Cotopaxi sits in the Andes mountain range, which runs all the way down the left side of South America like a giant spine. The mountain is so tall that even though it sits almost exactly on the Equator — one of the hottest imaginary lines on Earth — the top is covered in a permanent ice cap and glaciers.
On a clear day, Cotopaxi can be seen from Ecuador's capital city, Quito. Locals call it 'the sentinel of Quito' because it seems to watch over the city from a distance. Its shape is so perfectly pointed that it looks almost like something from a drawing.
The slopes of Cotopaxi are home to wild horses, Andean foxes and deer that graze among the grasslands called páramo. Páramo is a special high-altitude ecosystem found only in the Andes — it is always cool and misty, and the plants there are very tough to survive the thin air and cold nights.
Hikers and climbers from all over the world travel to Cotopaxi. Some try to reach the summit, which requires special equipment because the air near the top has much less oxygen than at sea level. Just standing at the base and looking up at the snowy cone is an unforgettable sight.