Ecuador Country Specifics

Geography

Ecuador is in the northwest corner of South America

Its continental territory borders Peru to the south and the east, Colombia to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

The Andes Mountains, which cross the country from north to south, divide continental Ecuador into Costa (Coastal Lowlands), Sierra (Highlands), and Oriente (Amazon Region). The Galapagos Islands constitute the fourth distinctive region. Ecuador is divided into 22 provinces.

The Costa extends the length of the coast and offers beautiful unspoiled beaches, some resorts and rich agricultural land.

The Sierra lies between the western and eastern ranges of the Andes Mountains. This valley has been populated for many centuries. Nestled in the valley is Quito, the capital of Ecuador. The Sierra also contains six active volcanoes. The world’s highest active volcano is Cotopaxi, which reaches 5897 meters (19,340 feet).

The Amazon Region begins on the eastern slopes of the Andes. This region, completely covered by the Amazon rainforest, contains vast animal wildlife and vegetation.

The Galapagos are a group of isolated and protected volcanic islands 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador. The vegetation and wildlife have existed in isolation, which makes the Galapagos a fascinating place to visit.

Quito, the capital city, is in setting of great natural beauty, overshadowed by the volcano Pichincha. Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city is also the chief port and commercial center.

History

Pre-Columbian and Colonial Period

Advanced indigenous cultures flourished between 10,000 BC to 15 AD and by 1450 AD, most of these cultures had developed into organized ethnic populations. The Incas, the largest culture, originally from the central regions of what today is Peru, dominated most of western South America the latter half of the 15th century. By 1600, Spain had conquered most of Central and South America. The Spanish colonial rule lasted about 300 years.

Independence

Ecuador declared its independence first on August 10, 1809 and then again on October 9, 1820, and defeated the Spanish royalist army on May 24, 1822, Ecuador’s Independence Day. Ecuador then joined New Granada and Venezuela to form the federation of Gran Colombia.

Republic

In 1830, the Republic of Ecuador became an independent entity, seceding from Gran Colombia. The republic has been marked by instability and power struggles ever since. Ecuador’s history included intermittent periods of military rule. This instability has existed not only in the political arena, but economically as well. Despite its history of internal rivalry, border conflicts with Peru and six presidents in less than six years, life in Ecuador remains relatively peaceful.

Flag

The Ecuadorian flag has three horizontal stripes, which from the bottom up are red, blue, and yellow. The yellow stripe is twice as wide as the red and blue ones. The symbolism of the colors is as follows: Red stands for the blood shed by the soldiers and martyrs of the independence battles. Blue represents the color of the sea and sky. Yellow symbolizes the abundance and fertility of the crops and land. The Coat of Arms of Ecuador rests in the middle.

The Coat of Arms was given to the country at the National Congress of 1900. In the shape of a heart, the Coat of Arms rests on a bundle of sheaves, which is the Republic’s insignia for dignity. The palm and laurel branches between the four flags symbolize victory. The condor perched at the top offers shelter and protection under its outstretched wings and stands ready to strike out against any enemy. In the background is the majestic Chimborazo Mountain rising to a lovely blue sky. The highest in the Andes Range, this mountain unites with the Guayas River, formed from its snows, to represent the brotherhood of the Sierra and the Coast. In the lower foreground, the steamboat “Guayas” is seen crossing the wide river. This boat, the first of its kind in South America, began service in 1841. The mast, with two wings at the top and two snakes encircling it, symbolized accord and trade.

Quick Facts

FULL COUNTRY NAME: Republic of Ecuador

AREA: 109,483 sq. miles (about the size of the state of Colorado)

POPULATION: 12,920,092 (Growth rate: 2.04%, Literacy rate: 90.1%, Life Expectancy: 71 yr.)

PEOPLE: 65% mestizo (mixed Spanish/Indian), 25 % Indigenous, 7% Spanish/others, 3% Black

LANGUAGE: Official language is Spanish, which is spoken by 77 % of the population. In addition, 22 indigenous languages including Quichua, are spoken. In Quito, English is spoken by a large number of North Americans/Expats and some Ecuadorians.

RELIGION: Freedom of religion is enjoyed. 95% are Roman Catholic. 3.8% Evangelical.

GOVERNMENT: Democracy-Presidential Republic

PRESIDENT: President--Rafael CORREA Vice President--Lenin MORENO

CURRENCY: US Dollar (as of 2000) Ecuadorian coins have been minted in values equal to American coins and are concurrently in circulation. The sucre has been eliminated.

GDP: US 54.5 Billion (growth rate=-8%) GDP per capita: US $4300 or $358 per month.

INFLATION: 59.9% and rising!

EXPORTS: Exports are crude oil, bananas, cut flowers, shrimp, and cacao.

LOCAL TIME: Eastern Standard Time Zone (same as New York City). However Ecuador does not observe daylight savings time so half of the year (April –October) the time is effectively the same as Central Standard Time.

CLIMATE/WEATHER: Ecuador, with its four distinct geographical regions, has a varied climate as well.

• The Sierra, where Quito is located, is mild throughout the year. Although it is on the equator, because of the altitude, temperatures range from 55-78 (average 64) year round. This region claims to have “eternal spring”, where a typical day in Quito can be sunny in the morning, cool and cloudy in the early afternoon, rainy in the late afternoon, and cool and clear in the evening/at night. Typically, the rainy season occurs from October to May.
• The Costa is warm and humid during the entire year (76-90, average 83). Rainy season is usually December to May.
• The Oriente is also warm, humid and rainy. The rainy season is constant with less rain December to February.
• The Galapagos Islands enjoy warm and dry weather year round, with an average yearly temperature of 85!