Ecuador includes the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific.
Ecuador ( [ ˈɛkwədɔːr ] , [ ekwaˈðor ] ) ( Ikwadur ) , officially the Republic of Ecuador ( [ República del Ecuador , ] , which literally translates as `` Republic of the Equator '' ; Ikwadur Ripuwlika ) , is a representative democratic republic in northwestern South America , bordered by Colombia on the north , Peru on the east and south , and the Pacific Ocean to the west . Ecuador also includes the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific , about 1000 km west of the mainland . Ecuador is also known for its rich ecology , hosting many endemic plants and animals , such as those of the Galápagos Islands . The Galápagos Islands ( official name : Archipiélago de Colón , other Spanish name : Islas Galápagos , [ ˈizlaz ɣaˈlapaɣos ] ) are part of the Republic of Ecuador and an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed on either side of the Equator in the Pacific Ocean surrounding the centre of the Western Hemisphere , 906 km west of continental Ecuador . The Galápagos Islands and their surrounding waters form the Galápagos Province of Ecuador , the Galápagos National Park , and the Galápagos Marine Reserve .