2007 Edition

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 33% (male 2,281,499/female 2,195,551) 15-64 years: 61.9% (male 4,178,653/female 4,210,766) 65 years and over: 5% (male 319,719/female 361,322) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

359 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 29

total

98

under 914 m

43 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

261 914 to 1,523 m: 33

under 914 m

228 (2006)

Area

land

276,840 sq km

note

includes Galapagos Islands

total

283,560 sq km

water

6,720 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Nevada

Background

What is now Ecuador formed part of the northern Inca Empire until the Spanish conquest in 1533. Quito became a seat of Spanish colonial government in 1563 and part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717. The territories of the Viceroyalty - New Granada (Colombia), Venezuela, and Quito - gained their independence by 1819 and formed a federation known as Gran Colombia. When Quito withdrew in 1830, the traditional name was changed in favor of the "Republic of the Equator." 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. Although Ecuador marked 25 years of civilian governance in 2004, the period has been marred by political instability. Protests in Quito have contributed to the mid-term ouster of Ecuador's last three democratically elected Presidents. Geography Ecuador

Birth rate

22.29 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

planned $10.46 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2006 est.)

revenues

$11.5 billion

Capital

geographic coordinates

0 13 S, 78 30 W

name

Quito

time difference

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands

Coastline

2,237 km

Constitution

10 August 1998

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Ecuador

conventional short form

Ecuador

local long form

Republica del Ecuador

local short form

Ecuador

Currency (code)

US dollar (USD)

Currency code

USD

Current account balance

$727 million (2006 est.)

Death rate

4.23 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$18.1 billion (2006 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Linda L. JEWELL

embassy

Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida Patria, Quito

mailing address

APO AA 34039

telephone

[593] (2) 256-2890

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Luis Benigno GALLEGOS Chiriboga

telephone

[1] (202) 234-7200

Disputes - international

organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia penetrate across Ecuador's shared border and caused over 20,000 refugees to flee into Ecuador in 2004

Distribution of family income - Gini index

42

note

data are for urban households (2003)

Economic aid - recipient

$216 million (2002)

Economy - overview

Ecuador has substantial petroleum resources, which have accounted for 40% of the country's export earnings and one-third of central government budget revenues in recent years. Consequently, fluctuations in world market prices can have a substantial domestic impact. In the late 1990s, Ecuador suffered its worst economic crisis, with natural disasters and sharp declines in world petroleum prices driving Ecuador's economy into free fall in 1999. Real GDP contracted by more than 6%, with poverty worsening significantly. The banking system also collapsed, and Ecuador defaulted on its external debt later that year. The currency depreciated by some 70% in 1999, and, on the brink of hyperinflation, the MAHAUD government announced it would dollarize the economy. A coup, however, ousted MAHAUD from office in January 2000, and after a short-lived junta failed to garner military support, Vice President Gustavo NOBOA took over the presidency. In March 2000, Congress approved a series of structural reforms that also provided the framework for the adoption of the US dollar as legal tender. Dollarization stabilized the economy, and growth returned to its pre-crisis levels in the years that followed. Under the administration of Lucio GUTIERREZ - January 2003 to April 2005 - Ecuador benefited from higher world petroleum prices. However, the government under Alfredo PALACIO has reversed economic reforms that reduced Ecuador's vulnerability to petroleum price swings and financial crises, allowing the central government greater access to oil windfalls and disbursing surplus retirement funds.

Electricity - consumption

12.95 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

35 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

1.642 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

12.2 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

81%

hydro

19%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Chimborazo 6,267 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution; pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas of the Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands

Environment - international agreements

party to

Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Ethnic groups

mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish and others 7%, black 3%

Exchange rates

1 (2006), 25,000 (2005), 25,000 (2004), 25,000 (2003), 25,000 (2002)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president

chief of state

President Rafael CORREA Delgado (since 15 January 2007); Vice President Lenin MORENO (since 15 January 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

election results

Rafael CORREA Delgado elected president; percent of vote - Rafael CORREA Delgado 56.7%; Alvaro NOBOA 43.3%

elections

the president and vice president are elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a four-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 15 October 2006 with a runoff election on 26 November 2006 (next to be held October 2010)

head of government

President Rafael CORREA Delgado (since 15 January 2007); Vice President Lenin MORENO (since 15 January 2007)

Exports

$12.56 billion (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum, bananas, cut flowers, shrimp

Exports - partners

US 50.6%, Peru 7.9%, Germany 4.3%, Colombia 4.3% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 667-3482

[593] (2) 250-2052

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Houston, Jersey City (New Jersey), Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Washington, DC

consulate(s) general

Guayaquil

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Ecuador

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 Ecuador

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

6.3%

industry

33.5%

services

60.2% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$4,500 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3.6% (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$32.57 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$60.48 billion (2006 est.)

Geographic coordinates

2 00 S, 77 30 W

Geography - note

Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world People Ecuador

Government type

republic

Heliports

1 (2006)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.3% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

1,700 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

21,000 (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

32%

lowest 10%

2%

note

data for urban households only (October 2003)

Illicit drugs

significant transit country for cocaine originating in Colombia and Peru; importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics; attractive location for cash-placement by drug traffickers laundering money because of dollarization and weak anti-money-laundering regime; increased activity on the northern frontier by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Imports

$10.81 billion (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

vehicles, medicinal products, telecommunications equipment, electricity

Imports - partners

US 22.1%, Colombia 14.8%, Venezuela 7.7%, Brazil 7.2%, China 5.2% (2005)

Independence

24 May 1822 (from Spain)

Industrial production growth rate

5% (2006 est.)

