| 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 that flared in
1995 was resolved in 1999. |
| Location: |
Western South
America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between
Colombia and Peru |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
2 00 S, 77 30 W |
| Map
references: |
South America |
| Area: |
total:
283,560 sq km
land: 276,840 sq km
water: 6,720 sq km
note: includes Galapagos Islands |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller
than Nevada |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
2,010 km
border countries: Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420
km |
| Maritime
claims: |
continental
shelf: claims continental shelf between mainland
and Galapagos Islands
territorial sea: 200 NM |
| Climate: |
tropical along
coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical
in Amazonian jungle lowlands |
| Terrain: |
coastal plain (costa),
inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling
eastern jungle (oriente) |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chimborazo 6,267 m |
| Natural
resources: |
petroleum, fish,
timber, hydropower |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
6%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 18%
forests and woodland: 56%
other: 15% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
5,560 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
frequent
earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; periodic
droughts |
| Environment
- current issues: |
deforestation;
soil erosion; desertification; water pollution; pollution
from oil production wastes |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
| Geography
- note: |
Cotopaxi in Andes
is highest active volcano in world |
| Population: |
13,183,978 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
35.8% (male 2,398,801; female 2,320,537)
15-64 years: 59.81% (male 3,900,193; female
3,984,797)
65 years and over: 4.39% (male 269,372; female
310,278) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
2% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
25.99
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
5.44 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-0.55 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
34.08
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 71.33 years
male: 68.52 years
female: 74.28 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
3.12 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.29% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
19,000 (1999
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
1,400 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Ecuadorian(s)
adjective: Ecuadorian |
| Ethnic
groups: |
mestizo (mixed
Amerindian and white) 65%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish and
others 7%, black 3% |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic
95% |
| Languages: |
Spanish
(official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua) |
| 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 |
| Administrative
divisions: |
22 provinces (provincias,
singular - provincia); Azuay, Bolivar, Canar, Carchi,
Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Galapagos, Guayas,
Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Manabi, Morona-Santiago, Napo,
Orellana, Pastaza, Pichincha, Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Zamora-Chinchipe |
| Independence: |
24 May 1822 (from
Spain) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day
(independence of Quito), 10 August (1809) |
| Constitution: |
10 August 1998 |
| 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 Gustavo NOBOA Bejarano (since 22
January 2000) selected president following coup that deposed
President MAHUAD; Vice President Pedro PINTO Rubianes (since
28 January 2000) elected by National Congress from a slate
of candidates submitted by President NABOA; note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Gustavo NOBOA
Bejarano (since 22 January 2000) selected president
following coup that deposed President MAHUAD; Vice President
Pedro PINTO Rubianes (since 28 January 2000) elected by
National Congress from a slate of candidates submitted by
President NABOA; note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected
on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year term (no
reelection); election last held 31 May 1998; runoff election
held 12 July 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: results of the last election
prior to the coup were: Jamil MAHUAD elected president;
percent of vote - 51%
note: a military-indigenous coup toppled
democratically elected President Jamil MAHAUD on 21 January
2000; the military quickly handed power over to Vice
President Gustavo NOBOA on 22 January; National Congress
then elected a new vice president from a slate of candidates
submitted by NOBOA; the new administration is scheduled to
complete the remainder of MAHAUD's term, due to expire in
January 2003 |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
National Congress or Congreso Nacional (121 seats; 79
members are popularly elected at-large nationally to serve
four-year terms; 42 members are popularly elected by
province - two per province - for four-year terms)
elections: last held 31 May 1998 (next to be
held NA 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - DP 32, PSC 27, PRE 24, ID 18, P-NP 9,
FRA 5, PCE 3, MPD 2, CFP 1; note - defections by members of
National Congress are commonplace, resulting in frequent
changes in the numbers of seats held by the various parties |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court or
Corte Suprema (new justices are elected by the full Supreme
Court) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Concentration of
Popular Forces or CFP [Averroes BUCARAM]; Democratic Left or
ID [Rodrigo BORJA Cevallos]; Ecuadorian Conservative Party
or PCE [Sixto DURAN Ballen]; Independent National Movement
or MIN [leader NA]; Pachakutik-New Country or P-NP [Rafael
PANDAM]; Popular Democracy or DP [Ramiro RIVERA]; Popular
Democratic Movement or MPD [leader NA]; Radical Alfarista
Front or FRA [Fabian ALARCON, director]; Roldosist Party or
PRE [Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz, director]; Social Christian Party
or PSC [Jaime NEBOT Saadi, president] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Confederation of
Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or CONAIE [Antonio
VARGAS]; Coordinator of Social Movements or CMS [F. Napoleon
SANTOS]; Popular Front or FP [Luis VILLACIS] |
| International
organization participation: |
CAN, CCC, 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, NAM, OAS, OPANAL,
OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Ivonne A-BAKI
chancery: 2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC
20009
telephone: [1] (202) 234-7200
FAX: [1] (202) 667-3482
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los
Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Newark, Philadelphia,
and San Francisco |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Gwen C. CLARE
embassy: Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida
Patria, Quito
mailing address: APO AA 34039
telephone: [593] (2) 562-890
FAX: [593] (2) 502-052
consulate(s) 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 which is shorter and does not bear a
coat of arms |
| Economy
- overview: |
Ecuador has
substantial oil resources and rich agricultural areas.
Because the country exports primary products such as oil,
bananas, and shrimp, fluctuations in world market prices can
have a substantial domestic impact. Ecuador joined the World
Trade Organization in 1996, but has failed to comply with
many of its accession commitments. In recent years, growth
has been uneven due to ill-conceived fiscal stabilization
measures. The aftermath of El Nino and depressed oil market
of 1997-98 drove Ecuador's economy into a free-fall in 1999.
The beginning of 1999 saw the banking sector collapse, which
helped precipitate an unprecedented default on external
loans later that year. Continued economic instability drove
a 70% depreciation of the currency throughout 1999, which
eventually forced a desperate government to "dollarize"
the currency regime in 2000. The move stabilized the
currency, but did not stave off the ouster of the
government. The new president, Gustavo NOBOA has yet to
complete negotiations for a long sought IMF accord. He will
find it difficult to push through the reforms necessary to
make "dollarization" work in the long run. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $37.2 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
0.8% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $2,900 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
14%
industry: 36%
services: 50% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
50% (1999 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
2.2%
highest 10%: 33.8% (1995) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
96% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 30%,
industry 25%, services 45% (1999 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
13%; note -
widespread underemployment (2000 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
planned $5.1 billion (not including revenue from potential
privatizations)
expenditures: $5.1 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1999) |
| Industries: |
petroleum, food
processing, textiles, metal work, paper products, wood
products, chemicals, plastics, fishing, lumber |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
2.4% (1997 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
10.065 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
29.51%
hydro: 70.49%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
9.386 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
25 million kWh
(1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
bananas, coffee,
cocoa, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca), plantains,
sugarcane; cattle, sheep, pigs, beef, pork, dairy products;
balsa wood; fish, shrimp |
| Exports: |
$5.6 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
petroleum,
bananas, shrimp, coffee, cocoa, cut flowers, fish |
| Exports
- partners: |
US 37%, Colombia
5%, Italy 5%, Chile 5%, Peru 4% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$3.4 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
equipment, raw materials, fuels; consumer goods |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 30%, Colombia
13%, Venezuela 6%, Japan 5%, Venezuela 6%, Mexico 3% (1998) |
| Debt
- external: |
$15 billion
(1999) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$695.7 million
(1995) |
| Currency: |
US dollar (USD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
sucres per US
dollar - 25,000 (January 2001), 24,988.4 (2000), 11,786.8
(1999), 5,446.6 (1998), 3,988.3 (1997), 3,189.5 (1996)
note: on 7 January 2000, the government passed
a decree "dollarizing" the economy; on 13 March
2000, the National Congress approved a new exchange system
whereby the US dollar is adopted as the main legal tender in
Ecuador for all purposes; on 20 March 2000, the Central Bank
of Ecuador started to exchange sucres for US dollars at a
fixed rate of 25,000 sucres per US dollar; since 30 April
2000, all transactions are denominated in US dollars |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
899,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
160,061 (1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: NA
domestic: facilities generally inadequate and
unreliable
international: satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 392, FM 27,
shortwave 29 (1998) |
| Radios: |
4.15 million
(1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
15 (including one
station on the Galapagos Islands) (1997) |
| Televisions: |
1.55 million
(1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.ec |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
13 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
20,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
965 km
narrow gauge: 965 km 1.067-m gauge (2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
43,197 km
paved: 8,165 km
unpaved: 35,032 km (1999 est.) |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 800 km;
petroleum products 1,358 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Esmeraldas,
Guayaquil, La Libertad, Manta, Puerto Bolivar, San Lorenzo |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 233,312 GRT/385,784
DWT
ships by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 1,
liquefied gas 1, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 22,
specialized tanker 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports: |
180 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
59
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 19 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
121
914 to 1,523 m: 32
under 914 m: 89 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army (Ejercito
Ecuatoriano), Navy (Armada Ecuatoriana, includes Marines),
Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana), National Police (Policia
Nacional) |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
20 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 3,382,567 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 2,280,899 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
132,978 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$720 million
(FY98) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
3.4% (FY98) |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
| Illicit
drugs: |
significant
transit country for cocaine and derivatives of coca
originating in Colombia and Peru; importer of precursor
chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics; important
money-laundering hub; increased activity on the northern
frontier by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents |
|
