Visit Ecuador this winter and experience its unique geography

In abundance

Region: Ecuador & Galapagos Islands

Ecuador might be a small spot on the world map but its considerable biodiversity includes more than 25,000 plant species, or 10 percent of the world’s total, compared to around 17,000 for all of North America. Its 1,600 types of birds are about twice as many as all of Europe, and half the total for all South America. The country also holds more species of mammals and amphibians per square metre than any other country.

The basic reason for this extraordinary concentration of flora and fauna is largely due to Ecuador’s unique geography, its position on the equator and the geologically recent appearance of Andean cordilleras, which divide the coastal and Amazonian basins and provide an array of habitats and isolated areas for the evolution of new species.

The Galapagos Islands is home to an incredibly high rate of endemic species. Among the animals found are the different species of giant tortoises. Galapagos is home to a variety of birds: blue footed, red footed and masked boobies, flamingos, frigate birds, albatrosses, unique small penguins and non-flying cormorants, and 14 different varieties of finches. These various finches served as proof for Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and natural selection.