Ecuador Highlights ECUADOR & GALAPAGOS ISLANDS ECUADOR COMPILATION (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) GALAPAGOS COMPILATION ECUADOR PART 1 to 6 GALAPAGOS ISLANDS PART 1 to 2 ECUADOR PART 1 , Peru Border to Cuenca ECUADOR PART 2, Cuenca to Puyo ECUADOR PART 3, Puyo to the Amazon Region ECUADOR PART 4, Amazon Region to Quito Region ECUADOR PART 5 short Holland visit (first 6. minutes). Far North of Ecuador ECUADOR PART 6, Expedition Anaconda GALAPAGOS ISLANDS Galapagos Island Compilation (20 minutes) Galapagos Islands Part 1 GALAPAGOS ISLANDS PART 2, For more details, blogs and pictures Ecuador click here ; https://www.doubledutchworldsafari.au/our-journey/americas/south-america/equador/ For more details, blogs and pictures Galapagos Islands click here; https://www.doubledutchworldsafari.au/our-journey/americas/south-america/galapagos-island/ General Information Ecuador has 2 UNESCO world heritage cities (Quito and Cuenca) and 2 world heritage sites (Galapagos Islands and Sangay National Park). Someone mentioned to me that Ecuador is sometimes called South America in Miniature. Reason given: within its borders it has the Galapagos Islands, nice beaches, high mountains and part of the Amazon. Not sure if I agree with this statement as we have seen some exceptional places in South America. GALAPAGOS A modern Garden of Eden, the Galapagos are unique on the planet. The Islands are peaks of enormous underwater volcanoes and having never been connected with the South American continent, Galapagos’ flora and fauna developed in complete isolation. The Galapagos are truly a wonder that should not be missed. Where else can you swim with hammerhead sharks, penguins, sea lions, and hundreds of tropical reef fish, and sleep on a volcanic peak? Ecuador is a developing economy, highly dependent on Petroleum and Agriculture products. Production of tropical specialty crops such as bananas, cacao, and coffee have provided much-needed foreign exchange. Others include; crude oil, shrimps, cut flowers and cocoa. The main ethnic groups of Ecuador include a number of Indian-language-speaking populations (often referred to as indigenous peoples or Amerindians). Since 1979 Ecuador is a democratic society. In 2006 Rafael Correa gained the presidency. It has been said that Correa reduced the high levels of poverty and unemployment in Ecuador. In 2017 Lenin Moreno became president and started to reduce public spending and a more flexible labour code. Early October the fuel subsidies were to end, wages were going to be reduced and so were days for annual leave, hence protest began, just as we were to enter Ecuador (Oct 2019). On 10 October, protesters overran the capital Quito causing the Government of Ecuador to relocate temporarily to Guayaquil. At the same time the State of Emergency was announced.