Ecuador

"The middle of the world," Ecuador is located at the equator in South America. The land here contains the biggest "mega-diversity" on the planet, featuring tropical rainforests, humid lowlands, and temperate highlands. The country has improved standards of living, but it is still characterized by marked inequalities of wealth; high poverty affects mostly indigenous, mixed race, and rural populations. Indigenous groups create weavings with incredible color combinations and other crafts using wood, ceramic, leather, tagua and straw.