What is now Ecuador formed part of the northern Inca Empire until the Spanish conquest in 1533. Quito became a seat of Spanish colonial government in 1563 and part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717. The territories of the Viceroyalty - New Granada (Colombia), Venezuela, and Quito - gained their independence between 1819 and 1822 and formed a federation known as Gran Colombia. When Quito withdrew in 1830, the traditional name was changed in favor of the "Republic of the Equator." 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 30 years of civilian governance in 2004, the period was marred by political instability. Protests in Quito contributed to the mid-term ouster of three of Ecuador's last four democratically elected presidents. In late 2008, voters approved a new constitution, Ecuador's 20th since gaining independence. General elections were held in February 2013, and voters reelected President Rafael CORREA.

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

2 00 S, 77 30 W

South America

slightly smaller than Nevada

2,237 km

tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands

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

highest point: Chimborazo 6,267 m

petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower

arable land 4.7%; permanent crops 5.6%; permanent pasture 19.4%

15,000 sq km (2012)

nearly half of the population is concentrated in the interior in the Andean intermontane basins and valleys, with large concentrations also found along the western coastal strip; the rainforests of the east remain sparsely populated

frequent earthquakes; landslides; volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts

deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution; pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas of the Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands

Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world

16,080,778 (July 2016 est.)

mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 71.9%, Montubio 7.4%, Amerindian 7%, white 6.1%, Afroecuadorian 4.3%, mulato 1.9%, black 1%, other 0.4% (2010 est.)

Spanish (Castilian) 93% (official), Quechua 4.1%, other indigenous 0.7%, foreign 2.2%

Roman Catholic 74%, Evangelical 10.4%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other 6.4% (includes Mormon Buddhist, Jewish, Spiritualist, Muslim, Hindu, indigenous religions, African American religions, Pentecostal), atheist 7.9%, agnostic 0.1%

Ecuador's high poverty and income inequality most affect indigenous, mixed race, and rural populations. The government has increased its social spending to ameliorate these problems, but critics question the efficiency and implementation of its national development plan. Nevertheless, the conditional cash transfer program, which requires participants' children to attend school and have medical check-ups, has helped improve educational attainment and healthcare among poor children. Ecuador is stalled at above replacement level fertility and the population most likely will keep growing rather than stabilize.

An estimated 2 to 3 million Ecuadorians live abroad, but increased unemployment in key receiving countries - Spain, the United States, and Italy - is slowing emigration and increasing the likelihood of returnees to Ecuador. The first large-scale emigration of Ecuadorians occurred between 1980 and 2000, when an economic crisis drove Ecuadorians from southern provinces to New York City, where they had trade contacts. A second, nationwide wave of emigration in the late 1990s was caused by another economic downturn, political instability, and a currency crisis. Spain was the logical destination because of its shared language and the wide availability of low-skilled, informal jobs at a time when increased border surveillance made illegal migration to the US difficult. Ecuador has a small but growing immigrant population and is Latin America's top recipient of refugees; 98% are neighboring Colombians fleeing violence in their country.

1.31% (2016 est.)

18.2 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)

5.1 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)

nearly half of the population is concentrated in the interior in the Andean intermontane basins and valleys, with large concentrations also found along the western coastal strip; the rainforests of the east remain sparsely populated

Guayaquil 2.709 million; QUITO (capital) 1.726 million (2015)

64 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

2.22 children born/woman (2016 est.)

9.2% of GDP (2014)

1.72 physicians/1,000 population (2011)

1.6 beds/1,000 population (2011)

urban: 93.4% of population

rural: 75.5% of population

total: 86.9% of population

urban: 6.6% of population

rural: 24.5% of population

total: 13.1% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 87% of population

rural: 80.7% of population

total: 84.7% of population

urban: 13% of population

rural: 19.3% of population

total: 15.3% of population (2015 est.)

0.29% (2015 est.)

29,100 (2015 est.)

900 (2015 est.)

