Culture of Ecuador and the Glapagos Islands
Meghan Lazor

Ecuador is South America’s second smallest country and is regarded as one of the most geographically and ethnically diverse countries on the continent. The Galapagos Islands are part of Ecuador with a small population of only 10,000 people. Both culture-rich countries are largely uncharted, making them an exciting and adventurous place to visit. Ecuador is located in the northwest corner of South America with the Galapagos Islands to the west. The equator runs across the country which is what gave Ecuador its name. The variation in climate transfers into the lifestyle of its people causing a large range of cultures throughout the country. The diversity in geography for both countries affects how and where the country is inhabited. In Ecuador main cities can sit alone in the center of large rain forests making travel from one city to another often dangerous on roads for hours at a time. Sometimes native tribes may reside in the forests that surrounded the civilized lands. These indigenous people live in wooden shacks with no electric or running water and will occasionally walk the city streets. Ecuador can be split up into four parts, geographically; the Costa (coast), the Sierra (highlands), and El Oriente (the east; which includes the Amazonic region). The Galápagos Islands, or Archipiélago de Colón, also belong to Ecuador.(Encyclopedia, 103) The official language of Ecuador is Spanish, but fortunately in tourists attracted area's many people speak English, French, and German such as Quito. There are ten Indian-nationalities, each one with its own distinctive language and customs, making Ecuador a fascinating multi-cultural country.( 103) People from the coast tend to speak more quickly and louder in and very informal way. Several such terms are derived in consequence of their rapid speech, and they also employ intricate linguistic humor and jokes that are difficult to translate or even understand in the other regions. Highlanders and people from the Galapagos Islands usually speak softly, and very respectfully. They are traditionally seen as more conservative. Their speech is influenced by their Incan Amerindian roots, and can be seen as a variant of other Andean accents. However two main accents are noticed in the Andean region, the north and the austral accent. More variations of the austral accent are found in southern regions. (Crowder) Ecuadorians are known for being warm and polite. They can be quite tactile and tend to stand much closer to each other when speaking than in many other cultures. As a result they are highly tuned to body language and non-verbal communication. Ecuadorians are indirect communicators who speak diplomatically and with courtesy. They view blunt communication as extremely rude. If they want someone to do something, they will generally flatter the person so that it would then be difficult for them not to agree. Ecuadorians are non-confrontational and will go out of their way to avoid saying no. In fact, they will generally tell you what they think will please you rather than what they actually plan to do. They are also optimistic and have a positive outlook on life. They prefer to see the glass as half full and try to make the best of any situation.
Ecuadorian culture is unique in which its old world charm is still very apparent in this modern day age. For instance, the father is still considered the head of the household and is responsible for every aspect of his family and its survival. The mother’s obligation is to raising the children and taking care of the house. Children grow up with a moral responsibility for helping the family. Ecuadorian people tend to perform actions that benefit the whole as a group rather than focusing on one's self. The culture focuses on the idea that it is better to grow as a together rather than living separated. Unlike in much of the west, where the elderly are often placed in care facilities, elderly Ecuadorians will often live with one of their children. Godparents are also far more important in Ecuador than in other western countries, and they are expected to provide both financial and psychological support to their godchildren. Ecuadorians with marital troubles will often ask their godparents for advice (Weistmantel, 89) Girls tend to be more protected by their parents than boys, due to traditional social structures. At age 15, girls often have traditional parties called fiesta de quince años. Quinceañera is the term used for the girl, not the party. The party involves festive food and dance. This coming of age or debutante party is a tradition found in most Latin American countries, comparable to the American tradition of sweet sixteen parties. (92)
The streets of the more populated areas are filled with marketplaces containing a variety of local food straight off the farm along with hand stitched items and herbal remedies. Since fish is one of the main exports in these two areas, its obvious that seafood one of the most common ingredients in dishes. The most basic prepared food is soup, with many variations according to region and ingredients but commonly found to have seafood. The middle and upper classes follow a European model of diet and dining: the primary meal, dinner, features several courses, is served at 2:00 P.M. , and may last for two hours because it is considered a social occasion. First comes the soup, and then the segundo ("second") or seco ("dry") courses (Wiestmantal, 32)Amoung other national favorites from the street to restaurants include empanadas , small meat, vegetable, or corn pies; shrimp, bivalves, fish, pork, or beef specialties; and "typical" dishes such as locro , a potato and cheese soup, and llapingachos , potato– cheese fritters. (41) An unconventional meat but a delicacy for the area is the Guinea Pig known as cuy chactado. They are a lot cheaper to maintain in terms of feeding and the land required to raise them. Sea Cucumber fishing is highly controversial yet very profitable trade in the area. It originated in the Galapagos Island and has a high demand by Asia for its use as an aphrodisiac. In the Galapagos, sea cucumber fishery is a semi-industrial activity, however it has somecharacteristics of an artisanal fishery, such as the fact that the catch and the processing is done by the fishers themselves or a member of their family unit. The sea cucumber fishery is considered the most lucrative fishing activity within the GMR and has been very profitable for the small number of fishers participating. (Toral-Granda, M.V. & Martínez, P.C).
The imagery associated with the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador is a pristine, untouched, yet scenic landscape, which is isolated from much of the world’s population. As a result of this, the unique Galapagos Islands have recently experienced an abundance of growth in the tourist industry. The overall growth of the Galapagos’ economy has boomed since the tourist industry has taken off. One study conclude that “findings indicate that the total income (that is, the gross domestic product) of the Galapagos increased by an estimated 78 per cent between 1999 and 2005, making the Galapagos economy among the fastest growing in the world. Tourism continued by far and away the major driver of economic growth.” (Taylor,139). It is well known that the main driving force in the Galapagos Islands economy is tourism and ecotourism. Since the tourist industry in the Galapagos Islands has grown significantly between 1999 and 2005, the workforce has also been growing due to sudden demand for assorted jobs in tourist related businesses. Despite the fact that 97% of the Galapagos’ land is National Park status, over the past 10 years the population as more than doubled. (138). There are contradicting arguments debating the positive and negative effects of the growing population on the preservation of the island

Works Cited

Weismantel, Mary J. Food, Gender, and Poverty in the Ecuadorian Andes. New York: Waveland, 1998. Print. 234p

Stewart, Paul D., and Richard Dawkins. Galapagos : The Islands That Changed the World. New York: Yale UP, 2007. Print. 382p

Toral-Granda, M.V. & Martínez, P.C. 2004. Population density and fishery impacts on the sea cucumber (Isostichopus fuscus) in the Galapagos Marine Reserve. In: Advances in sea cucumber aquaculture and management. Lovatelli, A., Conand, C., Purcell, S.,
Uthicke, S., Hamel, J.-F. & Mercier, A. (eds). FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. No. 463.
Rome, FAO. 2004. 425p.

The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2002. Print.

Taylor, J. Edward, Micki Stewart and Jared Hardner. April 2009. "Ecotourism and Economic Growth in the Galapagos: An Island Economy-wide Analysis." Environment and Development Economics 14(2):139-62.

Crowder, Nicholas. "Culture Shock! Ecuador by Crowder, Nicholas :: Reader Store." Reader Store :: EBook Downloads. N.p., 1 Jan. 2002. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.