Map of Ecuador | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 283,560 km²
Land: 276,840 km²; includes Galapagos Islands
Comparative: slightly smaller than Nevada

Land boundaries: 2,010 km; Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km

Coastline: 2,237 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Disputes: three sections of the boundary with Peru are in dispute

Climate: tropical along coast becoming cooler inland

Terrain: coastal plain (Costa), inter-Andean central highlands (Sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (Oriente)

Elevation

Natural resources: petroleum, fish, timber

Land use: arable land: 6%; permanent crops: 3%; meadows and pastures 17%; forest and woodland 51%; other 23%; includes irrigated 2%

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 10,933,143 (July 1992), growth rate 2.2% (1992)

Nationality: noun - Ecuadorian(s; adjective - Ecuadorian

Ethnic groups:

Languages: Spanish (official; Indian languages, especially Quechua

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 28 births/1000 population (1992)

Death rate: 6 deaths/1000 population (1992)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1992)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: subject to frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; periodic droughts
Current issues note: Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 42 deaths/1000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 72 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born/woman (1992)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 86% (male 88%, female 84%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador

Government type: republic

Capital: Quito

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence: 24 May 1822 (from Spain; Battle of Pichincha)

National holiday:

Constitution: 10 August 1979

Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 18; compulsory for literate persons ages 18-65, optional for other eligible voters
National Congress: last held 17 June 1990 (next to be held 17 May 1992); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (72 total) PSC 16, ID 14, PRE 13, PSE 8, DP 7, CFP 3, PC 3, PLR 3, FADI 2, FRA 2, MPD 1
President: runoff election held 5 July 1992; results - Sixto DURAN elected as president and Alberto DAHIK elected as vice president
Communists:

Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:
Diplomatic representation:
US:

Diplomatic representation

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 that is shorter and does not bear a coat of arms

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Ecuador has substantial oil resources and rich agricultural areas. Growth has been uneven because of natural disasters (for example, a major earthquake in 1987), fluctuations in global oil prices, and government policies designed to curb inflation. The government has not taken a supportive attitude toward either domestic or foreign investment, although its agreement to enter the Andean free trade zone is an encouraging move. As 1991 ended, Ecuador received a standby IMF loan of $105 million, which will permit the country to proceed with the rescheduling of Paris Club debt.
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $11.5 billion, per capita $1,070; real growth rate 2.5% (1991)

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 18% of GDP and 35% of labor force (including fishing and forestry; leading producer and exporter of bananas and balsawood; other exports - coffee, cocoa, fish, shrimp; crop production - rice, potatoes, manioc, plantains, sugarcane; livestock sector - cattle, sheep, hogs, beef, pork, dairy products; net importer of foodgrains, dairy products, and sugar

Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, metal works, paper products, wood products, chemicals, plastics, fishing, timber

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate -3.8% (1989; accounts for almost 40% of GDP, including petroleum

Labor force: 2,800,000; agriculture 35%, manufacturing 21%, commerce 16%, services and other activities 28% (1982)
Organized labor: less than 15% of labor force