GEOGRAPHY
Location:
Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator,
between Colombia and Peru
Geographic coordinates:
2 00 S, 77 30 W
Map references: South
America
Area:
total: 283,560 sq km
land: 276,840 sq km
water: 6,720 sq km
note: includes Galapagos Islands
Area—comparative:
slightly smaller than Nevada
Land boundaries:
total: 2,010 km
border countries: Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km
Coastline: 2,237
km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: claims continental shelf between mainland
and Galapagos Islands
territorial sea: 200 nm
Climate: tropical
along coast becoming cooler inland
Terrain: coastal
plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat
to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chimborazo 6,267 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, fish, timber
Land use:
arable land: 6%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 18%
forests and woodland: 56%
other: 15% (1993 est.)
Natural hazards:
frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; periodic
droughts
Environment—current
issues: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water
pollution; pollution from oil production wastes
Environment—international
agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic
Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands,
Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography—note:
Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world.
