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| GENERAL INFORMATION |
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| INTRODUCTION |
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Background:
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. |
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| GEOGRAPHY |
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Location:
Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at
the Equator, between Colombia and Peru
Geographic
coordinates:
2 00 S, 77 30 W
Map
references:
South America
Area:
total: 283,560 sq km note: includes Galapagos Islands
water: 6,720 sq km land: 276,840 sq km
Area
- comparative:
slightly smaller than Nevada
Land boundaries:
total: 2,010 km border countries: Colombia 590 km, Peru
1,420 km
Coastline:
2,237 km
Maritime
claims:
continental shelf: claims continental shelf between mainland
and Galapagos Islands territorial sea: 200 NM
Climate:
tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher
elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands
Terrain:
coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands
(sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Chimborazo
6,267 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower
Land
use:
arable land: 6% permanent crops: 5% other: 89% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
8,650 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; floods;
periodic droughts
Environment - current issues:
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
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| PEOPLE |
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Population:
13,447,494 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 35.4% (male 2,415,764; female 2,337,095) 15-64
years: 60.2% (male 4,007,495; female 4,090,957) 65 years
and over: 4.4% (male 276,482; female 319,701) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.96% (2002 est.)
Birth
rate:
25.47 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death
rate:
5.36 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net
migration rate:
-0.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio:
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.) |
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| GOVERNMENT |
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Country name:
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]
International
organization participation:
CAN, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL,
OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic
representation in the US:
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 |
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| ECONOMY |
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Economy - overview:
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.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.3% (2001 est.)
GDP
- per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,000 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11% industry: 25% services: 64% (2000 est.)
Population below
poverty line:
70% (2001 est.)
Household
income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.2% highest 10%: 33.8% (1995)
Distribution
of family income - Gini index:
43.7 (1995)
Inflation
rate (consumer prices):
22% (2001 est.)
Labor
force:
3.7 million (urban)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate:
14%; note - widespread underemployment (2001 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $5.6 billion expenditures: planned $5.6 billion,
including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Industries:
petroleum, food processing, textiles, metal work, paper
products, wood products, chemicals, plastics, fishing,
lumber
Industrial
production growth rate:
5.1% (2001 est.)
Electricity
- production:
10.395 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity
- production by source:
fossil fuel: 25.01% hydro: 74.99% other: 0% (2000) nuclear:
0%
Electricity -
consumption:
9.667 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity
- exports:
0 kWh (2000)
Electricity
- imports:
0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture
- products:
bananas, coffee, cocoa, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca),
plantains, sugarcane; cattle, sheep, pigs, beef, pork,
dairy products; balsa wood; fish, shrimp
Exports:
$4.8 billion (2001 est.)
Exports
- commodities:
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
Fiscal
year:
calendar year |
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| COMMUNICATIONS |
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Telephones -
main lines in use:
1,115,272 (1999)
Telephones
- mobile cellular:
384,000 (1999)
Telephone
system:
general assessment: generally elementary but being expanded
domestic: facilities generally inadequate and unreliable
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean)
Radio broadcast
stations:
AM 392, FM 35, shortwave 29 (2001)
Radios:
5 million (2001)
Television
broadcast stations:
7 (plus 14 repeaters) (2001)
Televisions:
2.5 million (2001)
Internet
country code:
.ec
Internet Service
Providers (ISPs):
31 (2001)
Internet
users:
180,000 (2001) |
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| TRANSPORTATION |
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Railways:
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)
Heliports:
1 (2001) |
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| MILITARY |
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Military branches:
Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, National Police
Military manpower
- military age:
20 years of age (2002 est.)
Military
manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 3,468,678 (2002 est.)
Military
manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 2,337,944 (2002 est.)
Military
manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 132,978 (2002 est.)
Military
expenditures - dollar figure:
$720 million (FY98)
Military
expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.4% (FY98) |
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| TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES |
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Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
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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