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Ecuador

Republic of Ecuador

Geography
Area: 276,840 sq. km; about the size of Colorado.
Cities: Capital--Quito (pop. 1.6 million). Other major cities--Guayaquil (2.4 million).
Terrain: Jungle east of the Andes, a rich agricultural coastal plain west of the Andes, high-elevation valleys through the mountainous center of the country and an archipelago of volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Climate: Varied, mild year-round in the mountain valleys; hot and humid in coastal and Amazonian jungle lowlands.

People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Ecuadorian(s).
Population (July 2007 est.): 13,755,680.
Annual population growth rate (July 2007 est.): 1.55%.
Ethnic groups: Indigenous 25%, mestizo (mixed Indian and Spanish) 65%, Caucasian and others 7%, African 3%.
Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic (95%), but religious freedom recognized.
Languages: Spanish (official), indigenous languages, especially Quichua, the Ecuadorian dialect of Quechua.
Education: Years compulsory--ages 6-14, but enforcement varies. Attendance (through 6th grade)--76% urban, 33% rural. Literacy--92%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--22.1/1,000. Life expectancy--76.62 yrs.

Government
Type: Republic.
Independence: May 24, 1822 (from Spain).
Constitution: August 10, 1998.
Branches: Executive--President and 15 cabinet ministers. Legislative--unicameral Congress. Judicial--Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, Supreme Electoral Tribunal, Provincial Courts, and ordinary civil and criminal judges.
Administrative subdivisions: 22 provinces.
Major political parties: Over a dozen political parties; none predominates, although President Correa's Alianza Pais is ascendant.
Suffrage: Obligatory for literate citizens 18-65 yrs. of age; optional for other eligible voters; active duty military personnel and police may not vote.

Economy
GDP: (2007 est.) $44.4 billion; (2006) $41.4 billion; (2005) $37.2 billion; (2004) $32.6 billion; (2003) $28.6 billion.
Real annual growth rate: 1996, 2.4%; 1997, 4.1%; 1998, 2.1%; 1999, -6.3%; 2000, 2.8%; 2001, 5.3%; 2002, 4.3%; 2003, 3.6%; 2004, 7.9%; 2005, 4.7%; 2006 est., 3.9%.
Per capita GDP: (2007 est.) $3,236; (2006) $3,088; (2005) $2,814; (2004) $2,506; (2003) $2,230.
Natural resources: Petroleum, fish, shrimp, timber, gold.
Agriculture, including seafood (6.1% of GDP in 2006): Products--bananas, seafood, flowers, coffee, cacao, sugar, tropical fruits, palm oil, palm hearts, rice, corn, and livestock.
Industry (8.6% of GDP in 2006; oil and mining--24.3% in 2006): Types--petroleum extraction, food processing, wood products, textiles, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.
Other major contributors to GDP: Commercial trade (wholesale and retail)--11.4% (2006); transportation and communications--7.5% (2006); construction--7.9% (2006).
Trade: Exports--$7.7 billion (2004); $10.1 billion (2005); $12.4 billion (2006). Types--petroleum, bananas, shrimp, coffee, cut flowers cacao, hemp, wood, fish. Major markets (2006)--U.S. 54%, Latin America 24%, European Union (EU) 12%, and Asia 4%. Imports--$7. 5 billion (2004); $9.5 billion (2005); $11.2 billion (2006). Types--industrial materials, nondurable consumer goods, agricultural products. Major suppliers (2006)--Latin America 39%, U.S. 23%, Asia 19%, and EU 9%.
Currency: U.S. dollar.

PEOPLE
Ecuador's population is ethnically mixed. The largest ethnic groups are indigenous and mestizo (mixed Indian-Caucasian). Although Ecuadorians were heavily concentrated in the mountainous central highland region a few decades ago, today's population is divided about equally between that area and the coastal lowlands. Migration toward cities--particularly larger cities--in all regions has increased the urban population to over 60%. The tropical forest region (or Amazon region) to the east of the mountains remains sparsely populated and contains only about 3% of the population. Due to an economic crisis in the late 1990s, more than 600,000 Ecuadorians emigrated to the U.S. and Europe from 2000 to 2001. It is estimated that there are over two million Ecuadorians currently residing in the U.S.

Ecuador