24 ECUADOR THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE OVERSEAS
7
MEGADIVERSE COUNTRIES IN THE AMERICAN CONTINENT
Ecuador is the smallest but has the largest amount of species per area unit.
DIVERSITY IS CALLED ECUADOR “You travel a few miles from Quito and you will find yourself in the middle of the Amazon forest, with lakes and national parks. You move in another direction and suddenly you’re looking at the Pacific Ocean.” This marvels Fabio and many other visitors. “Although Ecuador is not very big, it has huge cultural, landscape, animal diversity to see,” added Emeric, who settled in Ecuador, while explaining what he likes best. Different indigenous nationalities and peoples encourage those who seek contact with other realities. As the world’s smallest mega diverse country, it has 1600 bird species, 4500 butterfly
REPUBLIC OF OPPORTUNITIES I THE CENTER OF THE WORLD
species, 405 reptile species, 440 amphibian species, and 382 mammal species, not to mention the plant world. Although Imke does not live in Ecuador, she will spend here six months. She can’t wait to visit all the natural sites, so different from her native Germany, which also attracted her fellow-citizen Alexander von Humboldt more than 200 years ago. “I study geology in Germany; I’m interested in ocean currents and the wind. I am attracted by the warm El Niño current or walking through the Andes.”