Ecuador
Republic of Ecuador conventional short form: Ecuador local long form: Republica del Ecuador local short form: Ecuador
republicIndependence 24 May 1822 (from Spain)
Ecuador as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 118 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
The "Republic of the Equator" was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being 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.
Geography
Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru
18 fieldsLocation
Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru
Climate
tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands
Terrain
coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)
Land use
arable land: 6% permanent crops: 5% permanent pastures: 18% forests and woodland: 56% other: 15% (1993 est.)
Environment - current issues
- deforestation;
- soil erosion;
- desertification;
- water pollution;
- pollution from oil production wastes
Environment - international agreements
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
People
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2001 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 35.8% (male 2,398,801; female 2,320,537) 15-64 years: 59.81% (male 3,900,193; female 3,984,797) 65 years and over: 4.39% (male 269,372; female 310,278) (2001 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 71.33 years male: 68.52 years female: 74.28 years (2001 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90.1% male: 92% female: 88.2% (1995 est.)
Government
Republic; President Gustavo NOBOA Bejarano (since 22 January 2000) selected president following coup that deposed President MAHUAD
20 fieldsNational Congress or Congreso Nacional, 121 seatsone dot, one seat
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador conventional short form: Ecuador local long form: Republica del Ecuador local short form: Ecuador
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal, compulsory for literate persons ages 18-65, optional for other eligible voters
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Gustavo NOBOA Bejarano (since 22 January 2000) selected president following coup that deposed President MAHUAD;
- Vice President Pedro PINTO Rubianes (since 28 January 2000) elected by National Congress from a slate of candidates submitted by President NABOA;
- note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Gustavo NOBOA Bejarano (since 22 January 2000) selected president following coup that deposed President MAHUAD;
- Vice President Pedro PINTO Rubianes (since 28 January 2000) elected by National Congress from a slate of candidates submitted by President NABOA;
- note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year term (no reelection);
- election last held 31 May 1998;
- runoff election held 12 July 1998 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: results of the last election prior to the coup were: Jamil MAHUAD elected president;
- percent of vote - 51% note: a military-indigenous coup toppled democratically elected President Jamil MAHAUD on 21 January 2000;
- the military quickly handed power over to Vice President Gustavo NOBOA on 22 January;
- National Congress then elected a new vice president from a slate of candidates submitted by NOBOA;
- the new administration is scheduled to complete the remainder of MAHAUD's term, due to expire in January 2003
Legislative branch
- unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (121 seats; 79 members are popularly elected at-large nationally to serve four-year terms; 42 members are popularly elected by province - two per province - for four-year terms) elections: last held 31 May 1998 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%;
- seats by party - DP 32, PSC 27, PRE 24, ID 18, P-NP 9, FRA 5, PCE 3, MPD 2, CFP 1;
- note - defections by members of National Congress are commonplace, resulting in frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the various parties
Political parties and leaders
- Concentration of Popular Forces or CFP [Averroes BUCARAM];
- Democratic Left or ID [Rodrigo BORJA Cevallos];
- Ecuadorian Conservative Party or PCE [Sixto DURAN Ballen];
- Independent National Movement or MIN [leader NA];
- Pachakutik-New Country or P-NP [Rafael PANDAM];
- Popular Democracy or DP [Ramiro RIVERA];
- Popular Democratic Movement or MPD [leader NA];
- Radical Alfarista Front or FRA [Fabian ALARCON, director];
- Roldosist Party or PRE [Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz, director];
- Social Christian Party or PSC [Jaime NEBOT Saadi, president]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or CONAIE [Antonio VARGAS];
- Coordinator of Social Movements or CMS [F. Napoleon SANTOS];
- Popular Front or FP [Luis VILLACIS]
International organization participation
CAN, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Ivonne A-BAKI chancery: 2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 234-7200
FAX
[1] (202) 667-3482 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Gwen C. CLARE embassy: Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida Patria, Quito mailing address: APO AA 34039 telephone: [593] (2) 562-890
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 has substantial oil resources and rich agricultural areas.
32 fieldsTrading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
Ecuador has substantial oil resources and rich agricultural areas. Because the country exports primary products such as oil, bananas, and shrimp, fluctuations in world market prices can have a substantial domestic impact. Ecuador joined the World Trade Organization in 1996, but has failed to comply with many of its accession commitments.
In recent years, growth has been uneven due to ill-conceived fiscal stabilization measures. The aftermath of El Nino and depressed oil market of 1997-98 drove Ecuador's economy into a free-fall in 1999. The beginning of 1999 saw the banking sector collapse, which helped precipitate an unprecedented default on external loans later that year.
Continued economic instability drove a 70% depreciation of the currency throughout 1999, which eventually forced a desperate government to "dollarize" the currency regime in 2000. The move stabilized the currency, but did not stave off the ouster of the government. The new president, Gustavo NOBOA has yet to complete negotiations for a long sought IMF accord. He will find it difficult to push through the reforms necessary to make "dollarization" work in the long run.
Budget
revenues: planned $5.1 billion (not including revenue from potential privatizations) expenditures: $5.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999)
Industries
petroleum, food processing, textiles, metal work, paper products, wood products, chemicals, plastics, fishing, lumber
Agriculture - products
- bananas, coffee, cocoa, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca), plantains, sugarcane;
- cattle, sheep, pigs, beef, pork, dairy products;
- balsa wood;
- fish, shrimp
Exchange rates
- sucres per US dollar - 25,000 (January 2001), 24,988.4 (2000), 11,786.8 (1999), 5,446.6 (1998), 3,988.3 (1997), 3,189.5 (1996) note: on 7 January 2000, the government passed a decree "dollarizing" the economy;
- on 13 March 2000, the National Congress approved a new exchange system whereby the US dollar is adopted as the main legal tender in Ecuador for all purposes;
- on 20 March 2000, the Central Bank of Ecuador started to exchange sucres for US dollars at a fixed rate of 25,000 sucres per US dollar;
- since 30 April 2000, all transactions are denominated in US dollars
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone system
general assessment: NA domestic: facilities generally inadequate and unreliable international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Transportation
10 fieldsMerchant marine
total: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 233,312 GRT/385,784 DWT ships by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 22, specialized tanker 1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 59 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 19 (2000 est.)
Military
Army (Ejercito Ecuatoriano), Navy (Armada Ecuatoriana, includes Marines), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana), National Police (Policia Nacional)
7 fieldsMilitary branches
Army (Ejercito Ecuatoriano), Navy (Armada Ecuatoriana, includes Marines), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana), National Police (Policia Nacional)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsIllicit drugs
- significant transit country for cocaine and derivatives of coca originating in Colombia and Peru;
- importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics;
- important money-laundering hub;
- increased activity on the northern frontier by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Ecuador.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/ecuador/2001.