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Location:
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Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru
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Geographic coordinates:
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2 00 S, 77 30 W
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Map references:
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south america
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Area:
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total: 283,560 sq km
note: includes Galapagos Islands
water: 6,720 sq km
land: 276,840 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Nevada
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,010 km
border countries: Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km
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Coastline:
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2,237 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 200 nm
continental shelf: 100 nm from 2,500 meter isobath
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Climate:
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tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands
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Terrain:
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coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chimborazo 6,267 m
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower
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Land use:
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arable land: 5.85%
permanent crops: 4.93%
other: 89.22% (2001)
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Irrigated land:
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8,650 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution; pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas of the Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note:
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Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world
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