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| The World Factbook |
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Ecuador |
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Flag
Description:
three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double width), blue, and red with
the coat of arms superimposed at the center of the flag; similar to the
flag of Colombia, which is shorter and does not bear a coat of arms
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Background:
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What is now Ecuador formed
part of the northern Inca Empire until the Spanish conquest in 1533. Quito
became a seat of Spanish colonial government in 1563 and part of the
Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717. The territories of the Viceroyalty - New
Granada (Colombia), Venezuela, and Quito - gained their independence by 1819
and formed a federation known as Gran Colombia. When Quito withdrew in 1830,
the traditional name was changed in favor of the "Republic of the Equator."
Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts
with its neighbors. A border war with Peru that flared in 1995 was resolved
in 1999. Although Ecuador marked 25 years of civilian governance in 2004,
the period has been marred by political instability. Seven presidents have
governed Ecuador since 1996. |
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Location:
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Western South America,
bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru |
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Geographic coordinates:
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2 00 S, 77 30 W |
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Map references:
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South America |
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Area:
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total: 283,560 sq km
land: 276,840 sq km
water: 6,720 sq km
note: includes Galapagos Islands |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Nevada
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,010 km
border countries: Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km |
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Coastline:
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2,237 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 200
nm
continental shelf: 100 nm from 2,500 meter isobath |
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Climate:
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tropical along coast,
becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle
lowlands |
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Terrain:
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coastal plain (costa),
inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle
(oriente) |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific
Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chimborazo 6,267 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, fish, timber,
hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land: 5.71%
permanent crops: 4.81%
other: 89.48% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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8,650 sq km (2003) |
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Natural hazards:
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frequent earthquakes,
landslides, volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; soil erosion;
desertification; water pollution; pollution from oil production wastes in
ecologically sensitive areas of the Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber
83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Geography - note:
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Cotopaxi in Andes is highest
active volcano in world |
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Population:
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13,547,510 (July 2006 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 33% (male
2,281,499/female 2,195,551)
15-64 years: 61.9% (male 4,178,653/female 4,210,766)
65 years and over: 5% (male 319,719/female 361,322) (2006 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 23.6 years
male: 23.1 years
female: 24 years (2006 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.5% (2006 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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22.29 births/1,000 population
(2006 est.) |
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Death rate:
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4.23 deaths/1,000 population
(2006 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-3.11 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2006 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 22.87
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 27.42 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population:
76.42 years
male: 73.55 years
female: 79.43 years (2006 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.68 children born/woman
(2006 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.3% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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21,000 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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1,700 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Ecuadorian(s)
adjective: Ecuadorian |
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Ethnic groups:
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mestizo (mixed Amerindian and
white) 65%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish and others 7%, black 3% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%
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Languages:
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Spanish (official),
Amerindian languages (especially Quechua) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 92.5%
male: 94%
female: 91% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form:
Republic of Ecuador
conventional short form: Ecuador
local long form: Republica del Ecuador
local short form: Ecuador |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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name: Quito
geographic coordinates: 0 13 S, 78 30 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
Time) |
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Administrative divisions:
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22 provinces (provincias,
singular - provincia); Azuay, Bolivar, Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi,
