In a country the size of Colorado one can explore snow-capped mountain peaks, tropical rainforests and coastal beaches. These three continental regions also offer a variety of flora and fauna that are a dream come true to the botanist, zoologist and ornithologist. The famous Galápagos Islands provide an additional living laboratory for the natural scientist. The ethnographer and sociologist will be fascinated by the diversity of Ecuador’s people and one could spend a lifetime studying the plethora of distinct ethnic, racial and linguistic groups. Students of economics will find an interesting case study of a mono-cultural economy that uses the U.S. dollar and avoids some of the pitfalls that other Latin American countries suffer from. Ecuador’s rich traditions in art, music, literature and architecture are a draw to scholars interested in culture. Ecuador has been described by one author as a “country of contrasts.” This is indeed an apt description of Ecuador’s geography and peoples. It also partially explains the nation’s traditional lack of political cohesion, which has plagued its quest for stability and development. Historical Dictionary of Ecuador contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 800 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Ecuador.

This book explores the life and times of Ecuador's most controversial politician within the broader context of the new political history, addressing five major themes of nineteenth-century Latin American history: the creation of political networks, the divisiveness of regionalism, the bitterness of the liberal-conservative ideological divide, the complicating problem of caudillismo, and the quest for progress and modernization. Two myths traditionally associated with García Moreno's rule are debunked. The first is that he created a theocracy in Ecuador. Instead, the book argues that he negotiated a concordat with the Papacy giving the national government control over the church's secular responsibilities, and subordinated the clergy, many of whom were highly critical of García Moreno, to the conservative state. A second, frequently repeated generalization is that he created a conservative dictatorship out of touch with the liberal age in which he lived. Instead, the book argues that moderates held sway during the first nine years of García Moreno's period of influence, and only during his final term did he achieve the type of conservative state he thought necessary to advance his progressive nation-building agenda. In sum, this book enriches our understanding of many of the notions of state formation by suggesting that conservatives like García Moreno envisioned a program of material progress and promoting national unity under a very different formula from that of nineteenth-century liberals.