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.

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

Coastline: 2,237 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200 m
Territorial sea: 200 nm

Climate: tropical along coast becoming cooler inland

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

Natural resources: petroleum, fish, timber

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

Geography
Note: Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world geoad2

Population: 10,506,668 (July 1990), growth rate 2.3% (1990)

Nationality: noun--Ecuadorian(s; adjective--Ecuadorian

Ethnic groups: 55% mestizo (mixed Indian and Spanish), 25% Indian, 10% Spanish, 10% black

Languages: Spanish (official; Indian languages, especially Quechua

Religions: 95% Roman Catholic

Birth rate: 30 births/1000 population (1990)

Death rate: 7 deaths/1000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1990)

Environment
Current issues: subject to frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; periodic droughts

Infant mortality rate: 61 deaths/1000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 68 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/woman (1990)

Literacy: 85% (1981)

Country name: conventional 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

Independence: 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

Suffrage: universal at age 18; compulsory for literate persons ages 18-65, optional for other eligible voters

Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Rodrigo BORJA Cevallos (since 10 August 1988; Vice President Luis PARODI Valverde (since 10 August 1988)

Legislative branch: Ecuadorean Army (Ejercito Ecuatoriano), Ecuadorean Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana), Ecuadorean Navy (Armada Ecuatoriana)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)

International organization participation: Andean Pact, ECOSOC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ITU, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPEC, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: 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-designate Paul C. LAMBERT; Embassy at Avenida Patria 120, on the corner of Avenida 12 de Octubre, Quito (mailing address is P. O. Box 538, Quito, or APO Miami 34,039; telephone p593o (2) 562-890; there is a US Consulate General in 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

Economy overview: Ecuador continues to recover from a 1986 drop in international oil prices and a major earthquake in 1987 that interrupted oil exports for six months and forced Ecuador to suspend foreign debt payments. In 1988-89 oil exports recovered--accounting for nearly half of Ecuador's total export revenues--and Quito resumed full interest payments on its official debt, and partial payments on its commercial debt. The Borja administration has pursued austere economic policies that have helped reduce inflation and restore international reserves. Ecuador was granted an IMF standby agreement worth $135 million in 1989, and Quito will seek to reschedule its foreign commercial debt in 1990.

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 foodgrain, dairy products, and sugar

Industries: food processing, textiles, chemicals, fishing, timber, petroleum

Industrial production growth rate: 0.7% (1988)

Labor force:

Unemployment rate: 14.3% (1988)

Budget: revenues $2.2 billion; expenditures $2.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $601 million (1988 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: petroleum 47%, coffee, bananas, cocoa products, shrimp, fish products
Partners: US 58%, Latin America, Caribbean, EC countries

Imports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: transport equipment, vehicles, machinery, chemical, petroleum
Partners: US 28%, Latin America, Caribbean, EC, Japan

Debt external: $10.9 billion (1989)

Exchange rates: sucres (S/) per US$1--526.35 (1989), 301.61 (1988), 170.46 (1987), 122.78 (1986), 69.56 (1985)

Electricity
Capacity: 1,953,000 kW capacity; 5,725 million kWh produced, 560 kWh per capita (1989)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 1% of GDP, or $100 million (1988 est.)

Airports: 179 total, 178 usable; 43 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 20 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Pipelines: crude oil, 800 km; refined products, 1,358 km

Waterways: 1,500 km

Merchant marine: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 340,446 GRT/492,670 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 7 cargo, 17 refrigerated cargo, 2 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 16 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 1 bulk

Disputes international: two sections of the boundary with Peru are in dispute

Illicit drugs: relatively small 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