The
"Republic of the Equator" was one of three countries that emerged
from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Colombia
and Venezuela). 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.
deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution; pollution
from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas of the
Galapagos Islands
Environment
- international agreements:
party
to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography
- note:
Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world
at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant
mortality rate:
33.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life
expectancy at birth:
total
population: 71.61 years female: 74.57 years (2002 est.) male: 68.79 years
Total
fertility rate:
3.05 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate:
0.3% (2001)
HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS:
20,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS
- deaths:
232 (2001)
Nationality:
noun: Ecuadorian(s) adjective: Ecuadorian
Ethnic
groups:
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish
and others 7%, black 3%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%
Languages:
Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90.1% male: 92% female: 88.2% (1995 est.)
conventional
long form: Republic of Ecuador conventional short form: Ecuador local long form: Republica del Ecuador local short form: Ecuador
Government
type:
republic
Capital:
Quito
Administrative
divisions:
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
Independence:
24 May 1822 (from Spain)
National
holiday:
Independence Day (independence of Quito), 10 August (1809)
Constitution:
10 August 1998
Legal
system:
based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal, compulsory for literate persons ages 18-65,
optional for other eligible voters
Executive
branch:
chief
of state: President Gustavo NOBOA Bejarano (since 22 January 2000)
selected president following coup that deposed President Jamil MAHUAD;
Vice President Pedro PINTO Rubianes (since 28 January 2000) elected
by National Congress from a slate of candidates submitted by President
NOBOA; note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government elections: formerly, the president and vice president were
elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year term (no
reelection); election last held 31 May 1998; runoff election held
12 July 1998 (next to be held 20 October 2002) head of government: President Gustavo NOBOA Bejarano (since
22 January 2000) selected president following coup that deposed President
Jamil MAHUAD; Vice President Pedro PINTO Rubianes (since 28 January
2000) elected by National Congress from a slate of candidates submitted
by President NOBOA; note - the president is both the chief of state
and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president election results: results of the last election prior to the
coup were: Jamil MAHUAD elected president; percent of vote - 51% note: a military-indigenous coup toppled democratically-elected
President Jamil MAHAUD on 21 January 2000; the military quickly handed
power over to Vice President Gustavo NOBOA on 22 January 2000; National
Congress then elected a new vice president from a slate of candidates
submitted by NOBOA; the new administration is scheduled to complete
the remainder of MAHAUD's term, due to expire in January 2003
Legislative
branch:
unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (123 seats; 20 members
are popularly elected at-large nationally to serve four-year terms;
103 members are popularly elected by province to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 31 May 1998 (next to be held 20 October
2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - DP 32, PSC 27, PRE 24, ID 18, P-NP 9, FRA 5, PCE 3, MPD 2,
CFP 1; note - defections by members of National Congress are commonplace,
resulting in frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the
various parties
Judicial
branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (new justices are elected by the full
Supreme Court)
Political
parties and leaders:
Concentration of Popular Forces or CFP [Averroes BUCARAM]; Democratic
Left or ID [Rodrigo BORJA Cevallos]; Ecuadorian Conservative Party
or PCE [Jacinto JIJON Y CAMANO]; Independent National Movement or
MIN [Eliseo AZUERO]; Pachakutik-New Country or P-NP [Miguel LLUCO];
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 [Pascual DEL CIOPPO]
Political
pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or CONAIE [Leonidas
IZA, 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]; Popular Front
or FP [Luis VILLACIS]
chief
of mission: Ambassador Ivonne A-BAKI consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New Orleans, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and San Francisco FAX: [1] (202) 667-3482 telephone: [1] (202) 234-7200 chancery: 2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Diplomatic
representation from the US:
chief
of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Larry L. PALMER embassy: Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida Patria, Quito mailing address: APO AA 34039 telephone: [593] (2) 256-2890 FAX: [593] (2) 502-052 consulate(s) general: Guayaquil
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
Ecuador has substantial oil resources and rich agricultural areas.
Because the country exports primary products such as oil, bananas,
and shrimp, fluctuations in world market prices can have a substantial
domestic impact. Ecuador joined the World Trade Organization in 1996,
but has failed to comply with many of its accession commitments. The
aftermath of El Nino and depressed oil market of 1997-98 drove Ecuador's
economy into a free-fall in 1999. The beginning of 1999 saw the banking
sector collapse, which helped precipitate an unprecedented default
on external loans later that year. Continued economic instability
drove a 70% depreciation of the currency throughout 1999, which forced
a desperate government to "dollarize" the currency regime in 2000.
The move stabilized the currency, but did not stave off the ouster
of the government. Gustavo NOBOA, who assumed the presidency in January
2000, has managed to pass substantial economic reforms and mend relations
with international financial institutions. Ecuador completed its first
standby agreement since 1986 when the IMF Board approved a 10 December
2001 disbursement of $96 million, the final installment of a $300
million standby credit agreement.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $39.6 billion (2001 est.)
petroleum, bananas, shrimp, coffee, cocoa, cut flowers, fish
Exports
- partners:
US 38%, Peru 6%, Chile 5%, Colombia 5%, Italy 3% (2000)
Imports:
$4.8 billion (2001 est.)
Imports
- commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, raw materials, fuels; consumer
goods
Imports
- partners:
US 25%, Colombia 13%, Japan 8%, Venezuela 8%, Brazil 4% (2000)
Debt
- external:
$14 billion (2001)
Economic
aid - recipient:
$120 million (2001)
Currency:
US dollar (USD)
Currency
code:
USD
Exchange
rates:
sucres per US dollar - 25,000.0 (January 2002), 25,000.0 (2001), 24,988.4
(2000), 11,786.8 (1999), 5,446.6 (1998), 3,988.3 (1997) note: on 13 March 2000, the National Congress approved a new
exchange system whereby the US dollar was adopted as the main legal
tender in Ecuador for all purposes; on 20 March 2000, the Central
Bank of Ecuador started to exchange sucres for US dollars at a fixed
rate of 25,000 sucres per US dollar; since 30 April 2000, all transactions
are denominated in US dollars
general
assessment: generally elementary but being expanded domestic: facilities generally inadequate and unreliable international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean)
total: 965 km narrow gauge: 965 km 1.067-m gauge (2000 est.)
Highways:
total: 43,197 km paved: 8,165 km unpaved: 35,032 km (2001)
Waterways:
1,500 km
Pipelines:
crude oil 800 km; petroleum products 1,358 km
Ports
and harbors:
Esmeraldas, Guayaquil, La Libertad, Manta, Puerto Bolivar, San Lorenzo
Merchant
marine:
total: 33 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 239,876 GRT/393,680 DWT note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as
a flag of convenience: Chile 1, Greece 1 (2002 est.) ships by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 3, liquefied gas 1,
passenger 3, petroleum tanker 23, specialized tanker 1
Airports:
205 (2001)
Airports
- with paved runways:
total: 61 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 17 under 914 m: 19 (2001) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
Airports
- with unpaved runways:
total: 144 914 to 1,523 m: 31 under 914 m: 113 (2001)
significant transit country for cocaine originating in Colombia and
Peru; importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit
narcotics; important money-laundering hub; increased activity on the
northern frontier by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents
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