The rivers of Ecuador are an important part of the nation's geography and economy. Most of the over 2,000 rivers and streamsTerry have headwaters in the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

mountain range, flowing therefrom either westward toward the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...

or eastward toward the Amazon River.Hanratty Narrow in the highlands, the majority of the rivers broaden as they reach the lower elevations of the

Coast The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in ...

and Oriente. During the rainy season, which lasts from January to April, the rivers that drain into the Pacific flood and often cause damage.

Geography

The two main water systems are the

Esmeraldas River The Esmeraldas River is a river in northwestern Ecuador that flows into the Pacific Ocean at the city of Esmeraldas. Among its tributaries is the Guayllabamba River which drains Quito. Charles Marie de la Condamine sailed up it and then climbed ...

in the North and the Guayas in the South.Gerlach The Esmeraldas begins as the Guayllabamba River in the Sierra, flowing west before emptying in the Pacific near the city of Esmeraldas. The Guayas forms to the north of

Guayaquil , motto = Por Guayaquil Independiente en, For Independent Guayaquil , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Ecuador#South America , pushpin_re ...

, where the Daule and the

Babahoyo River The Babahoyo River is a river in western Ecuador, fed by tributaries rising in the Andes Mountains. It takes its name from the town of Babahoyo in Los Ríos. At Durán, it joins the Daule River to form the Guayas River, which continues to the ...

s converge. The Babahayo arises from its tributaries in the Andes. The Guayas basin covers 40,000 square kilometers. The most important rivers in the Oriente are the Pastaza, Napo, and Putumayo. The Pastaza includes the Agoyan Waterfall, Ecuador's highest.

Economy

Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the

indigenous people of Ecuador Indigenous peoples in Ecuador, or Native Ecuadorians, are the groups of people who were present in what became Ecuador before the Spanish colonization of the Americas. The term also includes their descendants from the time of the Spanish conques ...

used the rivers for fishing and transportation, although frequent waterfalls limited canoe travel in the Andes. The rivers long continued to be an important means of transportation, especially as the mountains made road and railroad building difficult. Since the 20th century, rivers have become an important source of electric power in Ecuador. As of 2006, hydroelectric dams have a capacity 1,750 megawatts.Terry Some critics have noted that these projects have tended to be "substantially oversized" without "delivering the promised energy benefits." In 2008,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Rafael Correa Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado (; born 6 April 1963), known as Rafael Correa, is an Ecuadorian politician and economist who served as President of Ecuador from 2007 to 2017. The leader of the PAIS Alliance political movement from its foundation ...

announced that the

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...

planned to build eleven new hydroelectric power plants.Xinhua Almost all of the dam projects face opposition from local communities that fear negative environmental impacts on the land and a lack of transparency in decision-making. Recreational rafting on the rivers has become an important part of Ecuador's tourism-based economy.

Rivers

This listing is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name.

Atlantic Ocean

Putumayo River The Putumayo River or Içá River ( es, Río Putumayo, pt, Rio Içá) is one of the tributaries of the Amazon River, southwest of and parallel to the Japurá River. Course The Putumayo River forms part of Colombia's border with Ecuador, as well ...

*** San Miguel River ** Napo River *** Curaray River **** Cononaco River *** Aguarico River **** Cuyabeno River *** Yasuní River *** Tiputini River *** Coca River *** Payamino River **''

Marañón River , name_etymology = , image = Maranon.jpg , image_size = 270 , image_caption = Valley of the Marañón between Chachapoyas ( Leimebamba) and Celendín , map = Maranonrivermap.png , map_size ...

'' (Peru) *** Tigre River **** Corrientes River **** Conambo River **** Pintoyacu River or Pindoyacu ***

Pastaza River The Pastaza River ( es, Río Pastaza, formerly known as the SumataraEnock, Charles Reginald (1914) ''Ecuador: its ancient and modern history, topography and natural resources, industries and social development'' Charles Scribner's sons, New York ...

