Ecuador

Republic of EcuadorRepublica del Ecuador

republicIndependence 24 May 1822 (from Spain)

Ecuador as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 78 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalQuito

Area283,560 km2

LocationWestern South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator between

Populationas each edition published it

10.46 million July 1993 est. · 10.51m in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.07% 1993 est. · 0.91% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 22.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

69.61 years 1993 est. · 74.9 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

3.19 children per woman 1993 est. · 3.8 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

40.8 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 61 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$1,100 1992 · $13,900 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

3% 1992 · -2% in 2025

Geography

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

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Land useshare of 283,560 km2

arable land 6%permanent crops 3%meadows and pastures 17%forest and woodland 51%other 23%irrigated 5,500 km2 (1989 est.)

Area

283,560km2

land area: 276,840 km2comparative area: slightly smaller than Nevadanote: includes Galapagos Islands

Coastline

2,237km

continental shelf: claims continental shelf between mainland and Galapagos Islandsterritorial sea: 200 nm

Land boundaries

2,010km

total · Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km

Location

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

Map references

South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

International disputes

three sections of the boundary with Peru are in dispute

Climate

tropical along coast becoming cooler inland

Terrain

coastal plain (Costa), inter-Andean central highlands (Sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (Oriente)

Environment

subject to frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity;
deforestation;
desertification;
soil erosion;
periodic droughts

Note

Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world

People

14 fields

Population

10,461,072

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 2.07% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

26.54Death

5.8Net migration

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years69.61

67.09 · 72.25

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy86%

88% · 84%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1990)

Ethnic divisions

mestizo (mixed Indian and Spanish) 55%Indian 25%Spanish 10%black 10%

Labor force

2.8million

by occupation: agriculture 35%, manufacturing 21%, commerce 16%, services and other activities 28% (1982)

Infant mortality rate

40.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Ecuadorian(s)
adjective:: Ecuadorian

Languages

Spanish (official), Indian languages (especially Quechua)

Government

Republic

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Names

conventional long form:: Republic of Ecuador
conventional short form:: Ecuador
local long form:: Republica del Ecuador
local short form:: Ecuador

Administrative divisions

21 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia);
Azuay, Bolivar, Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Galapagos, Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Manabi, Morona-Santiago, Napo, Pastaza, Pichincha, Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Zamora-Chinchipe

Legal system

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

National holiday

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

Political parties and leaders

Center-Right parties:: Social Christian Party (PSC), Jaime NEBOT Saadi, president;
Republican Unity Party (PUR), President Sixto DURAN-BALLEN, leader;
Conservative Party (CE), Vice President Alberto DAHIK, president
Center-Left parties:: Democratic Left (ID), Andres VALLEJO Arcos, Rodrigo BORJA Cevallos, leaders;
Popular Democracy (DP), Jamil MANUAD Witt, president;
Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party (PLRE), Carlos Luis PLAZA Aray, director;
Radical Alfarista Front (FRA), Jaime ASPIAZU Seminario, director
Populist parties:: Roldista Party (PRE), Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz, director;
Concentration of Popular Forces (CFP), Rafael SANTELICES, director;
Popular Revolutionary Action (APRE), Frank VARGAS Passos, leader;
Assad Bucaram Party (PAB), Avicena BUCARAM, leader;
People, Change, and Democracy (PCD), Raul AULESTIA, director
Far-Left parties:: Popular Democratic Movement (MPD), Jorge Fausto MORENO, director;
Ecuadorian Socialist Party (PSE), Leon ROLDOS, leader;
Broad Leftist Front (FADI), Jose Xavier GARAYCOA, president;
Ecuadorian National Liberation (LN), Alfredo CASTILLO, director
Communists:: Communist Party of Ecuador (PCE, pro-North Korea), Rene Leon Mague MOSWUERRA, secretary general (5,00 members);
Communist Party of Ecuador/Marxist-Leninist (PCMLE, Maoist), leader NA (3,000 members)

