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.

Geographic coordinates: 2 00 S, 77 30 W

Map reference: South America

Area
Total: 283,560 km²
Land: 276,840 km²
Water: 6,720 km²
Note: includes Galapagos Islands
Comparative: slightly smaller than Nevada

Land boundaries
Total: 2,010 km
Border countries: (2) 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)

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Chimborazo 6,267 m

Natural resources: petroleum, fish, timber

Land use
Arable land: 6%
Permanent crops: 5%
Permanent pastures: 18%
Forests and woodland: 56%
Other: 15% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 5,560 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; periodic droughts

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

Population: 12,336,572 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 1.86% (1998 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Ecuadorian(s)
Adjective: Ecuadorian

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

Languages: Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%

Age structure
0-14 years: 36% (male 2,253,920; female 2,175,402)
15-64 years: 60% (male 3,636,637; female 3,725,766)
65 years and over: 4% (male 254,432; female 290,415) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.86% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 23.16 births/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 5.17 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.56 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution; pollution from oil production wastes
International agreements party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 32.07 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.8 years
Male: 69.19 years
Female: 74.54 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.75 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 90.1%
Male: 92%
Female: 88.2% (1995 est.)

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: President Fabian ALARCON Rivera (since 11 February 1997); Vice President Pedro AGUAYO (since 1 April 1998); note_the president is both the chief of state and head of government: ead of
Government: President Fabian ALARCON Rivera (since 11 February 1997); Vice President Pedro AGUAYO (since 1 April 1998); note_the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Note: in an unusual, out of cycle change in executive power, Congress on 11 February 1997 elected then Congress President ALARCON to be Interim President until August 1998 after ousting former President BUCARAM because of "mental incapacity"; ARTEAGA remained vice president until March 1998
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 19 May 1996; runoff election held 7 July 1996; note_because of the February 1997 unusual change in executive power, the next presidential elections will take place 31 May 1998
Election results: runoff election; percent of vote_Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz 54%, Jaime NEBOT 46%; note_in February 1997, Congress elected ALARCON to be Interim President until August 1998, with 57 of 82 Congressmen voting in favor of him

Legislative branch: unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (82 seats; 12 members are popularly elected at-large nationally to serve four-year terms; 70 members are popularly elected by province for two-year terms)
Elections: last held 19 May 1996 (next to be held 31 May 1998)
Election results: percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_PSC 27, PRE 19, DP 12, P-NP 8, ID 4, FRA 3, MPD 2, PCE 2, CFP 1, independents and other 4; note - defections by members of congress are commonplace, resulting in frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the various parties

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), judges are elected by Congress

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Alberto Federico MASPONS GUZMAN
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, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
In the us consulates: Newark
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Leslie ALEXANDER
From the us embassy: Avenida 12 de Octubre and Avenida Patria, Quito
From the us mailing address: APO AA 34,039
From the us telephone: [593] (2) 562-890
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. As an exporter of primary products such as oil, bananas, and shrimp, fluctuations in world market prices can have a substantial domestic impact. Growth has been uneven in recent years as the government has repeatedly initiated ill-conceived fiscal stabilization measures. The populist government of Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz proposed a major currency reform in 1996, but popular discontent with new austerity measures and rampant official corruption undermined his government's position. Congress replaced BUCARAM with Fabian ALARCON in February 1997. ALARCON has adopted a minimalist economic program that puts off major decisions until the next elected government takes office in August 1998. Ecuador joined the World Trade Organization in 1996, but has failed to comply with many of its accession commitments. Growth slowed to 2.0% in 1996, due to a lack of investment caused by political uncertainty and high domestic interest rates, but economic activity picked up in 1997. Exports and economic growth in 1998 may be adversely affected by lower world oil prices and, to a smaller extent, by El Nino.

Real gdp growth rate: 3.4% (1997 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $4,400 (1997 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 12%
Industry: 37%
Services: 51% (1996 est.)

Agriculture products: bananas, coffee, cocoa, rice, potatoes, manioc, plantains, sugarcane; cattle, sheep, pigs, beef, pork, dairy products; balsa wood; fish, shrimp

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

Industrial production growth rate: 2.4% (1997 est.)

Labor force
Total: 4.2 million
By occupation agriculture: 29%
By occupation manufacturing: 18%
By occupation commerce: 15%
By occupation servicesandotheractivities: 38% (1990)

Unemployment rate: 6.9% with widespread underemployment (August 1997 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $3.6 billion (1997)
Expenditures: $3.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1996 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: total value:$3.4 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Commodoties: petroleum 30%, bananas 26%, shrimp 16%, cut flowers 2%, fish 1.9%
Partners: US 39%, Latin America 25%, EU countries 22%, Asia 12%

Imports: total value:$2.9 billion (c.i.f., 1997)
Commodoties: transport equipment, consumer goods, vehicles, machinery, chemicals
Partners: US 32%, EU 19%, Latin America 35%, Asia 11%

Debt external: $12.5 billion (1997)

Exchange rates: sucres (S/) per US$1_4,498.0 (January 1998), 3,988.3 (1997), 3,189.5 (1996), 2,564.5 (1995), 2,196.7 (1994), 1,919.1 (1993)

Electricity
Capacity: 2.754 million kW (1996)
Production: 9.27 billion kWh (1996)
Consumption per capita: 600 kWh (1996)

Telephones: 586,300 (1994 est.)

Telephone system
Domestic: facilities generally inadequate and unreliable
International: satellite earth station_1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $411 million (1997)
Percent of gdp: 2.1% (1997)

Airports: 183 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 52
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 6
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 10
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 16
With paved runways under 914 m: 18 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 131
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 38
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 90 (1997 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1997 est.)

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

Railways
Total: 965 km (single track)
Narrow gauge: 965 km 1.067-m gauge

Waterways: 1,500 km

Merchant marine
Total: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 84,423 GRT/137,272 DWT
Ships by type: liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 14, passenger 3 (1997 est.)

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