Editing Geography of Ecuador (section)

=== La Sierra ===

[[Image:Imbabura des del sud.JPG|thumb|left|Mount Imbabura (Ecuador) from south-east]]

The central belt of Ecuador that includes the [[Andes]] Mountains, with volcanoes and mountain peaks that sport year-round snow on the [[equator]]. Many areas of the Sierra are deforested to make way for agriculture and a number of cut-flower growing operations. At a certain altitude, [[cloud forests]] may be found.

The northern Ecuadorian Andes are divided into three parallel [[cordillera]]s which run in what is similar to an S-shape from north to south: the western, central ([[Cordillera Real (Ecuador)|Cordillerra Real]]) and eastern ([[Cordillera Occidental (Ecuador)|Cordillera Occidental]]) cordilleras. The cordilleras were formed earlier in the [[Cenozoic]] era (the current geological era), as the [[Nazca Plate]] has [[subduction|subduct]]ed underneath the [[South American Plate]] and has raised the mountain range. In the south, the cordilleras are not well defined.

[[Quito]], the capital city, is located in a high mountain valley on the foothills of the [[Pichincha (volcano)]]. The town of [[Baños de Agua Santa]] features [[hot spring]]s swimming pools on the foothills of the [[Tungurahua]] in the Central Cordillera. The road from Baños to Puyo has long been known for its narrowness, curves and sheer drops (only one lane in some places, on one area, actually cut into the side of a cliff so that the cliff roofs over it). The most important east–west road across the Andes is the road from Quito to Lago Agrio, which is paved for most of its length yet is heavily  by tractor-trailers—and the Trans-Ecuadorian Oil Pipeline serves as the guardrail for long stretches of this road.

==== Notable mountains and Volcanoes ====
{{Volcanoes in Ecuador}}
[[Image:Ecuador Chimborazo fromnorthwest.JPG|right|thumb|The volcano Chimborazo from the Northwest]]

* [[Chimborazo (volcano)|Chimborazo]] ({{convert|6267|m}}) inactive volcano, the furthest point from the Earth's center.
* [[Cotopaxi]] ({{convert|5897|m}}) is the tallest active volcano in the world.
* [[Illiniza]] ({{convert|5248|m}})
* [[Tungurahua]] ({{convert|5023|m}}) It is an active volcano in eruption since 1998 near Baños-Tunguragua
* [[Pichincha (volcano)|Pichincha]] ({{convert|4784|m}}) volcano overlooking Quito

Partial, incomplete table of volcanoes in the north of the Ecuadorian Andes, from north to south:
{| border cellspacing=0
|-
| West || Interandean || Center || East
|-
| Chiles<br />[[Yanaurcu (Ecuador)|Yanaurcu]]<br />[[Pichincha (volcano)|Pichincha]]<br />[[Atacazo]]<br />[[Corazón (volcano)|Corazón]]<br />[[Carihuairazo]]<br />[[Chimborazo (volcano)|Chimborazo]] || [[Imbabura Volcano|Imbabura]]<br />[[Mojanda]]<br />Ilaló<br />[[Pasochoa]]<br />[[Rumiñahui (volcano)|Rumiñahui]]<br /> || [[Cayambe (volcano)|Cayambe]]<br />Saraurcu<br />Pambamarca<br />Filocorrales<br />[[Antisana]]<br />[[Sincholagua Volcano|Sincholahua]]<br />[[Cotopaxi]]<br />[[Tungurahua]]<br />[[El Altar|Altar]]|| [[Soche]]<br />[[Sumaco]]<br />[[Reventador]]<br />[[Sangay]]
|}