Ecuador: Introduction

Ecuador is a country in South America bordered by Colombia, Peru, and the Pacific Ocean. The country also includes the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific west of the mainland. Ecuador has a tropical and mountainous terrain and hosts the highest active volcano in the world. The government system is a republic; the chief of state and head of government is the president. Ecuador has a mixed economic system, which includes a variety of private freedoms combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation. Ecuador is a member of the Andean Community (ANCOM).