Ecuador is a country in western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, for which the country is named. Ecuador encompasses a wide range of natural formations and climates, from the desert-like southern coast to the snowcapped peaks of the Andes mountain range to the plains of the Amazon Basin. Cotopaxi in Ecuador is one of the world's highest active volcanos. It also has a large series of rivers that follow the southern border and spill into the northwest area of Peru.
Coordinates: 2°00′S 77°30′W / 2.000°S 77.500°W
Ecuador is located on the west by the Pacific Ocean, and has 2,237 km of coastline. It has 2237 km of land boundaries, with Colombia in the north (708 km border) and Peru in the east and south (1,529 km border).
Ecuador has a total area is 283,561 km2 (109,484 sq mi), including the Galápagos Islands. Of this, 276,841 km2 (106,889 sq mi) is land and 6,720 km2 (2,595 sq mi) water. Ecuador is one of the smaller countries in South America, slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Nevada.