World Facts

conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador
Capital: Quito
Type of Government: 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
Age Structure: 0-14 years: 33.5% (male 2,282,252/female 2,195,942)
Agriculture: bananas, coffee, cocoa, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca), plantains, sugarcane; cattle, sheep, pigs, beef, pork, dairy products; balsa wood; fish, shrimp
Airports: 205 (2004 est.)
With Paved Runways: total: 85
With Unpaved Runways:
Area: total: 283,560 sq km. slightly smaller than Nevada
Background: The "Republic of the Equator" was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are 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. Although Ecuador marked 25 years of civilian governance in 2004, the period has been marred by political instability. Seven presidents have governed Ecuador since 1996.
Birth rate: 22.67 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget: revenues: $8.822 billion
Coastline: 2,237 km-
Climate: tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands
Communications:
Constitution: 10-Aug-98
Currency: US dollar (USD)
Current account balance: $58 million (2005 est.)
Death rate: 4.24 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external: $17.01 billion (31 December 2004 est.)-
Dependency status: -
Dependent areas:
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Linda J. JEWELL
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Luis Benigno GALLEGOS Chiriboga
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: -42
Economic aid - donor:
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-fourth 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, and the new government under Alfredo PALACIO has proposed economic reforms to reduce Ecuador's vulnerability to petroleum price swings and financial crises. High oil prices have kept the current account in surplus. PALACIO is committed to spending a part of the oil windfall on social projects.
Electricity - consumption:
Electricity - exports:
Electricity - imports:
Electricity - production:
Elevation extremes: 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
Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish and others 7%, black 3%
Exchange rates: 25,000 (2005), 25,000 (2004), 25,000 (2003), 25,000 (2002), 24,988 (2001)
Executive branch: chief of state: President Alfredo PALACIO (since 20 April 2005); Vice President Nicanor Alejandro SERRANO Aguilar (since 5 May 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; former President Lucio GUTIERREZ was removed from office by congress effective 20 April 2005
Exports: $9.224 billion (2005 est.)
Exports - partners: US 42.9%, Panama 14.3%, Peru 7.9%, Italy 4.6% (2004)
Fiscal year: calendar year
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
GDP (official exchange rate): $31.36 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity): $52.66 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 7.4%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,900 (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates: 2 00 S, 77 30 W
Geography - note: Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world-
Government - note:
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.)
Heliports: 1 (2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2%
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, especially vulnerable along the border with Colombia; increased activity on the northern frontier by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents
Imports: $8.436 billion (2005 est.)
Imports - partners: US 16.5%, Colombia 14.1%, China 9.2%, Venezuela 7.1%, Brazil 6.5%, Chile 4.6%, Japan 4.5%, Mexico 4.3% (2004)
Independence: 24 May 1822 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate: 4.5% (2005 est.)
Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, wood products, chemicals
Infant mortality rate: total: 23.66 deaths/1,000 live births
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2% (2005 est.)
International organization participation: CAN, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Internet country code: .ec
Internet hosts: 3,188 (2003)
Internet users: 569,700 (2003)
Investment (gross fixed): 22% of GDP (2005 est.)
Irrigated land: 8,650 sq km (1998 est.)
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: 4.6 million (urban) (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Land boundaries: total: 2,010 km
Land use: arable land: 5.85%
Languages: Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)
Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch:
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.21 years
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Location: Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru-
Major infectious diseases:
Manpower available for military service: males age 20-49: 2,792,770 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 20-49: 2,338,428 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males: 133,922 (2005 est.)
Map references: South America
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 200 nm
Median age: total: 23.27 years
Merchant marine: total: 31 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 241,403 GRT/391,898 DWT-
Military - note:
Military branches: Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry, Naval Aviation, Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana, FAE)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $655 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.2% (2004)
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: noun: Ecuadorian(s)-
Natural gas - consumption: -
Natural gas - exports: -
Natural gas - imports:
Natural gas - production: -
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Natural hazards: frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts
Natural resources: petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower
Net migration rate: -6.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: 155,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: 387,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - imports: NA (2001)
Oil - production: 493,200 bbl/day (2005 est.)-
Oil - proved reserves: -
People - note: -
Political parties and leaders: Concentration of Popular Forces or CFP [Averroes BUCARAM]; Democratic Left or ID [Guillermo LANDAZURI]; National Action Institutional Renewal Party or PRIAN [Alvaro NOBOA]; Pachakutik Movement [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: 13,363,593 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line: 45% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.24% (2005 est.)
Ports and terminals: Esmeraldas, Guayaquil, La Libertad, Manta, Puerto Bolivar
Public debt: 44.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 392, FM 35, shortwave 29 (2001)
Railways: total: 966 km-
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.618 billion (2005 est.)
Roadways: total: 43,197 km
Sex ratio:
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal, compulsory for literate persons ages 18-65, optional for other eligible voters
Telephone system: general assessment: generally elementary but being expanded
Telephones - main lines in use: 1.549 million (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 2,394,400 (2003)
Television broadcast stations: 7 (plus 14 repeaters) (2001)
Terrain: coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)
Total fertility rate: 2.72 children born/woman (2005 est.)-
Transportation - note:
Unemployment rate: 11.2%; note - underemployment of 47% (2005 est.)-
Waterways: