The mainland of Ecuador can be divided into three very different geographical regions. In the west lies the tropical coastal plain, the Costa. East of that extends the Andean region, the Sierra, with its snow-covered volcano peaks from north to south. The Amazon region of Ecuador, the Oriente, is characterised by its low-plain rainforests. Famous is the fourth region of Ecuador: the Galápagos-Islands.
The Costa
The coastal plain encompasses approximately the size of one quarter of the country. The northern plain is marked by a year-long tropical humid-hot climate (rainy season from January to April) as it is being influenced by the Panama current from the north.
Here coconut palms thrive on the beaches. Right up north, in heights of 700m one finds low-plain rainforests in parts of the provinces of Esmeralda and Pinchincha.
Further to the west of the Costa the up to 900m high Cordillera Costanera traverses the land. Sugar cane and rice fields, banana and cocoa plantations as well as other fruit plantations (oranges, mangos, papayas) have pushed out the natural vegetation.
