1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
274,540 km2 (including Galapagos Islands); 11% cultivated, 8% meadows and pastures, 55% forested, 26% waste, urban, or other (excludes the Oriente and the Galapagos Islands, for which information is not available)
Coastline
2,237 km (includes Galapagos Islands)
Land boundaries
1,931 km WATER
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
200 nm
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
40% mestizo, 40% Indian, 10% white, 5% Negro, 5% Oriental, and other
Labor force
2 million, of which 56% agriculture, 13% manufacturing, 4% construction, 7% commerce, 4% public administration, 16% other services and activities
Language
Spanish, Quechua
Literacy
57%
Nationality
noun—Ecuadorean(s); adjective—Ecuadorean
Organized labor
less than 15% of labor force
Population
8,537,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 3.1%
Religion
95% Roman Catholic (majority nonpracticing)
Government
Branches
executive; Chamber of Representatives; independent judiciary
Capital
Quito
Communists
Communist Party of Ecuador (PCE, pro-Moscow, René Mauge—secretary-general), 500 members plus an estimated 3,000 sympathizers; Communist Party of Ecuador (PCE/ML, pro-Peking), 100 members; Revolutionary Socialist Party of Ecuador (PSRE), 200 members
Elections
presidential and parliamentary elections held April 1979; a presidential election is scheduled for 1984 Political parties and leaders: Popular Democracy Party, Julio Trujillo (the party of Pres. Hurtado); Concentration of Popular Forces, party leader position vacant, populist; Radical Liberal Party, Ignacio Hidalgo, center right; Conservative Party, José Terán, center right; People, Change, and Democracy, Aguiles Rigail, center left; Democratic Left, Rodrigo Borja, center left; Democratic Party, Francisco Huerta, progressive liberal
Government leader
President Osvaldo HURTADO Larrea assumed office in May 1981 following the death of President Jaime Roldós in an airplane crash
Legal system
based on civil law system; progressive new constitution passed in January, 1978 referendum came into effect following the installation of a new civilian government in August 1979; legal education at four state and two private universities; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Member of
ECOSOC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMCO, IMF, ITU, LAFTA and Andean Sub-Regional Group (formed in May 1969 within LAFTA), OAS, OPEC, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 10 August
Official name
Republic of Ecuador
Political subdivisions
20 provinces including Galapagos Islands
Suffrage
universal over age 18
Type
republic
Voting strength
results of April 1979 presidential election—Jaime Roldós, Concentration of Popular Forces 62%; Sixto Durán-Ballen, center-right coalition 28%
Economy
Agriculture
main crops—bananas, coffee, cocoa, sugar-cane, fruits, corn, potatoes, rice; caloric intake, 2,104 calories per day per capita (1977)
Aid
economic—bilateral commitments of ODA and OOF (FY70-80), US, $177.3 million; other Western countries (1970-79), $243.0 million; Communist countries (1970-75), $9.4 million; military—(FY70-79) US, $40.0 million
Budget
(1980) revenues, $1,504 million; expenditures, $1,680 million
Electric power
1,200,000 kW capacity (1981); 3.0 billion kWh produced (1981), 340 kWh per capita
Exports
$2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1980); petroleum, bananas, coffee, cocoa, fish products
Fiscal year
calendar year
Fishing
catch 475,000 metric tons (1977); exports $165.6 million (1980), imports negligible
GNP
$11.0 billion (1980), $1,320 per capita; 63% private consumption, 14% public consumption, 25% gross investment,—2% foreign; average annual real growth rate 1975-80, 6.3%
Imports
$2.2 billion (c.i.f., 1980); agricultural and industrial machinery, industrial raw materials, building supplies, chemical products, transportation and communication equipment
Major industries
food processing, textiles, chemicals, fishing, petroleum
Major trade partners
exports (1980)—31% US, 19% LAIA, 8% EC, 13% Japan; imports (1980)—38% US, 18% EC, 14% Japan, 13% LAIA
Monetary conversion rate
35 sucres=US$1
Communications
Airfields
174 total, 174 usable; 17 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m, 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 26 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
46 major transport aircraft, including 1 leased in
Highways
69,280 km total; 11,925 km paved, 24,400 km gravel, 32,955 km earth roads
Inland waterways
1,500 km
Pipelines
crude oil, 623 km; refined products, 1,358 km
Ports
3 major (Guayaquil, Manta, Puerto Bolivar), 11 minor
Railroads
1,121 km total; 966 km 1.067-meter gauge, 155 km 0.750-meter gauge; all single track
Telecommunications
facilities adequate only in largest cities; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station; 260,000 telephones (2.9 per 100 popl.); 250 AM, 38 FM, and 17 TV stations
Military and Security
Military manpower
males 15-49, 1,908,000; 1,295,000 fit for military service; 87,000 reach military age (20) annually