Ecuador’s name comes from the Equator, which divides it unequally, putting most of the country in the Southern Hemisphere.

National Capital: Quito

International airports: Quito city, Guayaquil city

Quito is located in the northwestern part of South America. Bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. In 2013 Ecuador was officially named “Country of Orchids” because of ten wild plants, four are orchids. And in 2008 as the “Land of Hummingbirds” as it is home to 124 species of this bird.

It may be the smallest Andean country, but it has four distinct and contrasting regions. The Costa, or coastal plain, grows enough bananas to make the country the world’s largest exporter of the fruit. The Sierra, or Andean uplands, offers productive farmland. Oil from The Oriente, jungles east of the Andes, enriches the economy.

The Galápagos Islands, volcanic islands 960 kilometers west of Ecuador, bring tourism revenue with its unique reptiles, endemic birds, mammals, and plants

The capital of Ecuador, was founded in the 16th century on the ruins of an Inca city and stands at an altitude of 2,850 m. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic centre in Latin America. The monasteries of San Francisco and Santo Domingo, and the Church and Jesuit College of La Compañía, with their rich interiors, are pure examples of the ‘Baroque school of Quito’, which is a fusion of Spanish, Italian, Moorish, Flemish and indigenous art.

Quito Historic Center declared Mankind Heritage in 1978 by UNESCO, compose with more than 300 blocks of colonial houses with 200 or 400 years history, are amazing to be discover, the Quito Historic Center shown’s genuine architecture jewels.

Basilica del Voto Nacional is one of the most important examples of neo Gothic arquitecture in Ecuador. The Basilica Was blessed by Pope John Paul II on 1985, was officially opened on 1988. At present-day the church is still under construction.

City Orientation

Quito is very easy to travel, and the orientation is always easy because the 15,000-foot Pichincha volcanoes is always to the west of the city. How the street numbering system works:

All streets north of the colonial center are lettered “N” and numbered in sequence. Streets running south of this divide are lettered “S”. The systems east-west axis is La Avenida 10 de Agosto. Streets running east of the axis are lettered “E” and streets running west are lettered “O” (for oeste). Street numbers are followed by a dash and then the house or building number, e.g., N17-31 or E22-77.

Transportation

The transportation system of Quito makes the city easy to transit. Buses and taxis can take you anywhere, while the Trolebus and EcoVia are run in the north and on the west and east sides of Quito, respectively. Trolebus has its northern terminus located in “Labrador” (where it is located on August 10 and America), and a terminal station in a company in Quitumbe (where the new interprovincial bus terminal is located) and has buses that go to several different countries areas) passing through the El Recreo shopping center along the way.

The EcoVía extends north on Avenida 6 de Diciembre, with the northern terminal station being Río Coca and the southern terminal station being La Marin in the old town. Some of the EcoVia buses pass through the terminal of La Marin and go to the bus terminal of Quitumbe, passing through the Recreo on the road as a trolleybus.

The Metrobús goes down by America, which to the north of “Labrador” becomes La Prensa and then, at the stop of the Maestro, it becomes Diego Vasquez de Cepeda Avenue. and it takes you to the northern terminal station known as La Ofelia. From here, it is possible to take any of the several shuttle buses that transport you to the north interprovincial bus terminal in Carcelén.