welcome to

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ECUADOR- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

contents

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- map

- about ecuador

- climate

- main cities

- visa & insurance information

- getting to ecuador

- main cities

- distances between main cities

- cost of living

- national holidays

- ecuadorian slang

- worlds of ecuador

- contact

galapagos

islands

ecuador

map

quito

esmertaldas

porto viejo

manta

montanitaguayaquil

cuenca

loja

machala

riobamba

ambato

trainee experience

My experience in Ecuador met all the expectations I had once I

started looking for an internship through AIESEC. First of all, I

spent a year in a great country: Ecuador, a very interesting place

due to all the places, people and cultural identity that it has.

Second, I worked for an organization where I learned from and

enjoyed lot the daily international environment, the diversity of

my co-workers and the company itself. Third, I could travel

around the country and see and learn about many beautiful

places going from the volcanoes to the beautiful beaches.

No part of this amazing experience would have been possible

without AIESEC. For this reason I want give many thanks for the

people who have helped me to have a great experience; one

that I will always appreciate and recommend. Thanks a lot

AIESEC.

Priscila Ramos (Colombia)

Internship at Pearson Ecuador 2012-2013

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about ecuador

CAPITAL

LARGEST CITY

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

DEMONYM

POPULATION

CURRENCY

TIME ZONE

CALLING CODE

VOLTAGE

QUITO

GUAYAQUIL

SPANISH

ECUADORIAN

+15 MILLION

USD $

GMT -5

+593

120V

about ecuador

A microcosm of sensations and

flavors in the center of the planet: that

is Ecuador. A unique country, where

all the cultures, peoples and

landscapes of Latin America merge to

form the world's most perfect

fragrance.

Ecuador is located on the Equator in

the northwest of South America.

Ecuador is the eighth largest country

in South America, and the geography

of its four regions is very diverse:

Andes, Amazon, Pacific Coast and

Galapagos.

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about ecuador

Ecuador was

the first nation in

2008 to declare that

nature has

constitutional

rights.

The main spoken language in Ecuador is Spanish

(94% of the population). Languages of official use

in native communities include Quichua, Shuar, and

11 other languages. Ecuador has an area of

258,238 km2 (99,706 sq mi). Its capital city is

Quito, which was declared a World Heritage Site by

UNESCO in the 1970s for having the best

preserved and least altered historic center in Latin

America. The country's largest city is Guayaquil.

The historic center of Cuenca, the third largest city

in the country in size and economically, was also

declared a World Heritage Site in 1999, for being

an outstanding example of a planned inland

Spanish style colonial city in the Americas. Ecuador

is also home to a great variety of species, many of

them endemic, like those of the Galápagos Islands.

This species diversity makes Ecuador one of the 17

megadiverse countries in the world.

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climate

There is great variety in the climate,

largely determined by altitude. It is

mild year-round in the mountain

valleys; humid subtropical climate in

coastal areas and rainforest in

lowlands. The Pacific coastal area has

a tropical climate, with a severe rainy

season. The climate in the Andean

highlands is temperate and relatively

dry; and the Amazon basin on the

eastern side of the mountains shares

the climate of other rain forest zones.

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visa & insuranceinformation

Visa

Visitors can stay up to 90 days without a Visa.

(Only citizens of the Popular Republic of China, Afghanistan,

Bangladesh, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan

and Somalia, require a visa to enter Ecuador).

AIESEC Internships in Ecuador longer than 90

days are needed to arrange a visa. For visa

procedures please visit the “AIESEC in Ecuador

Visa Procedures” wiki on MyAIESEC.net here.

Insurance

AIESEC trainees must have their own international

insurance during their stay on Ecuador.

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getting to ecuador

Though not all countries have non-stop

flights available, it is fairly simple to

reach Ecuador from international

destinations, and bus services are

options between Ecuador and

neighboring countries in South America.

Ecuador is a small country but offers to

its travelers two main comfortable

international airports in the main cities

of the country: Quito - Mariscal Sucre

Airport, and Guayaquil Simon Bolívar

Airport

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main cities

quito

Quito, formally San

Francisco de Quito, is

the capital city of

Ecuador, and at an

elevation of 9,350 feet

(2,800 meters above sea

level), it is the highest

capital city in the world

housing the

administrative, legislative

and judicial functions. It

is located in north-central

Ecuador in the

Guayllabamba river

basin, on the eastern

slopes of Pichincha, an

active stratovolcano in

the Andes Mountains.