18% (2014)

6.4% (2013)

4.2% of GDP (2012)

presidential republic

24 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, Santa Elena, Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Zamora-Chinchipe

24 May 1822 (from Spain)

Independence Day (independence of Quito), 10 August (1809)

many previous; latest approved 20 October 2008; amended 2011; note - a 2015 constitutional amendment lifting presidential term limits becomes effective in 2021 (2016)

civil law based on the Chilean civil code with modifications; traditional law in indigenous communities

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18-65 years of age, universal and compulsory; 16-18, over 65, and other eligible voters, voluntary

Alianza PAIS movement [Rafael Vicente CORREA Delgado]

Avanza Party or AVANZA [Ramiro GONZALEZ]

Creating Opportunities Movement or CREO [Guillermo LASSO]

Institutional Renewal and National Action Party or PRIAN [Alvaro NOBOA]

Pachakutik Plurinational Unity Movement or MUPP [Rafael ANTUNI]

Patriotic Society Party or PSP [Lucio GUTIERREZ Borbua]

Popular Democracy Movement or MPD [Luis VILLACIS]

Roldosist Party or PRE

Social Christian Party or PSC [Pascual DEL CIOPPO]

Socialist Party [Fabian SOLANO]

Society United for More Action or SUMA [Mauricio RODAS]

Warrior's Spirit Movement [Jaime NEBOT]

Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or CONAIE [Humberto CHOLANGO]

Federation of Indigenous Evangelists of Ecuador or FEINE [Manuel CHUGCHILAN, president]

National Federation of Indigenous Afro-Ecuatorianos and Peasants or FENOCIN

National Teacher's Union or UNE [Mariana PALLASCO]

CAN, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double width), blue, and red with the coat of arms superimposed at the center of the flag; the flag retains the three main colors of the banner of Gran Colombia, the South American republic that broke up in 1830; the yellow color represents sunshine, grain, and mineral wealth, blue the sky, sea, and rivers, and red the blood of patriots spilled in the struggle for freedom and justice

Andean condor; national colors: yellow, blue, red

Ecuador is substantially dependent on its petroleum resources, which have accounted for more than half of the country's export earnings and approximately 25% of public sector revenues in recent years.

In 1999/2000, Ecuador's economy suffered from a banking crisis, with GDP contracting by 5.3% and poverty increasing significantly. In March 2000, the Congress approved a series of structural reforms that also provided for the adoption of the US dollar as legal tender. Dollarization stabilized the economy, and positive growth returned in the years that followed, helped by high oil prices, remittances, and increased non-traditional exports. The economy grew an average of 4.3% per year from 2002 to 2006, the highest five-year average in 25 years. After moderate growth in 2007, the economy reached a growth rate of 6.4% in 2008, buoyed by high global petroleum prices and increased public sector investment. President Rafael CORREA Delgado, who took office in January 2007, defaulted in December 2008 on Ecuador's sovereign debt, which, with a total face value of approximately US$3.2 billion, represented about 30% of Ecuador's public external debt. In May 2009, Ecuador bought back 91% of its "defaulted" bonds via an international reverse auction.

Economic policies under the CORREA administration - for example, an announcement in late 2009 of its intention to terminate 13 bilateral investment treaties, including one with the US - have generated economic uncertainty and discouraged private investment. China has become Ecuador's largest foreign lender since Quito defaulted in 2008, allowing the government to maintain a high rate of social spending; Ecuador contracted with the Chinese government for more than $9.9 billion in forward oil sales, project financing, and budget support loans as of December 2013.

The level of foreign investment in Ecuador continues to be one of the lowest in the region as a result of an unstable regulatory environment, weak rule of law, and the crowding-out effect of public investments. Faced with a 2013 trade deficit of $1.1 billion, Ecuador erected technical barriers to trade in December 2013, causing tensions with its largest trading partners. Ecuador also decriminalized intellectual property rights violations in February 2014. In March, 2015 Ecuador imposed tariff surcharges for 15 months from 5% to 45% on an estimated 32% of imports. In 2014, oil output increased slightly and production remained steady in 2015. In 2015, however, lower oil prices forced CORREA to cut the budget twice, and the government has considered further budget and subsidy cuts for 2016.

