E C U A D O R

Ecuador is one of the smallest countries in South America, but it surely has some of the continent's most spectacular points-of-interest.
Leading the list is Quito, described by many travelers as the most beautiful city in South America. With its elevation and location near the Equator, its climate is considered a "permanent spring."
Additional attractions include several archaeological sites; a stunning selection of national parks, including Cotopaxi's (Avenue of the Volcanoes,) Podocarpus, Sangay and Yasumi; rainforest expeditions, the cities of Ambato and Otavalo; the natural springs at Banos, and of course, the Galapagos Islands.
Facts and Figures
Name Ecuador
(long form) Republic of Ecuador
Population 13,363,600 (64 OUT OF 192)
Capital City Quito (1.4 mil)
Currency U S dollar (USD)
Languages Spanish, Amerindian
National Day August 10
Religions Catholic (95%), others
Land Statistics
Coastline 2,237 km
Land Areas
(land) 276,840 sq km
(water) 6,720 sq km
(TOTAL) 283,560 sq km (71 OUT OF 192)
Landforms Ecuador is divided into four regions: the coastal lowlands and mountains areas; the central Andes Mountains and it's two major chains (Cordillera Occidental in the west) and the (Cordillera Oriental in the east); the lower mountains that fade into rolling hills and lowlands of the east, and the territory of the Galapagos Islands - officially called the Archipiélago de Colón - located about 1,000 km to the west.
The Andes includes over 20 peaks at least 4,200 m in height with most located in the Cordillera Occidental. In addition, there are over 30 peaks that are volcanic in nature, including many active ones.
Most rivers in Ecuador rise in the upper elevations of the Andes, flowing east toward the Amazon River, or west into the Pacific Ocean. The most significant include the Babahoyo, Chira, Coca, Curaray, Daule, Esmeraldas, Guayas, Napo, Paztaza, and the Putumayo, on its northeastern border with Colombia.
Highest Pt. Mt. Chimborazo 6,267 m
Lowest Pt. Pacific Ocean at 0 m
Climate

Ecuador has a tropical climate along its coastal areas, then becoming much cooler inland, especially in the higher elevations of the Andes. The jungle-covered plains of the eastern lowlands are hot and very damp throughout the year, with copious amounts of rain.
The most significant climate variations occur in the Andes, where in general terms, mornings are cold and afternoons warm.
The lower levels of the mountains are tropical and experience heavy precipitation. Somewhat typically of any mountainous country, the higher the altitude, the lower the temperatures fall, and rainfall also decreases. In the upper elevations here, the Andes are snow-capped, and temperatures are very cold.
Quito is over (2,800 m) in elevation; its highest temperatures are in August and September, where daily highs approach 22° C. The balance of the year high temperatures are generally around 16° C. The months of June and July are the coldest, with highs around 4° C.

D O M I N I C A

Dominica is an island nation and borderless country in the Caribbean Sea, the northernmost of the Windward Islands. The size of the country is about 754 km². The capital is Roseau.

Dominica is largely covered by rainforest and is home to the world's second-largest boiling lake. Dominica has many waterfalls, springs, and rivers. Some plants and animals thought to be extinct on surrounding islands can still be found in Dominica's forests. The volcanic nature of the island and the lack of sandy beaches have made Dominica a popular scuba diving spot. Dominica is home to several protected areas, including Cabrits National Park. Dominica has 365 rivers.

It is said that when his royal sponsors asked Christopher Columbus to describe this island in the "New World", he crumpled a piece of parchment roughly and threw it on the table. This, Columbus explained, is what Dominica looks like—completely covered with mountains with nary a flat spot.

Morne Trois Pitons National Park is a tropical forest blended with scenic volcanic features.[2] It was recognized as a World Heritage Site on April 4, 1995. Within the Caribbean, it shares this distinction with historic World Heritage sites in St. Lucia (2004), Saint Kitts (1999), Hispaniola (Dominican Republic [1990]/Haiti [1982]) and Cuba (multiple).

The Commonwealth of Dominica is engaged in a long-running dispute with Venezuela over Venezuela's territorial claims to the sea surrounding Isla Aves (literally Bird Island, but in fact called Bird Rock by Dominica authorities), a tiny islet located 70 miles (110 km) west of the island of Dominica.

The only two major cities are Roseau and Portsmouth.

Dominica is especially vulnerable to hurricanes as the island is located in what is referred to as the hurricane region. In 1979, Dominica was hit directly by category 5 Hurricane David, causing widespread and extreme damage. On August 17, 2007, Hurricane Dean, a category 1 at the time, hit the island. A mother and her seven-year-old son died when a landslide caused by the heavy rains fell onto their house. In another incident two people were injured when a tree fell on their house. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit estimated that 100 to 125 homes were damaged, and that the agriculture sector was extensively damaged, in particular the banana crop.

D E N M A R K