Ecuador

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.

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

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

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

0-14 years:

34.9% (male 2,430,303; female 2,351,166)

15-64 years:

60.6% (male 4,116,289; female 4,198,667)

65 years and over:

4.5% (male 284,082; female 329,727) (2003 est.)

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:

0.86 male(s)/female

total population:

0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

noun:

Ecuadorian(s)

adjective:

Ecuadorian

conventional long form:

Republic of Ecuador

conventional short form:

Ecuador

local short form:

Ecuador

local long form:

Republica del Ecuador

• 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

chief of state:

• President Lucio GUTIERREZ (since 15 January 2003);
• Vice President Alfredo PALACIO (since 15 January 2003);
• note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

elections:

• the president and vice president are elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year term (no reelection);
• election last held 20 October 2002;
• runoff election held 24 November 2002 (next to be held NA October 2006)

head of government:

• President Lucio GUTIERREZ (since 15 January 2003);
• Vice President Alfredo PALACIO (since 15 January 2003);
• note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president

election results:

• results of the 24 November 2002 runoff election - Lucio GUTIERREZ elected president;
• percent of vote - Lucio GUTIERREZ 54.3%;
• Alvaro NOBOA 45.7%

• Concentration of Popular Forces or CFP [Averroes BUCARAM];
• Democratic Left or ID [Rodrigo BORJA Cevallos];
• National Action Institutional Renewal Party or PRIAN [leader NA];
• Pachakutik Movement [Miguel LLUCO];
• Patriotic Society Party or PSP [leader NA];
• 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 [Pascual DEL CIOPPO];
• Socialist Party or PS [leader NA]

• Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or CONAIE [Leonidas IZA, 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];
• Popular Front or FP [Luis VILLACIS]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Raul GANGOTENA Rivadeneira

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and San Francisco

FAX:

[1] (202) 667-3482

telephone:

[1] (202) 234-7200

chancery:

2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission:

Ambassador Kristie Anne KENNEY

embassy:

Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida Patria, Quito

mailing address:

APO AA 34039

telephone:

[593] (2) 256-2890

FAX:

[593] (2) 250-2052

consulate(s) general:

Guayaquil

• 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

lowest 10%:

2.2%

highest 10%:

33.8% (1995)

revenues:

$5.6 billion

expenditures:

planned $5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

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

general assessment:

generally elementary but being expanded

domestic:

facilities generally inadequate and unreliable

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

total:

966 km

narrow gauge:

966 km 1.067-m gauge (2002)

total:

43,197 km

paved:

8,164 km

unpaved:

35,033 km (2000)

total:

33 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 239,276 GRT/392,048 DWT

note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Chile 1, Greece 1 (2002 est.)

ships by type:

cargo 2, chemical tanker 3, liquefied gas 1, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 23, specialized tanker 1

• significant transit country for cocaine originating in Colombia and Peru;
• importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics;
• dollarization may raise the volume of money-laundering activity, especially along the border with Colombia;
• increased activity on the northern frontier by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents