2010 Edition

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 between 1819 and 1822 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 30 years of civilian governance in 2004, the period has been marred by political instability. Protests in Quito contributed to the mid-term ouster of three of Ecuador's last four democratically elected Presidents. In September 2008, voters approved a new constitution; Ecuador's twentieth since gaining independence. General elections, under the new constitutional framework, were held in April 2009, and voters re-elected President Rafael CORREA.

Area

land

276,841 sq km

total

283,561 sq km

water

6,720 sq km note: includes Galapagos Islands

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Nevada

Climate

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

Coastline

2,237 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Chimborazo 6,267 m note: due to the fact that the earth is not a perfect sphere and has an equatorial bulge, the highest point on the planet furthest from its center is Mount Chimborazo not Mount Everest, which is merely the highest peak above sea-level

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

1,283 cu m/yr (2000)

total

16.98 cu km/yr (12%/5%/82%)

Geographic coordinates

2 00 S, 77 30 W

Geography - note

Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world

Irrigated land

8,650 sq km (2003)

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%

Location

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

Map references

South America

Maritime claims

continental shelf

100 nm from 2,500-m isobath

territorial sea

200 nm

Natural hazards

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

volcanism

Ecuador experiences volcanic activity in the Andes Mountains; Sangay (elev. 5,230 m, 17,159 ft), which erupted in 2010, is mainland Ecuador's most active volcano; other historically active volcanoes in the Andes include Antisana, Cayambe, Chacana, Cotopaxi, Guagua Pichincha, Reventador, Sumaco, and Tungurahua; Fernandina (elev. 1,476 m, 4,842 ft), a shield volcano that last erupted in 2009, is the most active of the many Galapagos volcanoes; other historically active Galapagos volcanoes include Wolf, Sierra Negra, Cerro Azul, Pinta, Marchena, and Santiago

Natural resources

petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower

Terrain

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

Total renewable water resources

432 cu km (2000)

Age structure

0-14 years: 31.1% (male 2,312,610/female 2,220,378) 15-64 years: 62.7% (male 4,506,908/female 4,636,703) 65 years and over: 6.2% (male 432,144/female 464,358) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

20.32 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

5 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

1% of GDP (2001)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.3% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

1,400 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

26,000 (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

16.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

23.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total

20.26 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)

Life expectancy at birth

female

78.6 years (2010 est.)

male

72.58 years

total population

75.52 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

89.7% (2001 census)

male

92.3%

total population

91%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever and malaria

water contact disease

leptospirosis (2009)

Median age

female

25.9 years (2010 est.)

male

24.7 years

total

25.3 years

Nationality

adjective

Ecuadorian

noun

Ecuadorian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Population

14,790,608 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

1.466% (2010 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

14 years (2008)

male

14 years

total

14 years

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.46 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

66% of total population (2008)

Administrative divisions

24 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, Santa Elena, Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Zamora-Chinchipe

Capital

geographic coordinates

0 13 S, 78 30 W

name

Quito

time difference

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

Constitution

20 October 2008

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Ecuador

conventional short form

Ecuador

local long form

Republica del Ecuador

local short form

Ecuador

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Heather HODGES

consulate(s) general

Guayaquil

embassy

Avenida Avigiras E12-170 y Avenida Eloy Alfaro, Quito

FAX

[593] (2) 398-5100

mailing address

Avenida Guayacanes N52-205 y Avenida Avigiras

telephone

[593] (2) 398-5000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Luis Benigno GALLEGOS Chiriboga

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Newark (New Jersey), San Francisco

FAX

[1] (202) 667-3482

telephone

[1] (202) 234-7200

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

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

election results

President Rafael CORREA Delgado reelected president; percent of vote - Rafael CORREA Delgado 52%; Lucio GUTIERREZ 28.2%; Alvaro NOBOA 11.4%; other 8.4%

elections

the president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a four-year term and can be re-elected for another consecutive term; election last held on 26 April 2009 (next to be held in 2013)

head of government

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

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; the flag retains the three main colors of the banner of Gran Columbia, the South American republic that broke up in 1830; the yellow color represents sunshine, grain, and mineral wealth, blue the sky, sea, and rivers, and red the blood of patriots spilled in the struggle for freedom and justice note: similar to the flag of Colombia, which is shorter and does not bear a coat of arms