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The Historic Center of Quito

has one of the largest, least-

altered and best-preserved

historic centers in the Americas.

Quito, along with Kraków, were

the first World Cultural Heritage

Sites declared by UNESCO in

1978. The central square of

Quito is located about 25

kilometres (16 mi) south of the

equator; the city itself extends

to within about 1 kilometre (0.62

mi) of zero latitude. A

monument and museum

marking the general location of

the equator is known locally as

“la mitad del mundo” (the

middle of the world).

guayaquil

Guayaquil, officially

Santiago de Guayaquil,

is the largest and the

most populous city in

Ecuador, with around

2.35 million in the

metropolitan area, as

well as the nation's

main port. The city is

the capital of the

Ecuadorian province of

Guayas and the seat of

the namesake canton.

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Guayaquil is located on the

western bank of the Guayas

River, which flows into the

Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of

Guayaquil.

The Malecón 2000, a notable

place of Guayaquil, is a

restoration project of the

historic Simón Bolívar Pier. It

will be a symbolic centre of the

city, a mix of green areas and

shopping. The tall ship Guayas

has its home base here.

cuenca

Cuenca (full name

Santa Ana de los

cuatro ríos de

Cuenca) is the capital

of the Azuay

Province. It is located

in the highlands of

Ecuador at about

2500 m above sea

level. The center of

the city is listed as a

UNESCO World

Heritage Trust site

because of its many

historical buildings.

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The historic area of Cuenca is a

UNESCO World Heritage Site,

between the river Tomebamba

and the street Gran Colombia

to the north, General Torres to

the west, and Hermano Miguel

to the east. This area's

compactness, grid-like layout,

and numerous readily

identifiable monuments make it

easy to navigate. Outside this

area the city can be confusing,

as there are dozens of narrow

colonial streets with similar

buildings.

manta & portoviejo

Manta has existed since

Pre-Columbian times. It

was a trading post for the

Mantas. Manta possesses

the largest seaport in

Ecuador. The most visited

beaches include "El

Murciélago", "Santa

Marianita", "San Lorenzo"

and "Barbasquillo". Surfers

often travel to San Lorenzo

to find powerful waves.

Kitesurfing has recently

become very popular in

Santa Marianita (Playa

Bonita) because of the

excellent wind conditions

and large beach.

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Portoviejo, also known as the

city of the "Royal Tamarind

Trees" for the beautiful trees

found in the area; is the main

political and economical

centre of the Portoviejo River

valley. The valley is rich in

the production of tomatoes,

onions, peppers, bananas,

mangoes and other tropical

fruits. The city, which was

affected by economic crisis

in the eighties and nineties,

is now recovering but severe

budget limitations and a

huge unemployment rate

present difficulties for local

authorities.

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distances betweenmain cities

QUITO - GUAYAQUIL

QUITO - CUENCA

QUITO - MANTA

55 MIN

55 MIN

50 MIN

DISTANCES BY FLIGHT

QUITO - GUAYAQUIL

QUITO - CUENCA

QUITO – PORTOVIEJO/ MANTA

8 HRS

10 HRS

10 HRS/ 10:30 HRS

GUAYAQUIL - CUENCA 3 HRS

GUAYAQUIL – MANTA/ PORTOVIEJO

4 HRS/ 4:30 HRS

DISTANCES BY BUS

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cost of living

daily menu in business district

combo meal in fast food

3–4 USD

4-6 USD

FOOD

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1 liter of milk 2 USD

12 eggs 2 USD

1kg of tomatoes 2 USD

1kg of apples 2 USD

2kg of potatoes 2 USD

1 can of beer (supermarket)

1–1.5 USD

monthly rent in shared department

utilities for one month (electricity, gas, etc.)