**** Huasaga River **** Bobonaza River **** Palora River **** Chambo River **** Ambato River ***** Cutuchi River **** Cebadas River *** Morona River **** Cangaime River ***** Macuma River *** Santiago River **** Yaapi River **** Upano River ***** Paute River ****** Matadero River or Cuenca ******* Machángara River ******* Tomebamba River ******* Tarqui River ******* Yanuncay River **** Zamora River *** Chinchipe River

Pacific Ocean

* Carchi River * Mira River ** San Juan River **

Chota River Chota may refer to: * Chota (Cherokee town), which once existed in present-day Monroe County, Tennessee * Chota, Ecuador * Chota, Peru, a city in Chota District, the capital of Chota Province, Peru. * Chota District, a district in Chota Province, P ...

* Cayapas River ** Santiago River ** Onzole River *

** Guayllabamba River *** Machángara River ** Blanco River *** Toachi River ** Quininde River * Muisne River * Cojimies River **

Mache River The Mache River is a river that enters the Pacific Ocean through the Cojimies Estuary on the north coast of Ecuador. Location The sources of the river are protected by the Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve, which covers the Mache Chindul mountain ...

* Coaque River * Jama River * Chone River ** Carrizal River * Portoviejo River * Jipijapa River *

Guayas River The Guayas River also called Rio Guayas is a major river in western Ecuador. It gives name to Guayas Province and is the most important river in South America that does not flow into the Atlantic Ocean or any of its marginal seas. Its total lengt ...

Taura River The Taura River is a river of Ecuador. It flows into the Churute Estuary in the Gulf of Guayaquil. It gives its name to the shrimp disease Taura syndrome, which was first described in shrimp farms along the river. See also *List of rivers of Ec ...

Daule River The Daule River is a river in Ecuador, in Guayas Province. At Guayaquil, it joins the Babahoyo River; from that point the confluence becomes the Guayas River. Cities along the river * Pichincha, Ecuador * Balzar *Colimes * Palestina * Santa L ...

*** Pula River ***

Magro River The Magro River ( es, Rio Magro) is a river of Ecuador. It is a tributary of the Daule River. See also *List of rivers of Ecuador The rivers of Ecuador are an important part of the nation's geography and economy. Most of the over 2,000 rivers an ...

or Pedro Carbo *** Colimes River ****

Boqueron River The Boqueron River is a river in Ecuador. See also *List of rivers of Ecuador The rivers of Ecuador are an important part of the nation's geography and economy. Most of the over 2,000 rivers and streamsTerry have headwaters in the Andes mountain ...

***

Puca River The Puca River is a river of Ecuador. See also *List of rivers of Ecuador The rivers of Ecuador are an important part of the nation's geography and economy. Most of the over 2,000 rivers and streamsTerry have headwaters in the Andes mountain rang ...

***

Congo River The Congo River ( kg, Nzâdi Kôngo, french: Fleuve Congo, pt, Rio Congo), formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the second largest river in the world by discharge ...

*** Yaguachi River **** Milagro River **** Chimbo River **** Chanchán River ***

Vinces River The Vinces River is a river of western Ecuador. See also *List of rivers of Ecuador The rivers of Ecuador are an important part of the nation's geography and economy. Most of the over 2,000 rivers and streamsTerry have headwaters in the Andes mou ...

**** Palenque River *** Catarama River **** Zapotal River *** San Pablo River * Cañar River * Balao River * Jubones River *

Arenillas River The Arenillas River is a river in El Oro Province, Ecuador. See also *List of rivers of Ecuador References * Rand McNally, The New International Atlas, 1993. GEOnet Names Server Water Resources Assessment of Ecuador
Rivers of Ecuador { ...

Zarumilla River The Zarumilla River is a river in South America that marks the border between Peru and Ecuador. It is named after the Peruvian town of Zarumilla. It is part of the Gulf of Guayaquil-Tumbes mangroves Sanctuary and its currents, sediments, and tide ...

* Tumbes River ** Puyango River *

Chira River Chira River or Rio Chira is the name of a river (as well as valley) in northern Peru whose mouth is 100 km north west of the provincial capital of Piura and 25 km north of the port of Paita. Its source is in the Ecuadorian Andes near th ...

Catamayo River The Catamayo River is a river in Ecuador. It is one of the most important rivers in the Loja Province. It flows into the Pacific Ocean. See also *List of rivers of Ecuador The rivers of Ecuador are an important part of the nation's geography and ...

*** Calvas River

Citations

References

* * * * * Rand McNally, The New International Atlas, 1993.
GEOnet Names Server

Water Resources Assessment of Ecuador
{{South America topic, List of rivers of

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

Rivers