Ecuador's Neighbors: Colombia and Peru—Not Bolivia or Chile

Ecuador shares land borders with only two countries:

• Colombia — to the north (590 km / 366 mi)
• Peru — to the south and east (1,529 km / 950 mi)

Common Misconceptions

Bolivia and Chile do not border Ecuador. Bolivia lost its Pacific coast to Chile in the War of the Pacific (1879–1884), leaving it landlocked and separated from Ecuador by Peru. Chile lies far to the south along the Pacific coast.

Geographic Context

Ecuador straddles the equator on South America's northwest coast. Its territory includes the Galápagos Islands (~1,000 km offshore). The Andes split the country into three regions: coastal lowlands (Costa), Andean highlands (Sierra), and Amazon rainforest (Oriente)—the latter bordering Peru.