Statistical information Ecuador 1992

Ecuador in the World
top of pageBackground: 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.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaTotal: 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 claimsContinental shelf:claims continental shelf between mainland and
Galapagos Islands
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)
ElevationNatural 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 landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 10,933,143 (July 1992), growth rate 2.2% (1992)
Nationality: noun - Ecuadorian(s; adjective - Ecuadorian
Ethnic groups:
mestizo (mixed Indian and Spanish) 55%, Indian 25%,
Spanish 10%, black 10%
Languages: Spanish (official; Indian languages, especially Quechua
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 28 births/1000 population (1992)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1000 population (1992)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1992)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent 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 pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant 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 rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 86% (male 88%, female 84%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Republic of Ecuador
Government type: republic
Capital: Quito
Administrative divisions:
21 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Azuay, Bolivar, Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro,
Esmeraldas, Galapagos, Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Manabi,
Morona-Santiago, Napo, Pastaza, Pichincha, Sucumbios, Tungurahua,
Zamora-Chinchipe
Dependent areasIndependence: 24 May 1822 (from Spain; Battle of Pichincha)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 10 August (1809, independence of
Quito)
Constitution: 10 August 1979
Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 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:Communist Party of Ecuador (PCE, pro-Moscow), Rene Mauge
MOSQUERA, secretary general, 5,000 members; Communist Party of
Ecuador/Marxist-Leninist (PCMLE, Maoist), 3,000 members; Socialist Party of
Ecuador (PSE, pro-Cuba), 5,000 members (est.); National Liberation Party (PLN, Communist), less than 5,000 members (est.)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation:
AG, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU,
LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:Ambassador Jaime MONCAYO; Chancery at 2,535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,009; telephone (202) 234-7,200; there are
Ecuadorian Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New
Orleans, New York, and San Francisco, and a Consulate in San Diego
US:Ambassador vacant; Embassy at Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida
Patria; Quito (mailing address is P. O. Box 538, Quito, or APO AA 34,039); telephone 593 (2) 562-890; FAX 593 (2) 502-052; there is a US Consulate
General in Guayaquil
Diplomatic representationFlag 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 symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy 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 parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture 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
Unemployment rate: 8.0% (1990)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $2.2 billion; expenditures $2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $375 million (1991)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $2.9 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodoties: petroleum 47%, coffee, bananas, cocoa products, shrimp, fish products
Partners: US 60%, Latin America, Caribbean, EC countries
Imports: $1.95 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodoties: transport equipment, vehicles, machinery, chemicals
Partners: US 34%, Latin America, Caribbean, EC, Japan
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: sucres (S/) per US$1 - 1,046.25 (1991), 869.54 (December 1990), 767.75 (1990), 526.35 (1989), 301.61 (1988), 170.46 (1987)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 2,344,000 kW capacity; 6,430 million kWh produced, 598 kWh per capita (1991)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports:
143 total, 142 usable; 43 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runway over 3,659 m; 6
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 23
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelines: crude oil 800 km; petroleum products 1,358 km
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 1,500 km
Merchant marine:
46 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 337,999
GRT/491,996 DWT; includes 2 passenger, 4 cargo, 17 refrigerated cargo, 4 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 15 petroleum tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 2 bulk
Civil air: 23 major transport aircraft
Ports and terminalsEcuador - Transnational issues 1992
top of pageDisputes internationalRefugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: minor illicit producer of coca following the successful eradication campaign of 1985-87; significant transit country, however, for derivatives of coca originating in Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru