Ecuador
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The Republic of Ecuador (Spanish:
República del Ecuador, IPA [re'puβlika ðel
ekwa'ðoɾ]) is a country in northwestern South
America, bounded by Colombia on the north, by
Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific
Ocean on the west. The country also includes the
Galápagos Islands (Archipelago de Colón) in the
Pacific, about 965 kilometers (about 600 mi)
west of the mainland. Named after the Spanish
word for equator, Ecuador straddles the equator
and has an area of 272,045 square kilometers
(105,037 mi²). Quito is the country’s capital.
Quito
Guayaquil
Politics
Main article: Politics of Ecuador
Current President of Ecuador, Alfredo PalacioThe
constitution provides for concurrent 4-year
terms of office for the president, vice
president, and members of Congress. Presidents
may be re-elected after an intervening term,
while legislators may be re-elected immediately.
The executive branch includes 15 ministries.
Provincial governors and councilors, like mayors
and aldermen and parish boards, are directly
elected. Congress meets throughout the year
except for recess in July and December. There
are twenty 7-member congressional committees.
Justices of the Supreme Court are appointed by
the Congress for indefinite terms.
Foreign relations
Main article: Foreign relations of Ecuador
Ecuador has often placed great emphasis on
multilateral approaches to international issues.
Ecuador is a member of the United Nations (and
most of its specialized agencies) and also is a
member of many regional groups, including the
Rio Group, the Latin American Economic System,
the Latin American Energy Organization, the
Latin American Integration Association, and The
Andean Pact.
Geography
Rural Highland Landscape, Tungurahua,
EcuadorMain article: Geography of Ecuador
Ecuador has three main geographic regions, plus
an insular region in the Pacific Ocean.
The Costa comprises the low-lying litoral lying
in the western part of the country. Its
coastlines are on the Pacific.
The Sierra region is the mountainous,
high-altitude vertical belt running along the
centre of the country. This region's topography
is as a result of the Andes mountain range
running along it.
The Oriente (literally "East") comprises the
Amazon rainforest areas in the eastern part of
the country, accounting for just under half of
the country's total surface area, though
populated by under 5% of the population.
Finally, the Región Insular is the region
comprising the Galápagos Islands, some 1,000
kilometers (620 mi) west of the mainland in the
Pacific Ocean.
Ecuador's capital is Quito, and is located in
the province of Pichincha in the Sierra region.
Its largest city is Guayaquil, located in the
province of Guayas in the Costa. Cotopaxi, which
is located just south of Quito, in the
neighbouring province of that same name, is the
country's and the world's highest active
volcano.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Ecuador
Ecuador's population is ethnically diverse. The
largest ethnic group is comprised of Mestizos,
the mixed descendants of Spanish colonists and
indigenous Amerindians, who constitute just over
65% of the population. Amerindians are second in
numbers and account for approximately a quarter
of the current population, around 25%. Whites
are mainly criollos, the unmixed descendants of
Spanish colonists, and account for 7%. The small
Afro-Ecuadorian minority — including Mulattos
and zambos — constitutes the remainder.
Ecuadorians were heavily concentrated in the
mountainous central highland region a few
decades ago, however, 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
about 55%. 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. The
primary reasons for this were the economic and
political upheaval that engulfed the country
following Mahuad's ouster. Preferred
destinations for emigrants include Spain, the
U.S., and Italy. The tropical forest region to
the east of the mountains remains sparsely
populated and contains only about 3% of the
population.
Although the constitution demands that 30% of
gross revenue be dedicated to education, the
government’s stated goal is to dedicate 11% of
the budget. It is estimated that gross domestic
product (GDP) spending will reach 4% in 2003.
The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) places adult
literacy at 90%, but notes that this rate has
been stagnant for more than ten years. The UN
Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) reports that only 87% of
the primary school teachers and 72% of high
school teachers have received training. The
public education system is tuition-free, and
attendance is mandatory from ages five to
fourteen. However, the Ministry of Education
reports that only 10% of five year olds actually
have access to daily education and that only 66%
of youngsters finish six years of schooling. In
rural areas, only 10% of the youngsters go on to
high school. Ministry statistics give the mean
number of years completed as 6.7. Ecuador has
sixty one universities, many of which now offer
graduate degrees, although only 18% of the
faculty in public universities possess graduate
degrees themselves. Public universities have an
open admissions policy, but some departments
have recently implemented admissions standards.
The new Board of Higher Education (CONESUP) is
working to promote the introduction of teacher
evaluation and a national accreditation system.
There are also more than 300 Higher Institutes,
offering two to three years of post-secondary
vocational or technical training. The Higher
Education Reform Act transferred oversight of
these poorly regulated institutes from the
Ministry of Education to the CONESUP.
Religion
Iglesia de San Francisco, Quito, EcuadorAround
94% of Ecuadorians are Roman Catholic. Much of
the population is practicing and attend mass
regularly. In the rural parts of Ecuador
indigenous beliefs and Christianity have been
fused together.
Like every Latin American nation, Protestant
Evangelicalism has had massive growth,
especially in the rural poor areas, though it
has been met by many who are reluctant to
convert. Other Christian groups like Jehovah's
Witness number 50,843 (as of 2005) and is
growing. Mormons have also seen increasing
numbers.
There is a small Muslim minority numbering a
couple of thousand. The Jewish community numbers
just over 1,000 individuals and is mostly of
German origin.
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Background:
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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. |
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Location:
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Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean
at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,010 km
border countries: Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420
km |
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Ethnic groups:
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mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Amerindian
25%, Spanish and others 7%, black 3%
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Religions:
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Roman
Catholic 95%
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Languages:
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Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially
Quechua) |
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Currency:
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US
dollar (USD)
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Currency code:
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USD
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Exchange rates:
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sucres per US dollar - 25,000.0 (January 2002),
25,000.0 (2001), 24,988.4 (2000), 11,786.8 (1999),
5,446.6 (1998), 3,988.3 (1997)
note: on 13 March 2000, the National Congress
approved a new exchange system whereby the US dollar
was adopted as the main legal tender in Ecuador for
all purposes; on 20 March 2000, the Central Bank of
Ecuador started to exchange sucres for US dollars at
a fixed rate of 25,000 sucres per US dollar; since
30 April 2000, all transactions are denominated in
US dollars |
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