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 flared in 1995.

Map reference: South America

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

Land boundaries: total 2,010 km, 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

Terrain: coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)

Natural resources: petroleum, fish, timber

Land use
Arable land: 6%
Permanent crops: 3%
Meadows and pastures: 17%
Forest and woodland: 51%
Other: 23%

Irrigated land: 5,500 km² (1989 est.)

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

Population: 10,890,950 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 1.95% (1995 est.)

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%

Age structure
0-14 years: 36% (female 1,928,977; male 1,990,036)
15-64 years: 60% (female 3,281,575; male 3,230,082)
65 years and over: 4% (female 244,862; male 215,418) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.95% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 25.08 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 5.55 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution
Current issues natural hazards: frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; periodic droughts
Current issues international agreements: party to - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Tropical Timber 94

Infant mortality rate: 37.7 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.35 years
Male: 67.83 years
Female: 72.99 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.97 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 87%
Male: 90%
Female: 84%

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: 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)

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

Executive branch
Chief of state and head of government: President Sixto DURAN-BALLEN Cordovez (since 10 August 1992); Vice President Alberto DAHIK Garzoni (since 10 August 1992); election runoff election held 5 July 1992 (next to be held NA 1996); results - Sixto DURAN-BALLEN elected as president and Alberto DAHIK elected as vice president
Cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Congress Congreso Nacional: elections last held 1 May 1994 (next to be held 1 May 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (77 total) PSC 25, PRE 11, MPD 8, ID 7, DP 7, PCE 7, PUR 2, CFP 2, APRE 2, PSE 1, FRA 1, PLRE 1, LN 1, independents 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)

International organization participation: AG, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Edgar TERAN Teran
In the us chancery: 2,535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 234-7,200
In the us consulates general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco
In the us consulates: Newark
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Peter F. ROMERO
From the us embassy: Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida Patria, Quito
From the us mailing address: APO AA 34,039-3,420
From the us telephone: [593] (2) 562-890, 561-624, 561-749
From the us FAX: [593] (2) 502-052
From the us consulates 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 that is shorter and does not bear a coat of arms

Economy overview: Ecuador has substantial oil resources and rich agricultural areas. Growth has been uneven in recent years because of fluctuations in prices for Ecuador's primary exports - oil and bananas - as well as because of government policies designed to curb inflation. President Sixto DURAN-BALLEN launched a series of macroeconomic reforms when he came into office in August 1992 which included raising domestic fuel prices and utility rates, eliminating most subsidies, and bringing the government budget into balance. These measures helped to reduce inflation from 55% in 1992 to 25% in 1994. DURAN-BALLEN has a much more favorable attitude toward foreign investment than his predecessor and has supported several laws designed to encourage foreign investment. Ecuador has implemented free or complementary trade agreements with Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela, as well as applied for World Trade Organization membership. Ecuador signed a standby agreement with the IMF and rescheduled its $7.6 billion commercial debt in 1994 thereby regaining access to multilateral lending. Growth in 1994 speeded up to 3.9%, based on increased exports of bananas and non-traditional products, while international reserves increased to a record $1.6 billion.

Real gdp growth rate: 3.9% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $3,840 (1994 est.)

Agriculture products: accounts for 14% of GDP (including fishing and forestry; leading producer and exporter of bananas and balsawood; other agricultural exports - coffee, cocoa, fish, shrimp; other crops - rice, potatoes, manioc, plantains, sugarcane; livestock products - cattle, sheep, hogs, beef, pork, dairy products; net importer of foodgrains, dairy products, and sugar

Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, metal work, paper products, wood products, chemicals, plastics, fishing, lumber

Industrial production growth rate: 6.4% (1993; accounts for almost 35% 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: 7.1% (1994)

Budget
Revenues: $2.76 billion
Expenditures: $2.76 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $3.3 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
Commodoties: petroleum 39%, bananas 17%, shrimp 16%, cocoa 3%, coffee 6%
Partners: US 42%, Latin America 29%, Caribbean, EU countries 17%

Imports: $3 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
Commodoties: transport equipment, consumer goods, vehicles, machinery, chemicals
Partners: US 28%, EU 17%, Latin America 31%, Caribbean, Japan

Debt external: $13.2 billion (yearend 1993 est.)

Exchange rates: sucres (S/) per US$1 - 1,198.1 (December 1994), 2,196.7 (1994), 1,919.1 (1993), 1,534.0 (1992), 1,046.25 (1991), 767.8 (1990), 767.78 (1990), 526.35 (1989)

Electricity
Capacity: 2,230,000 kW
Production: 6.9 billion kWh
Production consumption per capita: 612 kWh (1993)

Telephone system: 318,000 telephones; 30 telephones/1000 persons; domestic facilities generally inadequate and unreliable
Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Military expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP

Airports: 175
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 8
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 15
With paved runways under 914 m: 107
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2438 m: 5
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 31

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

Waterways: 1,500 km

Merchant marine
Total: 33 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 222,822 GRT/326,447 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 2, container 2, liquefied gas tanker 2, oil tanker 13, passenger 3, refrigerated cargo 10

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

Illicit drugs: significant transit country for derivatives of coca originating in Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru; minor illicit producer of coca; importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics; important money-laundering hub