100–250USD

50 – 80USD

HOUSING

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public transportation bus/metrobus ride

taxi trip on business day

0.25 USD

3-7 USD

TRANSPORTATION

haircut

toothpaste

5-8 USD

2.50 USD

PERSONAL CARE

2 tickets for the movies

2 tickets for the theater

8-12 USD

30- 40USD

ENTERTAINMENT

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roll-on deodorant 3-4 USD

cocktail drink in downtown club

5-8 USD

national holidays

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January 1 New Year's Day

March / April Maundy Thursday

March / April Good Friday

May 1 International Workers' Day

May 24 The Battle of Pichincha

July 24 The Birthday of Simon Bolivar

August 10 Declaration of Independence of Quito

October 9 Independence of Guayaquil

November 2 All Souls' Day

November 3 Independence of Cuenca

December 6 Foundation of Quito

December 25 Christmas Day

December 31 New Year's Eve

ecuadorian slang

bacan cool

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biela beer

chevere good

chompa jacket

acolitar to help

chuta exclamation of surprise

farra party

ñaño brother

pelado (a) boyfriend /girlfriend

pleno it’s O.K.

pana friend

worlds of ecuador

A microcosm of sensations and flavors

in the center of the planet: that is

Ecuador. A unique country, where all the

cultures, peoples and landscapes of

Latin America merge to form the world's

most perfect fragrance.

Four worlds converge on its territory,

from the warm Pacific Coast that

gradually rises towards the snowy

heights and temperate valleys of the

Andes mountains, eventually dropping

down to the green Amazonian carpet of

biodiversity. All as a prelude to a sublime

reward: the Galapagos Islands.

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galapagos islands

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The Galapagos

archipelago is made

up of 14 islands and

numerous islets lying

972 kilometers off

the Ecuadorian

mainland. The

islands, their national

park and the marine

biological reserve

comprise the only

province totally

surrounded by water.

Of volcanic origin, the

Galapagos are home to unique

species like iguanas, Galapagos

tortoises, albatrosses, boobies

and sea lions, to mention but a

few. The singular mix of flora

and fauna and the exceptional

way in which many species

evolved caught the attention of

scientist Charles Darwin, who

later used these observations to

publish his works on the origin of

species.

coastal region

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Plains, rolling hills and

expanses of land, sand

and honey stretching

from the Pacific Ocean

to the foothills of the

Andes – ploughed and

tended by men and

women from all over

Ecuador – these are the

first impressions

enticing us fall in love

with the Ecuadorian

coastal region.

This region of the country is

made up of seven provinces,

from Esmeraldas in the north

down to El Oro on the Peruvian

border. Between these are

Manabí, Santo Domingo, Los

Ríos, Guayas and Santa

Elena. Guayaquil — the

country's most populated city

and a bustling business

magnet – is the commercial,

cultural, political and

demographic hub of the coast.

highland region

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A temperate oasis of fertile

farmland, valleys, paramo or

moorland, and snow-capped

peaks, the Sierra is the highest

region of the country, with most of

the land taken up by the Andean

mountains. The altitude ranges

from roughly 1,500 m. to 6,310 m.

(at the summit of Chimborazo

Volcano, the highest point in the

country). Other year-round snow-

capped peaks include Cayambe,

Cotopaxi and the Ilinizas.

From Carchi down

to Loja, the Sierra

is composed of

ten provinces.

Quito, the capital

of Ecuador, lies at

the foot of

Pichincha Volcano

and is home to the

one of the best

preserved historic

centres in the

world.

amazon region

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Descending towards the

Amazon basin, the

easternmost region of the

country, we enter one of the

most breathtaking biodiversity

reserves on the planet. The

Amazonía has tropical rain

forest from the foothills of the

Andes with their steep ridges,

where streams and waterfalls

wend their way down into the

deep jungle, the humid

lowlands teeming with life.

One of Ecuador's natural

jewels lies in the Amazon

region: Yasuní National

Park. Spanning almost

10,000 square

kilometres, it is home to

thousands of species of

animals and plants, not to

mention two uncontacted

human groups living in

voluntary isolation: the

Tagaeri and the

Taromenane.

contact

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AIESEC in Ecuador

mc.ecuador@aiesec.net

/aiesec.ecuador

@AIESECinEcuador

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