El Oro, Esmeraldas, Galapagos, Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Manabi,
Morona-Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Pichincha, Sucumbios, Tungurahua,
Zamora-Chinchipe |
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Independence:
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24 May 1822 (from Spain) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day
(independence of Quito), 10 August (1809) |
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Constitution:
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10 August 1998 |
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Legal system:
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based on civil law system;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal,
compulsory for literate persons ages 18-65, optional for other eligible
voters |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state:
President Alfredo PALACIO (since 20 April 2005); Vice President Nicanor
Alejandro SERRANO Aguilar (since 5 May 2005); note - the president is both
the chief of state and head of government; former President Lucio GUTIERREZ
was removed from office by congress effective 20 April 2005
head of government: President Alfredo PALACIO (since 20 April 2005);
Vice President Nicanor Alejandro SERRANO Aguilar (since 5 May 2005)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: the president and vice president are elected on the same
ticket by popular vote for a four-year term (may not serve consecutive
terms); election last held 15 October 2006 with a runoff election scheduled
for 26 November 2006 (next to be held October 2010)
election results: results of the 15 October 2006 election; percent of
vote - Alvaro NOBOA 26.8%; Rafael CORREA 22.8%; Gilmar GUTIERREZ 17.4%; Leon
ROLDOS Aguilera 14.8%; Cynthia VITERI 9.6%; note - a runoff election will be
held 26 November 2006 between NOBOA and CORREA |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral National Congress
or Congreso Nacional (100 seats; members are popularly elected by province
to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 20 October 2002 (next to be held October 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PSC
25, ID 16, PRE 15, PRIAN 10, PSP 9, Pachakutik Movement 6, MPD 5, DP 4,
PS-FA 3, independents 7; note - defections by members of National Congress
are commonplace, resulting in frequent changes in the numbers of seats held
by the various parties |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court or Corte
Suprema (according to the Constitution, new justices are elected by the full
Supreme Court; in December 2004, however, Congress successfully replaced the
entire court via a simple-majority resolution) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Concentration of Popular
Forces or CFP [Averroes BUCARAM]; Democratic Left or ID [Guillermo LANDAZURI];
National Action Institutional Renewal Party or PRIAN [Alvaro NOBOA];
Pachakutik Movement [Gilberto TALAHUA]; Patriotic Society Party or PSP [Lucio
GUTIERREZ Borbua]; Popular Democracy or DP [Dr. Juan Manuel FUERTES];
Popular Democratic Movement or MPD [Gustavo TERAN Acosta]; Radical Alfarista
Front or FRA [Fabian ALARCON, director]; Roldosist Party or PRE [Abdala
BUCARAM Ortiz, director]; Social Christian Party or PSC [Leon FEBRES
CORDERO]; Socialist Party - Broad Front or PS-FA [Victor GRANDA] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Confederation of Indigenous
Nationalities of Ecuador or CONAIE [Luis MACAS, president]; Coordinator of
Social Movements or CMS [F. Napoleon SANTOS]; Federation of Indigenous
Evangelists of Ecuador or FEINE [Marco MURILLO, president]; National
Federation of Indigenous Afro-Ecuatorianos and Peasants or FENOCIN [Pedro DE
LA CRUZ, president] |
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International organization participation:
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CAN, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur
(associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission:
Ambassador Luis Benigno GALLEGOS Chiriboga
chancery: 2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 234-7200
FAX: [1] (202) 667-3482
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Jersey City (New Jersey), Los
Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Washington, DC |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission:
Ambassador Linda L. JEWELL
embassy: Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida Patria, Quito
mailing address: APO AA 34039
telephone: [593] (2) 256-2890
FAX: [593] (2) 250-2052
consulate(s) general: Guayaquil |
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Flag description:
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three horizontal bands of
yellow (top, double width), blue, and red with the coat of arms superimposed
at the center of the flag; similar to the flag of Colombia, which is shorter
and does not bear a coat of arms |
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Economy - overview:
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Ecuador has substantial
petroleum resources, which have accounted for 40% of the country's export
earnings and one-third of central government budget revenues in recent
years. Consequently, fluctuations in world market prices can have a
substantial domestic impact. In the late 1990s, Ecuador suffered its worst
economic crisis, with natural disasters and sharp declines in world
petroleum prices driving Ecuador's economy into free fall in 1999. Real GDP
contracted by more than 6%, with poverty worsening significantly. The
banking system also collapsed, and Ecuador defaulted on its external debt
later that year. The currency depreciated by some 70% in 1999, and, on the
brink of hyperinflation, the MAHAUD government announced it would dollarize
the economy. A coup, however, ousted MAHAUD from office in January 2000, and
after a short-lived junta failed to garner military support, Vice President
Gustavo NOBOA took over the presidency. In March 2000, Congress approved a
series of structural reforms that also provided the framework for the
adoption of the US dollar as legal tender. Dollarization stabilized the
economy, and growth returned to its pre-crisis levels in the years that
followed. Under the administration of Lucio GUTIERREZ - January 2003 to
April 2005 - Ecuador benefited from higher world petroleum prices. However,
the government under Alfredo PALACIO has reversed economic reforms that
reduced Ecuador's vulnerability to petroleum price swings and financial
crises, allowing the central government greater access to oil windfalls and
disbursing surplus retirement funds. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$57.23 billion (2005 est.)
