• Located in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia, Peru, and the Pacific Ocean
• Capital is Quito; largest city is Guayaquil
• Includes the Galápagos Islands, located 1,000 km west of the mainland

• Home to indigenous peoples, joined the Inca Empire in the 15th century
• Colonized by Spain in the 16th century, became independent in 1820

• Population of 17.8 million, mostly mestizo with Spanish as the official language
• Economy relies on petroleum and agriculture

• One of 17 megadiverse countries, home to unique species
• 2008 constitution grants rights to nature

• Ranks 58th in Global Hunger Index, faces rising hunger crisis affecting 2.6 million people

List of Popular Newspapers published in Ecuador.