Government type

republic

Independence

24 May 1822 (from Spain)

International organization participation

CAN, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

National Court of Justice or Corte Nacional de Justicia (according to the Constitution, justices are elected through a procedure overseen by the Judiciary Council); Constitutional Court or Corte Constitucional (Constitutional Court justices are appointed by a commission composed of two delegates each from the Executive, Legislative, and Transparency branches of government)

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (124 seats; members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system to serve four-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAIS 59, PSP 19, PSC 11, PRIAN 7, MPD 5, PRE 3, other 20; note - defections by members of National Assembly are commonplace, resulting in frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the various parties

elections

last held on 26 April 2009 (next to be held in 2013)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Juan Leon MERA/Antonio NEUMANE note: adopted 1948; Juan Leon MERA wrote the lyrics in 1865; only the chorus and second verse are sung

name

"Salve, Oh Patria!" (We Salute You Our Homeland)

National holiday

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

Political parties and leaders

Alianza PAIS movement [Rafael Vicente CORREA Delgado]; Christian Democratic Union or UDC [Luis ACOSTA Moreta]; Democratic Left or ID [Dalton BACIGALUPO]; Ethical and Democratic Network or RED [Martha ROLDOS]; Institutional Renewal and National Action Party or PRIAN [Vicente TAIANO]; Pachakutik Plurinational Unity Movement - New Country or MUPP-NP [Jorge GUAMAN Coronel]; Patriotic Society Party or PSP [Lucio GUTIERREZ Borbua]; Popular Democratic Movement or MPD [Luis VILLACIS]; Roldosist Party or PRE [Abdala BUCARAM Pulley, director]; Social Christian Party or PSC [Pascual DEL CIOPPO]; Socialist Party - Broad Front or PS-FA [Silvia SALGADO]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or CONAIE [Marlon SANTI, president]; Coordinator of Social Movements or CMS [F. Napoleon SALTOS]; Federation of Indigenous Evangelists of Ecuador or FEINE [Manuel CHUGCHILAN, president]; National Federation of Indigenous Afro-Ecuatorianos and Peasants or FENOCIN [Luis Alberto ANDRANGO Cadena, president]

Suffrage

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

Agriculture - products

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

Central bank discount rate

9.19% (31 December 2009) 9.14% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

19% (31 December 2009) 9.14% (31 December 2008)

Current account balance

-$692 million (2010 est.) -$337.4 million (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$14.71 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $13.48 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

47.9 (2009) 50.5 (2006) note: data are for urban households

Economy - overview

Ecuador is substantially dependent on its petroleum resources, which have accounted for more than half of the country's export earnings and one-fourth of public sector revenues in recent years. In 1999/2000, Ecuador suffered a severe economic crisis, with GDP contracting by more than 6%. Poverty increased significantly, the banking system collapsed, and Ecuador defaulted on its external debt later that year. In March 2000, the Congress approved a series of structural reforms that also provided for the adoption of the US dollar as legal tender. Dollarization stabilized the economy, and positive growth returned in the years that followed, helped by high oil prices, remittances, and increased non-traditional exports. From 2002-06 the economy grew 5.5%, the highest five-year average in 25 years. After moderate growth in 2007, the economy reached a growth rate of 7.2% in 2008, in large part due to high global petroleum prices. President Rafael CORREA, who took office in January 2007, defaulted on Ecuador's sovereign debt in December 2008, refusing to make payment on $3.2 billion in international bonds, representing over 80% of Ecuador's private external debt. Economic policies under the CORREA administration - including an announcement in late 2009 terminating 13 bilateral investment treaties - have generated economic uncertainty and discouraged private investment. The Ecuadorian economy slowed to 0.4% growth in 2009 due to the global financial crisis, and the sharp decline in world oil prices and remittance flows, but picked up to a 2.4% growth rate in 2010.

