Why in the News? 

Wildfires erupted on the outskirts of Quito, Ecuador, exacerbated by the worst drought the country has seen in six decades. Ecuador’s president, Daniel Noboa, cut short his trip to the United Nations to return and manage the emergency response. More than 200 firefighters and emergency personnel have been deployed to combat the flames, supported by helicopters for water-dumping operations. 

Ecuador  

• Location: South America 
• Bordered by: Colombia to the north, Peru to the east and south and the Pacific Ocean to the west. 
• Independence: From Spain on 24^th May 1822.  
• Capital: Quito, a UNESCO World Heritage Site 
• Government: Unitary Presidential Republic 
• President: Daniel Noboa 
• It is divided into four distinct regions -  
  • The Amazon rainforest 
  • The Andes mountains 
  • The Coastal plains 
  • The Galápagos Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and central to Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. 
• The Equator runs through the country, giving Ecuador its name. 
• It is one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth, home to more than 16,000 species of plants and 1,600 species of birds. 
• Currency: US dollar (USD)   
• Official Language: Spanish  
• Its economy relies on oil exports, agriculture (bananas, cocoa and shrimp) and tourism. 

Location of Ecuador and its Flag