle of Baños.