Electricity - consumption

15.81 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

20.68 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports

1.12 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production

16.42 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Exchange rates

1 (2010), 1 (2009) note: the US dollar is legal tender

Exports

$17.37 billion (2010 est.) $14.35 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum, bananas, cut flowers, shrimp, cacao, coffee, hemp, wood, fish

Exports - partners

US 33.5%, Peru 6.8%, Chile 6.5%, Columbia 4.9%, Colombia 4.58%, Russia 4.11% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

6.8%

industry

32.9%

services

60.3% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$7,800 (2010 est.) $7,700 (2009 est.) $7,800 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

2.4% (2010 est.) 0.4% (2009 est.) 7.2% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$61.49 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$114.7 billion (2010 est.) $112 billion (2009 est.) $111.6 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.2% highest 10%: 43.3% note: data for urban households only (2007)

Imports

$17.65 billion (2010 est.) $14.27 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

industrial materials, fuels and lubricants, nondurable consumer goods

Imports - partners

US 25.4%, Columbia 10.6%, Venezuela 6.5%, Brazil 4.5%, Brazil 4.35% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

2% (2010 est.)

Industries

petroleum, food processing, textiles, wood products, chemicals

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.6% (2010 est.) 8.4% (2008 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

23.7% of GDP (2010 est.)

Labor force

4.59 million (urban) (2010 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

8.3%

industry

21.2%

services

70.4% (2005)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$4.248 billion (31 December 2009) $4.562 billion (31 December 2008) $4.266 billion (31 December 2007)

Natural gas - consumption

260 million cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

260 million cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

7.985 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

181,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

327,600 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - imports

54,190 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

485,700 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

6.542 billion bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

35.1% (2008)

Public debt

23.1% of GDP (2010 est.) 19.7% of GDP (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$3.59 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $3.792 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$18.62 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $15.47 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$NA (31 December 2010 est.) $8.019 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$12.3 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $11.95 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$14.92 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $12.31 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$6.198 billion (31 December 2010 est) $5.201 billion (31 December 2009 est)

Unemployment rate

7.6% (2010 est.) 8.5% (2009 est.)

Broadcast media

private broadcast media dominate; all stations are privately-owned except for 1 government-controlled station; multiple television networks, a number of national TV channels, and a large number of local channels; more than 400 radio stations; broadcast media required by law to give the government free air time to broadcast programs produced by the state (2007)

Internet country code

.ec

Internet hosts

67,975 (2010)

Internet users

3.352 million (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

fixed-line services provided by multiple telecommunications operators; fixed-line teledensity stands at about 14 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular use has surged and subscribership reached about 95 per 100 persons in 2009

general assessment

generally elementary but being expanded

international

country code - 593; landing points for the PAN-AM and South America-1 submarine cables that provide links to the west coast of South America, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, and extending onward to Aruba and the US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)

Telephones - main lines in use

2.004 million (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

13.635 million (2009)

Airports

428 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

105 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 25 under 914 m: 55 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

323 914 to 1,523 m: 39 under 914 m: 284 (2010)

Heliports

2 (2010)

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 1, chemical tanker 3, liquefied gas 1, passenger 9, petroleum tanker 26, refrigerated cargo 1

registered in other countries

7 (Bolivia 1, Panama 6) (2010)

total

41

Pipelines

extra heavy crude 435 km; gas 5 km; oil 1,374 km; refined products 1,301 km (2009)

Ports and terminals

Esmeraldas, Guayaquil, Manta, Puerto Bolivar

Railways

narrow gauge

965 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)

total

965 km

Roadways

paved

6,472 km

total

43,670 km

unpaved

37,198 km (2006)

Waterways

1,500 km (most inaccessible) (2010)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 3,662,176 females age 16-49: 3,781,102 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 2,770,465 females age 16-49: 3,217,235 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

145,184 (2010 est.)

male

150,296

Military branches

Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry, Naval Aviation, Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana, FAE) (2007)

Military expenditures

0.9% of GDP (2009)

Military service age and obligation

20 years of age for selective conscript military service; 12-month service obligation (2008)

Disputes - international

organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia penetrate across Ecuador's shared border, which thousands of Colombians also cross to escape the violence in their home country

Illicit drugs

significant transit country for cocaine originating in Colombia and Peru, with much of the US-bound cocaine passing through Ecuadorian Pacific waters; 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 (2008) page last updated on January 19, 2011 ======================================================================

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

11,526 (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 (2007)