Industries

petroleum, food processing, textiles, wood products, chemicals

Infant mortality rate

female

18.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

27.42 deaths/1,000 live births

total

22.87 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.4% (2006 est.)

International organization participation

CAN, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Internet country code

.ec

Internet hosts

19,027 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

31 (2001)

Internet users

616,000 (2005) Transportation Ecuador

Investment (gross fixed)

22.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

Irrigated land

8,650 sq km (2003)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (according to the Constitution, new justices are elected by the full Supreme Court; in December 2004, however, Congress successfully replaced the entire court via a simple-majority resolution)

Labor force

4.57 million (urban) (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

8%

industry

24%

services

68% (2001)

Land boundaries

border countries

Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km

total

2,010 km

Land use

arable land

5.71%

other

89.48% (2005)

permanent crops

4.81%

Languages

Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)

Legal system

based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (100 seats; members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRIAN 28; PSP 24; PSC 13; ID 7; PRE 6; MUPP-NP 6; RED 5; UDC 5; other 6; note - defections by members of National Congress are commonplace, resulting in frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the various parties

elections

last held 15 October 2006 (next to be held October 2010)

Life expectancy at birth

female

79.43 years (2006 est.)

male

73.55 years

total population

76.42 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

91% (2003 est.) Government Ecuador

male

94%

total population

92.5%

Location

Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru

Manpower available for military service

females age 20-49

2,849,519 (2005 est.)

males age 20-49

2,792,770

Manpower fit for military service

females age 20-49

2,380,327 (2005 est.)

males age 20-49

2,338,428

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 20-49

129,758 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

133,922

Map references

South America

Maritime claims

continental shelf

100 nm from 2,500 meter isobath

territorial sea

200 nm

Median age

female

24 years (2006 est.)

male

23.1 years

total

23.6 years

Merchant marine

by type

chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger 7, petroleum tanker 21, specialized tanker 1

foreign-owned

2 (Norway 1, Paraguay 1)

registered in other countries

1 (Georgia 1) (2006)

total

31 ships (1000 GRT or over) 184,819 GRT/300,339 DWT

Military branches

Army, Navy (includes naval infantry, naval aviation, coast guard), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana, FAE)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$650 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Ecuador

Military service age and obligation

20 years of age for conscript military service; 12-month service obligation (2004)

National holiday

Independence Day (independence of Quito), 10 August (1809)

Nationality

adjective

Ecuadorian

noun

Ecuadorian(s)

Natural gas - consumption

170 million cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

170 million cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

9.769 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Natural hazards

frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts

Natural resources

petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower

Net migration rate

-3.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

148,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

387,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - production

493,200 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

5.115 billion bbl (2006 est.)

Pipelines

extra heavy crude 578 km; gas 71 km; oil 1,386 km; refined products 1,185 km (2006)

Political parties and leaders

Concentration of Popular Forces or CFP [Averroes BUCARAM]; Democratic Left or ID [Guillermo LANDAZURI]; Ethical and Democratic Network or RED [Leon ROLDOS]; National Action Institutional Renewal Party or PRIAN [Alvaro NOBOA]; Pachakutik Plurinational Unity Movement - New Country or MUPP-NP [Gilberto TALAHUA]; Patriotic Society Party or PSP [Lucio GUTIERREZ Borbua]; Popular Democracy or DP [Dr. Juan Manuel FUERTES]; Popular Democratic Movement or MPD [Gustavo TERAN Acosta]; Radical Alfarista Front or FRA [Fabian ALARCON, director]; Roldosist Party or PRE [Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz, director]; Social Christian Party or PSC [Leon FEBRES CORDERO]; Socialist Party - Broad Front or PS-FA [Victor GRANDA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or CONAIE [Luis MACAS, president]; Coordinator of Social Movements or CMS [F. Napoleon SANTOS]; Federation of Indigenous Evangelists of Ecuador or FEINE [Marco MURILLO, president]; National Federation of Indigenous Afro-Ecuatorianos and Peasants or FENOCIN [Pedro DE LA CRUZ, president]

Population

13,547,510 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

41% (2003)

Population growth rate

1.5% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Esmeraldas, Guayaquil, La Libertad, Manta, Puerto Bolivar Military Ecuador

Public debt

36% of GDP (2006 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 392, FM 35, shortwave 29 (2001)

Radios

5 million (2001)

Railways

narrow gauge

966 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)

total

966 km

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

9,851 (Colombia), note - UNHCR estimates as many as 250,000 Columbians are seeking asylum in Ecuador, many of whom do not register as refugees for fear of deportation (2006)

Religions

Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$2.514 billion (2006 est.)

Roadways

paved

6,467 km

total

43,197 km

unpaved

36,730 km (2004)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female

Suffrage

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

Telephone system

domestic

facilities generally inadequate and unreliable

general assessment

generally elementary but being expanded

international

country code - 593; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

1,701,500 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

6.246 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

7 (plus 14 repeaters) (2001)

Televisions

2.5 million (2001)

Terrain

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

Total fertility rate

2.68 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

10.6% official rate; but underemployment of 47% (2006 est.)

Waterways

1,500 km (most inaccessible) (2005)