Statistical information Ecuador 1993

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 pageLocation:
Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the
Equator between Colombia and Peru
Geographic coordinatesMap reference:
South America, Standard Time Zones of the WorldAreaTotal: 283,560 km²
Land: 276,840 km²
Land boundaries: total 2,010 km, Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km
Coastline: 2,237 km
Continental shelf:claims continental shelf between mainland and Galapagos
Islands
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Maritime claimsClimate: 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
Arable land: 6%
Permanent crops: 3%
Meadows and pastures: 17%
Forest and woodland: 51%
Other: 23%
Land useIrrigated land: 5,500 km² (1989 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 10,461,072 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 2.07% (1993 est.)
NationalityNoun: 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 rate: 2.07% (1993 est.)
Birth rate: 26.54 births/1000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate: 5.8 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)
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: 40.8 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 69.61 years
Male: 67.09 years
Female: 72.25 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.19 children born/woman (1993 est.)
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: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 86%
Male: 88%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional 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:
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)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 10 August (1809) (independence of
Quito)
CenterRight parties:Social Christian Party (PSC), Jaime NEBOT Saadi, president; Republican Unity Party (PUR), President Sixto DURAN-BALLEN, leader;
Conservative Party (CE), Vice President Alberto DAHIK, president
CenterLeft parties:Democratic Left (ID), Andres VALLEJO Arcos, Rodrigo
BORJA Cevallos, leaders; Popular Democracy (DP), Jamil MANUAD Witt, president;
Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party (PLRE), Carlos Luis PLAZA Aray, director;
Radical Alfarista Front (FRA), Jaime ASPIAZU Seminario, director
Populist parties:Roldista Party (PRE), Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz, director;
Concentration of Popular Forces (CFP), Rafael SANTELICES, director; Popular
Revolutionary Action (APRE), Frank VARGAS Passos, leader; Assad Bucaram Party (PAB), Avicena BUCARAM, leader; People, Change, and Democracy (PCD), Raul
AULESTIA, director
FarLeft parties:Popular Democratic Movement (MPD), Jorge Fausto MORENO, director; Ecuadorian Socialist Party (PSE), Leon ROLDOS, leader; Broad Leftist
Front (FADI), Jose Xavier GARAYCOA, president; Ecuadorian National Liberation (LN), Alfredo CASTILLO, director
Ecuador/Marxist-Leninist (PCMLE, Maoist), leader NA (3,000 members)
Constitution: 10 August 1979
Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 18 years of age; universal, compulsory for literate persons ages 18-65, optional for other eligible voters
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, ONUSAL, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador Edgar TERAN
In the us chancery: 2,535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,009
In the us telephone: (202) 234-7,200
In the us consulates general:Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New
York, and San Francisco
In the us consulate: San Diego
From the us chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires James F. MACK
From the us embassy: Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida Patria, Quito
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 538, Quito, or APO AA 34,039-3,420
From the us telephone: 593 (2) 562-890
From the us fax: 593 (2) 502-052
From the us consulate general: Guayaquil flag of Colombia that is shorter and does not bear a coat of arms
Flag description
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: Ecuador has substantial oil resources and rich agricultural areas. Growth has been uneven because of natural disasters, fluctuations in global oil prices, and government policies designed to curb inflation. Banana exports, second only to oil, have suffered as a result of EC import quotas and banana blight. The new President Sixto DURAN-BALLEN, has a much more favorable attitude toward foreign investment than did his predecessor. Ecuador has implemented trade agreements with Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, and Venezuela and has applied for GATT membership. At the end of 1991, Ecuador received a standby IMF loan of $105 million, which will permit the country to proceed with the rescheduling of Paris Club debt. In September 1992, the government launched a new, macroeconomic program that gives more play to market forces; as of March 1993, the program seemed to be paying off.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 3% (1992)
Real gdp per capita: $1,100 (1992)
Gross 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 derivatives of coca originating in Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru; importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics; important money-laundering hub
Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, metal works, paper products, wood products, chemicals, plastics, fishing, timber
Industrial production growth rate:
growth rate 3.9% (1991); accounts for almost 40% of
GDP, including petroleum
Labor force: 2.8 million
By occupation agriculture: 35%
By occupation manufacturing: 21%
By occupation commerce: 16%
By occupation servicesandotheractivities: 28% (1982)
Unemployment rate: 8% (1992)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $1.9 billion; expenditures $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)
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: $3.0 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodoties: petroleum 42%, bananas, shrimp, cocoa, coffee
Partners: US 53.4%, Latin America, Caribbean, EC countries
Imports: $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodoties: transport equipment, vehicles, machinery, chemicals
Partners: US 32.7%, Latin America, Caribbean, EC countries, 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 - 1,453.8 (August 1992), 1,046.25 (1991), 869.54 (December 1990), 767.75 (1990), 526.35 (1989), 301.61 (1988)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 2,921,000 kW capacity; 7,676 million kWh produced, 700 kWh per capita (1992)
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: 174
Usable: 173
With permanentsurface runways: 52 with runway over 3,659 m: 1
With runways 2440-3659 m: 6
With runways 1220-2439 m: 21
HeliportsPipelines: crude oil 800 km; petroleum products 1,358 km
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 1,500 km
Merchant marine:
45 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 333,380 GRT/483,862
DWT; includes 2 passenger, 4 cargo, 17 refrigerated cargo, 4 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 15 oil tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 1 bulk
Ports and terminalsEcuador - Transnational issues 1993
top of pageDisputes international: three sections of the boundary with Peru are in dispute
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs