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Guide
Introduction
| |
| 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 |
|
