Describes the country of Ecuador, including its history, geography, economy, and the cultures of its people.

In Constitutive Visions, Christa Olson presents the rhetorical history of republican Ecuador as punctuated by repeated arguments over national identity. Those arguments—as they advanced theories of citizenship, popular sovereignty, and republican modernity—struggled to reconcile the presence of Ecuador’s large indigenous population with the dominance of a white-mestizo minority. Even as indigenous people were excluded from civic life, images of them proliferated in speeches, periodicals, and artworks during Ecuador’s long process of nation formation. Tracing how that contradiction illuminates the textures of national-identity formation, Constitutive Visions places petitions from indigenous laborers alongside oil paintings, overlays woodblock illustrations with legislative debates, and analyzes Ecuador’s nineteen constitutions in light of landscape painting. Taken together, these juxtapositions make sense of the contradictions that sustained and unsettled the postcolonial nation-state.

The ultimate photographic guide to the birds of western Ecuador Western Ecuador is famed for its astonishingly diverse birdlife, from colorful hummingbirds and outrageous toucans to more difficult groups like raptors, flycatchers, and ovenbirds. Here is the ultimate photographic guide to the spectacular birds of this region. Featuring nearly 1,500 stunning color photos of 946 species, this richly detailed and taxonomically sophisticated field guide will help you with even the toughest identification challenges. Species accounts, photos, and color distribution maps appear side by side, making it easier than ever to find what you are looking for, whether you are in the field or preparing for your trip. Features nearly 1,500 photos of 946 species Includes facing-page species accounts, photos, and maps Provides photos of multiple plumages for many species Helps you to differentiate between similar species

Text and photographs introduce the geography, history, economy, culture, and people of the South American country whose name derives from the equador.

Shivya Nath quit her corporate job at age twenty-three to travel the world. She gave up her home and the need for a permanent address, sold most of her possessions and embarked on a nomadic journey that has taken her everywhere from remote Himalayan villages to the Amazon rainforests of Ecuador. Along the way, she lived with an indigenous Mayan community in Guatemala, hiked alone in the Ecuadorian Andes, got mugged in Costa Rica, swam across the border from Costa Rica to Panama, slept under a meteor shower in the cracked salt desert of Gujarat and learnt to conquer her deepest fears. With its vivid descriptions, cinematic landscapes, moving encounters and uplifting adventures, The Shooting Star is a travel memoir that maps not just the world but the human spirit.

Back by popular demand... In the summer of 2004, Tony James Slater went to Ecuador, looking to become a man. Not all of him returned. But the bit that did was fuelled by a burning desire to do... something. Something that mattered. And, ideally, to get the hell out of England in the process. His dream was to blatantly steal his friend Toby's dream - of going to Thailand and becoming a professional diver. But when a man like this goes on a search for adventure - well, it's bound to end in tears. And yet - what can actually go wrong? I mean, really? With renovating a house? With volunteering? With sailing? And diving? Surely, those are the kind of activities that any old idiot can pull off? But then, this isn't just any old idiot. This is Tony James Slater - the man who was convincingly mauled by a domestic cat. And to make things worse - he's not alone... So batten down the hatches! Lock up your power tools! And for gawd's sake turn the electricity off. Because that idiot from Ecuador is back. And this time, he's brought the whole family... This book is the second in the series, following on from 'That Bear Ate My Pants!', which chronicles Tony's misadventures in an Ecuadorian animal refuge. It is followed by 'Kamikaze Kangaroos!', which charts his trip around Australia in a van called Rusty... They can all be read as stand-alone books, or together.

Mainland Ecuador's spectacular wildlife makes it a magnet for nature tourists, but until now there hasn't been a go-to, all-in-one guide geared to the general reader. With this handy and accessible guide, visitors now have everything they need to identify and enjoy the majority of birds and animals they are likely to see. Written and illustrated by two of Ecuador's most experienced nature guides and photographers, this book covers more than 350 birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. It features over 400 stunning color photographs and includes a range map for each species, as well as a brief account of the country's natural history and biogeography. With its extensive coverage, attractive and easy-to-use layout, beautiful photographs, and nontechnical text, this is an essential guide for anyone who wants to explore the natural wonders of Ecuador. An essential all-in-one guide to mainland Ecuador's amazing wildlife Unique and attractive layout with more than 400 stunning color photographs Covers more than 350 of the most frequently seen birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians Uses a habitat-based approach to aid identification Accessible text provides key information on identification, behavior, biology, and conservation Photos, maps, and text are presented together for ease of use