$183.4 billion (2015 est.)

$183.3 billion (2014 est.)

$176.8 billion (2013 est.)

$98.83 billion (2015 est.)

0% (2015 est.)

3.7% (2014 est.)

4.6% (2013 est.)

$11,300 (2015 est.)

$11,400 (2014 est.)

$11,200 (2013 est.)

25.2% of GDP (2015 est.)

28.1% of GDP (2014 est.)

27.8% of GDP (2013 est.)

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

petroleum, food processing, textiles, wood products, chemicals

0.3%

4.873 million (2015 est.)

4.3% (2015 est.)

4.3% (2014 est.)

25.6% (December 2013 est)

48.5 (December 2013)

50.5 (December 2010)

34% of GDP (2015 est.)

-5.2% of GDP (2015 est.)

30.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

27.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

calendar year

4% (2015 est.)

3.6% (2014 est.)

8.17% (31 December 2011)

8.68% (31 December 2010)

8.33% (31 December 2015 est.)

8.12% (31 December 2014 est.)

$9.527 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$9.531 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$34.53 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$28.44 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$33.4 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$31.97 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$5.911 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$5.779 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$5.263 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

-$2.819 billion (2015 est.)

-$567 million (2014 est.)

$19.05 billion (2015 est.)

$26.6 billion (2014 est.)

petroleum, bananas, cut flowers, shrimp, cacao, coffee, wood, fish

US 39.5%, Chile 6.2%, Peru 5.1%, Vietnam 4.3%, Colombia 4.3% (2015)

$20.7 billion (2015 est.)

$26.66 billion (2014 est.)

industrial materials, fuels and lubricants, nondurable consumer goods

US 27.1%, China 15.3%, Colombia 8.3%, Panama 4.9% (2015)

$2.496 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$3.949 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$30.79 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$26.33 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$15.63 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$14.57 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$6.33 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$6.33 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

the US dollar became Ecuador's currency in 2001

23 billion kWh (2014 est.)

21 billion kWh (2014 est.)

47 million kWh (2014 est.)

800 million kWh (2014 est.)

6.3 million kW (2014 est.)

57.3% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

41.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

1.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

543,100 bbl/day (2015 est.)

378,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

8.832 billion bbl (1 January 2016 es)

207,300 bbl/day (2013 est.)

282,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

22,890 bbl/day (2013 est.)

133,300 bbl/day (2013 est.)

578 million cu m (2014 est.)

578 million cu m (2014 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

10.99 billion cu m (1 January 2016 es)

38 million Mt (2013 est.)

multiple TV networks and many local channels, as well as more than 300 radio stations; many TV and radio stations are privately owned; the government owns or controls 5 national TV stations and multiple radio stations; broadcast media required by law to give the government free air time to broadcast programs produced by the state (2007)

.ec

HC (2016)

432 (2013)

2 (2013)

extra heavy crude 527 km; gas 71 km; oil 2,131 km; refined products 1,526 km (2013)

1,500 km (most inaccessible) (2012)

the International Maritime Bureau continues to report the territorial and offshore waters as at risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen

Ecuadorian Armed Forces: Ecuadorian Land Force (Fuerza Terrestre Ecuatoriana, FTE), Ecuadorian Navy (Fuerza Naval del Ecuador (FNE), includes Naval Infantry, Naval Aviation, Coast Guard), Ecuadorian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana, FAE) (2012)

18 years of age for selective conscript military service; conscription has been suspended; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; Air Force 18-22 years of age, Ecuadorian birth requirement; 1-year service obligation (2012)

2.83% of GDP (2012)

3.2% of GDP (2011)

2.83% of GDP (2010)