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=Country Name: Ecuador=

Group Members: Anna Kate, Dani, and Reeves
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 * Reeve**s

__Cultural Features__
==Social Groups- the social groups in Ecuador are Elite, Middle Class, Peasants, Workers. only a small potion of the population is in the elite class. The majority of people are in the peasant and worker class.==

**Religion-**The main religion in Ecuador is Roman Catholic. Catholicism is greatly influanced by Spanish heritage and about 95% of the population is Roman Catholic.
==Daily Life-Family is very important to most people in Ecuador. That leads to belief in godparents and baptisms. Nightlife remains limited in the smaller towns, where the young middle class may be cruising in cars or motorcycles and hanging out at local restaurants or plazas.Life in Ecuador is very similar to life in America. You get up, shower, have breakfast and make your way to school. The majority of the population in Ecuador is below the poverty line.Soccer is a very important sport to people in Ecuador.== ==Art- There are many types of art in Ecuador but Most of the art in Ecuador is traditional and usually the skills are passed down from generation to generation. Most of the locals consider fine arts and crafts to be the same. The art in Ecuador is not only beautiful but has a practical use also. some types of art include woodcarving, paintings, weaves, necklaces, clothes, music such as Salsa, Merengue and traditional music from the mountains, Cumbia is a popular dance ,Panama Hats” are actually made in Ecuador, and another really popular art in Ecuador is cooking.==


 * Dani**

__Physical Features__
===Land Forms- The Coastal Lowland is a flat plain along Ecuador's Pacific coast the plain ranges from 12 to 100 miles wide and covers about a fourth of the country. The Andes mountains are the longest and the highest mountain ranges in Ecuador. A series of high plateaus lies between them. The mountain peaks rise over 20,000 feet some of them are volcanoes, such as Cotopaxi in northern Ecuador which reaches 19,347 feet high and it is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world. The Galapagos Islands are mostly volcano peaks they cover about 3,000 square miles in the Pacific Ocean.===

===Water Forms- Ecaudor has many rivers, including the Esmeraldas, the Guayas, the Napo, and the Pastaza. They make up part of the Amazon River system. There is the golfo de Guayquil which is a very large gulf with isle puna in the middle. Water is plentiful on mainland Ecuador and a valuable resource. Starting as small creeks high in the Andes, they drop down the flanks of the mountains finding their way either to the Pacific or Atlantic oceans. On the coastal plains and especially in the Amazon basin these creeks turn into mighty rivers and important water ways. Ecuador has many small lakes like Lake San Pablo. In the Andes you find small mountain lakes and ponds, some filling old volcanic calderas. In the Amazon you have small lagoons, surrounded by rainforests and other wildlife. Ecuador has many waterfalls. You can find In the interior valleys many beautful waterfalls===

===Climate- The Coastal Lowland and the Eastern Lowland are hot and humid. The temperature in the lowlands averages about 75 °F. In the Andes Highland, the plateaus have springlike weather all year and an average temperature of 57 °F. An average of 55 inches of rain falls in Ecuador every year.===

===Animals-The rain forest has a many different monkeys, jaguars, ocelots, foxes, weasels, otters, skunks, raccoons, coatis, kinkajous, tapir, deer, and peccary. Also there are numerous species of rodents and bats. Ecuador has the most species of animals per square meter in the world. Having so many different habitats increases the numbers of species. You find large and small mammals, marsupials, reptiles, amphibians on land and in the waters and fish in the rivers and oceans. And sometimes you may find yourself facing strange encounters like a sloth.===

===Vegetation- Most of the regions of Ecuador were once covered by mighty forests. Some forest types hardly exist anymore, especially on the coast and in the Andean valleys. Forests undisturbed by man can be now be found only in some remote regions of the Amazon but they are well are under attack by lumber companies searching for those areas because the valuable tropical hardwood trees. The tropical rainforests have 300 different species of trees. Many of those tropical trees and palms reach heights of up to 30m and support by themselves. There are many other plants like epiphytes and vines in the tropical rainforests. Those forests are the most biological diverse regions in the world with millions of species inhabiting them.===




 * Anna Kate**

Current Events

 * Political violence is a huge threat throughout Ecuador. The economy continues to experience difficulties. 70% of Ecuador’s population is at or below the poverty level therefore causing disruptions like terrorism and violent crimes. Transportation workers, teacher union activists, health workers, students and indigenous groups are among groups that organize strikes and acts of civil disobedience. During the past year, there were a number of large protests, most of which were in response to Ecuadorian government initiatives. These demonstrators continue to pressure the Government of Ecuador with massive protests and by threatening civil violence.**

Government

 * Ecuador** **has had more than 15 constitutions since it gained independence from Spain. These constitutions are provided for an elected legislature, but in many elections, few of Ecuador's people have been allowed to vote. Strong leaders have suspended or replaced many of the country's constitutions to stay in power for a longer time. Most of Ecuador's rulers have been military leaders or have had the support of the armed forces. Since 1979, the country has been governed by an elected government. Ecuador is a republic and the people elect a president to a four-year term. The president and his governors run Ecuador’s 21 provinces.**


 * One of Ecuador’s main products is petroleum deposits, as well as oil ranks. These are known as the country's leading exports. Agriculture is also a main moneymaking job in Ecuador and plays an important role in its economy and employs about a fourth of the country’s labor force. Many of Ecuador’s farmers still use old-fashioned farming methods and equipment. The United States is Ecuador's main trading partner for both exports and imports. Ecuador imports cars and trucks, chemicals, machinery, and many other products. Guayaquil and Quito areas are where most of Ecuador’s manufacturing takes place. The nation's manufactured products include chemicals, Panama hats, processed foods, textiles, and wood products. The importance of mining in Ecuador has increased greatly since Ecuador began exporting petroleum in the early 1970's.**

History

 * In the late 1400's, the Inca Indians from Peru conquered much of what is now Ecuador. At that time, many tribes of Indians lived in Ecuador. In less than 50 years, the Inca united many of these tribes under a single government and taught the people the Inca language, Quechua.

Spanish Rule Let’s move on the Spanish rule in 1534. Many conquerors defeated the local rule and took control of Ecuador. The Spaniards set up large haciendas and forced the Indians to work on them.**

The Flag The Ecuadorian flag has a lot of meaning to it. The yellow stands for the Sun and Gold of their ancestors. On the other hand, the blue part of the flag stands for the Sky and the Sea of Ecuador. Finally. the last color of the flag, red, stands for the blood that the Ecuadorian patriots gave for freedom. As for the symbol in the middle of the flag, The Condor on the top of the sheild means the Power and Stength of Ecuador. The Snow Moutntian means the Height or Altitude of Ecuador and the River means the beuty of Ecuador’s water. Lastly, The Boat means the Commerce trade and Navagation and The Olive Leaves mean Peace and Beauty!!!

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