Editing Geography of Ecuador (section)

=== El Oriente (the East) Amazon Basin ===

Much of the Oriente is [[tropical moist broadleaf forest]] (Spanish: ''la selva''), on the east slopes of the [[Andes]] Mountains and descending into the [[Amazon Basin]], with strikingly different upland rainforest with steep, rugged ridges and cascading streams (can be seen around [[Puyo, Pastaza|Puyo]]) and lowland rainforest. The oil fields are located in the Amazon basin, headquartered at [[Lago Agrio]]; some of the rainforest has been seriously damaged in this region and [[environmental degradation]] is severe, with catastrophic oil pollution in some areas. Some 38% of Ecuador's land is forested,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rainforests.mongabay.com/deforestation/2000/Ecuador.htm |title=Ecuador Forest Information and Data |publisher=Rainforests.mongabay.com |access-date=2012-11-08}}</ref> and despite a 1.5% annual deforestation rate remains one of the most [[biodiversity|biodiverse]] locations on the planet. The Oriente is also home to a large number of Ecuador's indigenous groups, notably the lowland [[Quechuas|Quechua]], [[Siona people|Siona]], [[Secoya people|Secoya]], [[Huaorani]], and [[Cofán people|Cofán]].
[[File:Andes Mountains South America Photograph 022.JPG|thumb|Imbabura Volcano photographed in black and white.]]