Introduction

Background: The "Republic of the Equator" was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are 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. Seven presidents have governed Ecuador since 1996.

Geography

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: territorial sea: 200 nm; continental shelf: 100 nm from 2,500 meter isobath

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)

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

Natural resources: petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 5.85%; permanent crops: 4.93%; other: 89.22% (2001)

Irrigated land: 8,650 sq km (1998 est.)

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

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

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

People

Population: 13,363,593 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 33.5% (male 2,282,252/female 2,195,942); 15-64 years: 61.5% (male 4,094,146/female 4,130,096); 65 years and over: 4.9% (male 310,336/female 350,821) (2005 est.)

Median age: total: 23.27 years; male: 22.82 years; female: 23.74 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.24% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 22.67 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 4.24 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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 (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 23.66 deaths/1,000 live births; male: 28.36 deaths/1,000 live births; female: 18.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.21 years; male: 73.35 years; female: 79.22 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.72 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 21,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,700 (2003 est.)

Nationality: noun: Ecuadorian(s); adjective: Ecuadorian

Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish and others 7%, black 3%

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%

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

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write; total population: 92.5%; male: 94%; female: 91% (2003 est.)

Government

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

Government type: republic

Capital: Quito

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

Independence: 24 May 1822 (from Spain)

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

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 Alfredo PALACIO (since 20 April 2005); Vice President Nicanor Alejandro SERRANO Aguilar (since 5 May 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; former President Lucio GUTIERREZ was removed from office by congress effective 20 April 2005; head of government: President Alfredo PALACIO (since 20 April 2005); Vice President Nicanor Alejandro SERRANO Aguilar (since 5 May 2005); 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 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%; note - Vice President Alfredo PALACIO assumed the presidency on 20 April 2005 after congress removed Lucio GUTIERREZ from office

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 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 (according to 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)

Economy

Economy - overview: Ecuador has substantial petroleum resources, which have accounted for 40% of the country's export earnings and one-fourth of central government budget 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 - January 2003 to April 2005 - Ecuador benefited from higher world petroleum prices, but the government has made little progress on economic reforms necessary to reduce Ecuador's vulnerability to petroleum price swings and financial crises.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $49.51 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5.8% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 8.7%; industry: 30.5%; services: 60.9% (2004 est.)

Labor force: 4.53 million (urban) (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 8%, industry 24%, services 68% (2001)

Unemployment rate: 11.1%; note - underemployment of 47% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line: 45% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2%; highest 10%: 32%; note: data for urban households only (October 2003)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 42; note: data are for urban households (2003)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 20.6% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget: revenues: $7.9 billion; expenditures: planned $7.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2004 est.)

Public debt: 49.2% of GDP (2004 est.)

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

Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, wood products, chemicals

Industrial production growth rate: 10% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production: 81.27 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - consumption: 75.58 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)

Oil - production: 523,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption: 129,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: 387,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - imports: NA

Oil - proved reserves: 4.408 billion bbl (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production: 160 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 160 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 106.5 billion cu m (2004)

Current account balance: $261.1 million (2004 est.)

Exports: $7.56 billion (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities: petroleum, bananas, cut flowers, shrimp

Exports - partners: US 48.3%, Colombia 5.5%, Germany 4.8% (2004)

Imports: $7.65 billion (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities: vehicles, medicinal products, telecommunications equipment, electricity

Imports - partners: US 24.5%, Colombia 12.7%, Venezuela 8.3%, Brazil 5.8%, Chile 4.9%, China 4.8%, Japan 4.3% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.436 billion (December 2004 est.)

Debt - external: $16.81 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $216 million (2002)

Currency (code): US dollar (USD)

Exchange rates: 25,000 (2004), 25,000 (2003), 25,000 (2002), 25,000 (2001), 24,988 (2000)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 1.549 million (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 2,394,400 (2003)

Telephone 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)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 392, FM 35, shortwave 29 (2001)

Television broadcast stations: 7 (plus 14 repeaters) (2001)

Internet country code: .ec