Ecuador is a country in South America located directly on the Equator. It is relatively small, about the size of Nevada. Ecuador, besides its landmass territory, also includes the Galapagos Islands, which are to the west, in the Pacific Ocean. Its total landmass area is 276,841 square kilometers. It has a population of almost 16.3 million people as of 2017. The majority of people in the country are Mestizo, and there are not many differing ethnic groups besides the Mestizo people. Currently, Quito is its capital city, and Lenin Moreno is its president. Most of Ecuador’s profits and exports come from Petroleum. As of 2016, Ecuador's Gross Domestic Product is $11,200. Ecuador is a land of rich history, unparalleled geography, and poverty.
Ecuador has a rich history filled with interesting events. In its recent history, tension with Peru ended after both countries signed a treaty twenty years ago. This tension started when Peru took some of Ecuador’s land from the Oriente in 1941. Ecuador was originally colonized by Spain in 1532 when Francisco Pizarro warred with the Inca. Ecuador gained its independence from Spain on August 10th, 1809 with the help of Simón Bolívar, only to be under the command of Greater Colombia. After Greater Colombia broke up in 1830, Ecuador gained its full independence. Before the Spanish came, the Inca had great empires in Ecuador, and other countries. Ecuador's current president is Lenin Moreno, and its form of government is a republic. For these reasons, Ecuador is a land with little ethnic diversity, but filled with a thought-provoking history.