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ECUADOR

The Highlands
Highlands near Latacunga	The image that a lot of people have of Ecuador is one of steamy jungle from border to coast. These are ofcourse people who have never visited the islands in person but in fact this could have been true if it had not been for the formation of the Andean mountainrange Five million years ago, at the beginning of the Pliocene period, the mountain range now known as the Andes appeared, dividing Ecuador into two lowland forestal plains.
Basically the mountain range consists of two bands of mountains and volcanoes with inbetween inter-andean valleys. This is where most of the population lives. In 1808 the German scientist Alexander von Humboldt called the cordillera: "Avenue of the Volcanoes" because there are so many volcanoes (about 10) in the two bands of the mountain- range. In the cordillera an indigienous flora and fauna have developed, adapted to low temperatures, strong winds, intense ultraviolet radiation, rain, hail, snow and high altitudes.
Lake of Cuicocha	The rainy season in this area lasts from October to May, with an average annual temperature range of 12° to 18° C. The daily variation, however, can be extreme with very hot days and quite cold nights. Yet, some often refer to the Sierra climate as "eternal spring." The Sierra's climatic conditions, as well as recent volcanic activity, has produced peculiar and interesting plant formation that distinguish the area's beautiful landscapes called the paramo.

The Highlands