Ecuador is situated in South America and it is covered with wide fields, jungles, tropical forests and agricultural plains. The territory of today’s Ecuador was populated by Indian tribes, back when the Europeans reached the area's Pacific coast in the 16th century. When the Inca Empire extended, it included today’s capital Quito and the first Spanish people established at Quito and at Guayas. The Ecuadorian culture and cuisine merged out of these nations, but it was also adapted to include and value the local exotic nature.