Suffrage

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

Elections

President:: runoff election held 5 July 1992 (next to be held NA 1996); results - Sixto DURAN-BALLEN elected as president and Alberto DAHIK elected as vice president
National Congress:: last held 17 May 1992 (next to be held NA May 1994);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (77 total) PSC 20, PRE 15, PUR 12, ID 7, PC 6, DP 5, PSE 3, MPD 3, PLRE 2, CFP 2, FRA 1, APRE 1

Legislative branch

unicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government: President Sixto DURAN-BALLEN (since 10 August 1992); Vice President Alberto DAHIK (since 10 August 1992)

AG, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM, OAS, ONUSAL, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Edgar TERAN
chancery:: 2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:: (202) 234-7200
consulates general:: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco
consulate:: San Diego

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires James F. MACK
embassy:: Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida Patria, Quito
mailing address:: P. O. Box 538, Quito, or APO AA 34039-3420
telephone:: [593] (2) 562-890
FAX:: [593] (2) 502-052
consulate general:: Guayaquil

Flag

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 that is shorter and does not bear a coat of arms

Economy

Ecuador has substantial oil resources and rich agricultural areas.

19 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$1,100

(1992)

Real growth rate

(1992)industrial production growth: growth rate 3.9% (1991); accounts for almost 40% of GDP, including petroleum

Inflation, consumer prices

70%

(1992)

Unemployment rate

(1992)

Budget

Revenues

$1.9 billionExpenditures

$1.9 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)

Overview

Ecuador has substantial oil resources and rich agricultural areas. Growth has been uneven because of natural disasters, fluctuations in global oil prices, and government policies designed to curb inflation. Banana exports, second only to oil, have suffered as a result of EC import quotas and banana blight.

The new President Sixto DURAN-BALLEN, has a much more favorable attitude toward foreign investment than did his predecessor. Ecuador has implemented trade agreements with Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, and Venezuela and has applied for GATT membership. At the end of 1991, Ecuador received a standby IMF loan of $105 million, which will permit the country to proceed with the rescheduling of Paris Club debt.

In September 1992, the government launched a new, macroeconomic program that gives more play to market forces; as of March 1993, the program seemed to be paying off.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $11.8 billion (1992)

Exports

$3.0 billion (f.o.b., 1992)

commodities:: petroleum 42%, bananas, shrimp, cocoa, coffee
partners:: US 53.4%, Latin America, Caribbean, EC countries

Imports

$2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1992)

commodities:: transport equipment, vehicles, machinery, chemicals
partners:: US 32.7%, Latin America, Caribbean, EC countries, Japan

External debt

$12.7 billion (1992)

Electricity

2,921,000 kW capacity; 7,676 million kWh produced, 700 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

petroleum, food processing, textiles, metal works, paper products, wood products, chemicals, plastics, fishing, timber

Agriculture

accounts for 18% of GDP and 35% of labor force (including fishing and forestry);
leading producer and exporter of bananas and balsawood;
other exports - coffee, cocoa, fish, shrimp;
crop production - rice, potatoes, manioc, plantains, sugarcane;
livestock sector - cattle, sheep, hogs, beef, pork, dairy products;
net importer of foodgrains, dairy products, and sugar

Illicit drugs

minor illicit producer of coca following the successful eradication campaign of 1985-87;
significant transit country, however, for derivatives of coca originating in Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru;
importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics;
important money-laundering hub

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $498 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.15 billion;
Communist countries (1970-89), $64 million

Currency

1 sucre (S/) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates

sucres (S/) per US$1 - 1,453.8 (August 1992), 1,046.25 (1991), 869.54 (December 1990), 767.75 (1990), 526.35 (1989), 301.61 (1988)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 45 ships by typeone square, one ship

passenger 2cargo 4refrigerated cargo 17container 4roll-on/roll-off 1oil tanker 15liquefied gas 1bulk 145 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 333,380 GRT/483,862 DWT

Networkskm

Highways

28,000Railroads

965Inland waterways

1,500

Highways: ; 3,600 km paved, 17,400 km gravel and improved earth, 7,000 km unimproved earth · Railroads: ; all 1.067-meter-gauge single track