 One of the most biodiverse countries in the world, Ecuador is home to three contrasting landscapes: the low-lying Pacific coastal region rising up to the snow capped volcanic peaks of the Andes and descending into the Amazon basin – all within a country roughly the size of the United Kingdom. The population of around 13 million is made up of a mixture of indigenous communities, descendants of Spanish colonists and descendants of African slaves.Until the 1970s, the economy was based mostly on such agricultural products as cocoa, coffee, bananas, sugar and tropical fruits. Thanks to the discovery of large oil deposits in the Amazon region of the country in the sixties and seventies, Ecuador is now the second largest oil producer in South America after Venezuela. In spite of this, the income from oil has not trickled down to the majority of population of which 40% live below the poverty line with particularly low income levels in rural areas. GDP per capita is approximately $7,200. Ecuador has a strong tradition in handicrafts, particularly in weaving and textiles as evidenced in Otavalo, one of the most important indigenous craft markets in South America. Ecuador's biodiversity also provides it with a large variety in fibres and materials used in the making of products. KartiMarket offers products from one Ecuadorian group, Camari. Please see below for our items from Ecuador. |