Just a brief history on Ecuador folks. Pre-Inca Ecuador isn't very well known, but the earliest tools found were in 9,000 B.C. Thus meaning that there was civilization here in the Stone Age. At around AD 1400, the Incans became very powerful in South America. After 150 years of somewhat peaceful rule, Huayna Capac gave the Incan Empire to his two sons who were half brothers. This was the first time that the Incan Empire had been divided. Once Pizarro landed, he enslaved all the indigenous that he could and appointed his brother the governor of Quito. Looking for gold, the governor sent out his friend Orellana down the Amazon. Orellana was the first man to make it all the way down the Amazon River to the Atlantic. Eugenio Espejo was a hero in the early revolutionary times. He was in and out of jail and eventually died there. The first serious attempt at freedom came in 1809. It was led by Juan Pio Montu. He and his group established a government in Quito that lasted all of 24 days. Once Gauyaquil claimed independance in October of 1820, they had the support of Simon Bolivar. It took two years to become fully detached from Spain. The decisive battle was fought n May 24, 1822. In 1941, Peru tried to take nearly 50% of Ecuador's land. This sparked a war which was soon remedied with a treaty in 1942. Due to Ecuador not recognizing these borders, there have been skirmishes up until 1998. The most serious was in 1995 where troops from both sides were killed. The 20th century has seen more periods of military rule than civilian rule. In 1996, Adbala Bucaram was deemed mentally unfit to serve as president, and was removed from office. The following president in 1997 caused an economic collapse. During this time of financial turmoil, the Ecuadorian sucre went from an exchange rate of $1=7,000 sucres to a rate of $1=25,000 sucres. When dolarization was proposed, the were massive, internationaly recognized protests that caused the president to resign. The ensueing vice president folowed through with the dolarization and prices sky rocketed. Now it is estimated that 70% of Ecuador is below the line of poverty. It also has the highest population density in South America having 45 people per square kilometer. By 2028 the population will have doubled. The three main sports are soccer (futbol), volleyball, and bullfighting. Ecuador is also very diverse and rich in its plant and wildlife. It has over 20,000 plant species as opposed to North America's 17,000. There are 1,500 species of birds which is about equal to two times the amount in North America, Europe, and Australia. There are around 300 species of mammal spread over nine national parks. With all of the environment that calls Ecuador home, some of it has to be in trouble. Oil drilling is hurting the forests and wildlife. Shrimp farming is killing off most of the mangrove swamps, and people clearing forests to plants crops and graze cows is also having a major impact on the environment. Home of much history and just as much biodiversity, Ecuador is a jewel for naturalists and environmentalists all over.

Phil