The first civilizations to inhabit the Ecuadorian territory date back to 3200 B.C. From the eleventh century on, other tribes inhabited the area until the arrival and development of the Incan Empire, which took root and made a strong impact on the culture and the tradition of its people.
In 1532, Francisco Pizarro ordered the execution of the Incan leader, Atahualpa, taking a significant step towards the Spanish conquest of the country. During this time, the Ecuadorean territory was part of Peru and had their administratiove center in Lima.
Ecuador only achieved complete independence in 1830 after internal conflicts inflamed the country including the expulsion of the Spanish from their territory in 1822. In following years, they also engaged in battles on their borders with their neighboring country of Peru. After several treaties and agreements were established in the year 1942, the border between the two countries achieved peace over the next 45 years. In 1995, claiming that more territory had been given to Peru, the conflicts recommenced.
The political history of the countries of South America is full of reversals, confrontations between parties, conflicts and dictatorships of different military governments. Ecuador was no exception. The nineteenth and twentieth centuries were marked by great political inconsistency in power and by economic crises that hit the entire country leaving at the beginning of 2003, a high financial deficit and a needy population, anxious for change.
The Galapagos Islands shelter a vast and glorious ecosystem that maintains untouched species of animals and plants in the Galapagos National Park, and the Charles Darwin Scientific Station. The islands were formed by a series of volcanic eruptions and after some attempts at colonization, has become a ³tourist attraction². It was the object of study for the most renowned scientists, naturalists, and biologists, including Charles Darwin who developed, while in the archipelago, the famous theory of the evolution of the species.
At the moment, due to the great number of visitors, the island¹s one-of-a-kind ecosystem has suffered a great impact.
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