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$30.7 billion (2005 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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4.7% (2005 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$4,300 (2005 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 7%
industry: 31.2%
services: 61.8% (2005 est.) |
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Labor force:
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4.6 million (urban) (2005
est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 8%
industry: 24%
services: 68% (2001) |
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Unemployment rate:
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10.7% official rate; but
underemployment of 47% (2005 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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41% (2003) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 32%
note: data for urban households only (October 2003) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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42
note: data are for urban households (2003) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.1% (2005 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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22.4% of GDP (2005 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $8.822
billion
expenditures: planned $8.153 billion; including capital expenditures
of $1.6 billion (2005 est.) |
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Public debt:
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40.1% of GDP (2005 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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bananas, coffee, cocoa, rice,
potatoes, manioc (tapioca), plantains, sugarcane; cattle, sheep, pigs, beef,
pork, dairy products; balsa wood; fish, shrimp |
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Industries:
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petroleum, food processing,
textiles, wood products, chemicals |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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2.1% (2005 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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11.27 billion kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 81%
hydro: 19%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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10.55 billion kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - exports:
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65 million kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - imports:
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140 million kWh (2003) |
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Oil - production:
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493,200 bbl/day (2005 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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155,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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387,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
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Oil - imports:
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NA bbl/day |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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4.512 billion bbl (2005 est.)
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Natural gas - production:
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50 million cu m (2003 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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50 million cu m (2003 est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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9.769 billion cu m (2005)
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Current account balance:
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$-566 million (2005 est.)
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Exports:
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$9.224 billion (2005 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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petroleum, bananas, cut
flowers, shrimp |
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Exports - partners:
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US 51.1%, Peru 8%, Germany
4.4%, Colombia 4.3% (2005) |
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Imports:
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$8.436 billion (2005 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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vehicles, medicinal products,
telecommunications equipment, electricity |
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Imports - partners:
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US 22.3%, Colombia 14.9%,
Venezuela 7.8%, Brazil 6%, China 5.3% (2005) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$2.148 billion (2005 est.)
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Debt - external:
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$18.09 billion (2005 est.)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$216 million (2002) |
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Currency (code):
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US dollar (USD) |
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Currency code:
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USD |
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Exchange rates:
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25,000 (2005), 25,000 (2004),
25,000 (2003), 25,000 (2002), 25,000 (2001) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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1,701,500 (2005) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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6.246 million (2005) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment:
generally elementary but being expanded
domestic: facilities generally inadequate and unreliable
international: country code - 593; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 392, FM 35, shortwave 29
(2001) |
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Radios:
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5 million (2001) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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7 (plus 14 repeaters) (2001)
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Televisions:
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2.5 million (2001) |
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Internet country code:
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.ec |
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Internet hosts:
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19,027 (2006) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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31 (2001) |
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Internet users:
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616,000 (2005) |
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Airports:
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359 (2006) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 98
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 29
under 914 m: 43 (2006) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 261
914 to 1,523 m: 33
under 914 m: 228 (2006) |
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Heliports:
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1 (2006) |
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Pipelines:
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extra heavy crude 578 km; gas
71 km; oil 1,386 km; refined products 1,185 km (2006) |
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Railways:
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total: 966 km
narrow gauge: 966 km 1.067-m gauge (2005) |
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Roadways:
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total: 43,197 km
paved: 7,287 km
unpaved: 35,910 km (2003) |
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Waterways:
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1,500 km (most inaccessible)
(2005) |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 31 ships (1000
GRT or over) 184,819 GRT/300,339 DWT
by type: chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger 7, petroleum
tanker 21, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 2 (Norway 1, Paraguay 1)
registered in other countries: 1 (Georgia 1) (2006) |
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Ports and terminals:
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Esmeraldas, Guayaquil, La
Libertad, Manta, Puerto Bolivar |
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Military branches:
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Army, Navy (includes naval
infantry, naval aviation, coast guard), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana,
FAE) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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20 years of age for conscript
military service; 12-month service obligation (2004) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males age 20-49:
2,792,770
females age 20-49: 2,849,519 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 20-49:
2,338,428
females age 20-49: 2,380,327 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males age 18-49:
133,922
females age 20-49: 129,758 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$650 million (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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2% (2005 est.) |
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Transnational Issues |
Ecuador |
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Disputes - international:
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organized illegal narcotics
operations in Colombia penetrate across Ecuador's shared border and caused
over 20,000 refugees to flee into Ecuador in 2004 |
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Refugees and internally displaced persons:
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refugees (country of
origin): 8,270 (Colombia) (2005) |
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Illicit drugs:
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significant transit country
for cocaine originating in Colombia and Peru; importer of precursor
chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics; attractive location for
cash-placement by drug traffickers laundering money because of dollarization
and weak anti-money-laundering regime; increased activity on the northern
frontier by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents |
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This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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