Ecuador
Republic of EcuadorRepublica del Ecuador
republicIndependence 24 May 1822 (from Spain)
Ecuador as the 2004 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 129 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.
No fields match. Try a shorter word.
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. Although Ecuador marked 25 years of civilian governance in 2004, the period has been marred by political instability. Nine presidents have governed Ecuador since 1996.
Geography
Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru
18 fieldsLand useshare of 283,560 sq km
Location
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)
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
People
19 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2004 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 33.9% (male 2,285,775; female 2,199,356)
- 15-64 years:
- 61.2% (male 4,020,873; female 4,062,672)
- 65 years and over:
- 4.9% (male 302,129; female 341,937) (2004 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.99 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.88 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Government
Republic; President Lucio GUTIERREZ (since 15 January 2003); President Lucio GUTIERREZ (since 15 January 2003)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
National Congress or Congreso Nacional, 100 seats, elected 20 October 2002one 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 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
- 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
- elections:
- the president and vice president are elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a four-year term (no immediate reelection);
- election last held 20 October 2002;
- runoff election held 24 November 2002 (next to be held NA October 2006)
- 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%
Legislative branch
unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (100 seats; members are popularly elected by province to serve four-year terms)
- elections:
- last held 20 October 2002 (next to be held NA October 2006)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - PSC 25, PRE 15, ID 16, PRIAN 10, PSP 9, Pachakutik Movement 6, MPD 5, DP 4, PS-FA 3, independents 7;
- note - defections by members of National Congress are commonplace, resulting in frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the various parties
Judicial branch
- Supreme Court or Corte Suprema;
- note - per 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
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];
- Popular Front or FP [Luis VILLACIS]
International organization participation
CAN, 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
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador (vacant)
- 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 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
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 petroleum resources, which have accounted for 40% of the country's export earnings and one-fourth of public sector revenues in recent years.
46 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2003 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
Ecuador has substantial petroleum resources, which have accounted for 40% of the country's export earnings and one-fourth of public sector 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, who took office in January 2003, Ecuador benefited from higher world petroleum prices, but the government has made little progress on fiscal reforms and reforms of state-owned enterprises necessary to reduce Ecuador's vulnerability to petroleum price swings and financial crises.
Budget
- revenues:
- $6.908 billion
- expenditures:
- planned $6.594 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2003)
Agriculture - products
- bananas, coffee, cocoa, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca), plantains, sugarcane;
- cattle, sheep, pigs, beef, pork, dairy products;
- balsa wood;
- fish, shrimp
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- generally elementary but being expanded
- domestic:
- facilities generally inadequate and unreliable
- international:
- country code - 593; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Transportation
10 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
Merchant marine
- total:
- 34 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 241,403 GRT/391,898 DWT
- by type:
- cargo 2, chemical tanker 4, liquefied gas 1, passenger 5, petroleum tanker 21, specialized tanker 1
- foreign-owned:
- Greece 1, Paraguay 1, Peru 1
- registered in other countries:
- 3 (2004 est.)
Military
Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, National Police
7 fieldsMilitary manpower - military age and obligation
20 years of age for conscript military service; 12-month service obligation (2004)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
the continuing civil disorder in Colombia has created a serious refugee crisis in neighboring states, especially Ecuador
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
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Ecuador.” The World Factbook 2004. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/ecuador/2004.