Home>South America>Ecuador

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

Geographic coordinates: 2 00 S, 77 30 W

Map references: South America

Area:
total: 283,560 sq km
land: 276,840 sq km
water: 6,720 sq km
note: includes Galapagos Islands

Area—comparative: slightly smaller than Nevada

Land boundaries:
total: 2,010 km
border countries: Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km

Coastline: 2,237 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: claims continental shelf between mainland and Galapagos Islands
territorial sea: 200 nm

Climate: tropical along coast becoming cooler inland

Terrain: coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chimborazo 6,267 m

Natural resources: petroleum, fish, timber

Land use:
arable land: 6%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 18%
forests and woodland: 56%
other: 15% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 5,560 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; periodic droughts

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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography—note: Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world

Population: 12,562,496 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 35% (male 2,250,690; female 2,172,302)
15-64 years: 60% (male 3,745,390; female 3,833,841)
65 years and over: 5% (male 261,090; female 299,183) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.78% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 22.26 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 5.06 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 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 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 30.69 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.16 years
male: 69.54 years
female: 74.9 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.63 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Ecuadorian(s)
adjective: Ecuadorian

Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and Spanish) 55%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish 10%, black 10%

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%

Languages: Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.1%
male: 92%
female: 88.2% (1995 est.)

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

Data code: EC

Government type: republic

Capital: Quito

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
note: a new province, Orellana, was reported to have been formed in 1998

Independence: 24 May 1822 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 10 August (1809) (independence of Quito)

Constitution: 10 August 1998

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

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

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jamil MAHUAD (since 10 August 1998); Vice President Gustavo NOBOA (since 10 August 1998); note—the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Jamil MAHUAD (since 10 August 1998); Vice President Gustavo NOBOA (since 10 August 1998); 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 terms; election last held 31 May 1998; runoff election held 12 July 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: Jamil MAHUAD elected president; percent of vote—51%

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 May 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

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), new justices are elected by the full Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
Center-Right parties: Social Christian Party or PSC [Jaime NEBOT Saadi, president]; Ecuadorian Conservative Party or PCE [Freddy BRAVO]
Center-Left parties: Democratic Left or ID [Rodrigo BORJA Cevallos]; Popular Democracy or DP [Jamil MAHUAD]; Radical Alfarista Front or FRA [Fabian ALARCON, director]
Populist-Left parties: Roldosist Party or PRE [Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz, director]
Populist parties: Concentration of Popular Forces or CFP [Averroes BUCARAM]; Pachakutik-New Country or P-NP [Nina PACARI and Freddy EHLERS]
Far-Left parties: Popular Democratic Movement or MPD [Jaime HURTADO Gonzalez]

International organization participation: CAN, 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 Leslie M. ALEXANDER
embassy: Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida Patria, Quito
mailing address: APO AA 34039
telephone: [593] (2) 562-890
FAX: [593] (2) 502-052
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 that is shorter and does not bear a coat of arms

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 populist government of Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz proposed a major currency reform in 1996, but popular discontent with BUCARAM'S austerity measures and rampant official corruption led to his replacement by National Congress with Fabian ALARCON in February 1997. ALARCON adopted a minimalist economic program that put off necessary reforms until August 1998 when President Jamil MAHUAD was elected. MAHAUD inherited an economy in crisis due to mismanagement, El Nino damage to key export sectors such as agriculture, and low world commodity prices in the wake of the Asian financial crisis. MAHAUD announced a fiscal austerity package and expressed interest in an IMF agreement but faces major difficulties in promoting economic growth, including possible political objections to further reform.

GDP: purchasing power parity—$58.7 billion (1998 est.)

GDP—real growth rate: 1% (1998 est.)

GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$4,800 (1998 est.)

GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 12%
industry: 37%
services: 51% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line: 35% (1994 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 37.6% (1994)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 43% (1998 est.)

Labor force: 4.2 million

Labor force—by occupation: agriculture 29%, manufacturing 18%, commerce 15%, services and other activities 38% (1990)

Unemployment rate: 12% with widespread underemployment (November 1998 est.)

Budget:
revenues: planned $5.1 billion not including revenue from potential privatizations
expenditures: $5.1 billion (1999)

Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, metal work, paper products, wood products, chemicals, plastics, fishing, lumber

Industrial production growth rate: 2.4% (1997 est.)

Electricity—production: 8.45 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 17.16%
hydro: 82.84%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity—consumption: 8.45 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)

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

Exports: $3.4 billion (f.o.b., 1997)

Exports—commodities: petroleum 30%, bananas 26%, shrimp 16%, cut flowers 2%, fish 1.9%

Exports—partners: US 39%, Latin America 25%, EU countries 22%, Asia 12%

Imports: $2.9 billion (c.i.f., 1997)

Imports—commodities: transport equipment, consumer goods, vehicles, machinery, chemicals

Imports—partners: US 32%, EU 19%, Latin America 35%, Asia 11%

Debt—external: $12.5 billion (1997)

Economic aid—recipient: $695.7 million (1995)

Currency: 1 sucre (S/) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates: sucres (S/) per US$1—7,133.1 (January 1999), 5,446.6 (1998), 3,988.3 (1997), 3,189.5 (1996), 2,564.5 (1995), 2,196.7 (1994)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Telephones: 586,300 (1994 est.)

Telephone system:
domestic: facilities generally inadequate and unreliable
international: satellite earth station—1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 272, FM 0, shortwave 39

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 15 (including one station on the Galapagos Islands) (1997)

Televisions: 940,000 (1992 est.)

Railways:
total: 965 km (single track)
narrow gauge: 965 km 1.067-m gauge

Highways:
total: 42,874 km
paved: 5,752 km
unpaved: 37,122 km (1998 est.)

Waterways: 1,500 km

Pipelines: crude oil 800 km; petroleum products 1,358 km

Ports and harbors: Esmeraldas, Guayaquil, La Libertad, Manta, Puerto Bolivar, San Lorenzo

Merchant marine:
total: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 99,078 GRT/162,423 DWT
ships by type: chemical tanker 2, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 17, passenger 3 (1998 est.)

Airports: 183 (1998 est.)

Airports—with paved runways:
total: 56
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 19 (1998 est.)

Airports—with unpaved runways:
total: 127
914 to 1,523 m: 37
under 914 m: 90 (1998 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1998 est.)

Military branches: Army (Ejercito Ecuatoriano), Navy (Armada Ecuatoriana, includes Marines), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana), National Police

Military manpower—military age: 20 years of age

Military manpower—availability:
males age 15-49: 3,259,534 (1999 est.)

Military manpower—fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 2,199,704 (1999 est.)

Military manpower—reaching military age annually:
males: 130,208 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures—dollar figure: $720 million (1998)

Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 3.4% (1998)

Disputes—international: on October 26, 1998, Peru and Ecuador concluded treaties on commerce and navigation and on boundary integration, to complete a package of agreements settling the long-standing boundary dispute between them; demarcation of the agreed-upon boundary was scheduled to begin in mid-January 1999

Illicit drugs: significant transit country for derivatives of coca originating in Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru; importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics; important money-laundering hub

Source: 1999 CIA World Factbook