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Ecuador

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Central & South American
Countries; Countries

   SOS Children works in Ecuador. For more information see SOS Children in
   Ecuador
                      República del Ecuador
   Republic of Ecuador

   Flag of Ecuador Coat of arms of Ecuador
   Flag            Coat of arms
   Motto: Spanish: "Dios, patria y libertad"
   (English: "God, homeland and liberty")
   Anthem: Salve, Oh Patria
   Location of Ecuador
          Capital        Quito
                         00°9′S 78°21′W
       Largest city      Guayaquil
    Official languages   Spanish^1
   Government            Republic
    - President          Alfredo Palacio
    - Vice-President     Alejandro Serrano
       Independence
    - From Spain         May 24, 1822
    - From Gran Colombia May 13, 1830
                               Area
    - Total              256,370 km² ( 72nd)
                         98,985 sq mi
    - Water (%)          8.8
                            Population
    - July 2005 estimate 13,228,000 ( 67th)
    - Density            47/km² ( 147th)
                         122/sq mi
        GDP ( PPP)       2005 estimate
    - Total              $57.04 billion ( 70th)
    - Per capita         $4,316 ( 113th)
        HDI  (2003)      0.759 (medium) ( 82nd)
         Currency        U.S. dollar^2 ( USD)
         Time zone       ( UTC-5; UTC -6 (Galápagos Islands))
       Internet TLD      .ec
       Calling code      +593
   ^1 Quichua and other Amerindian languages spoken by indigenous
   communities.
   ^2 Sucre until 2000.

   Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador (Spanish: República del
   Ecuador, short form Ecuador, IPA [re'puβlika ðel ekwa'ðoɾ]) is a
   representative democratic republic in 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 (Archipiélago de Colón) in the Pacific, about 965 kilometers
   (600 miles) west of the mainland. Ecuador is the Spanish word for
   equator. Ecuador straddles the equator and has an area of 256,370
   square kilometers (98,985  mi²). Its capital city is Quito.

History

   Advanced indigenous peoples flourished in Ecuador long before the area
   was mostly conquered by the Inca empire in the 15th century. Through a
   succession of wars and marriages with the different nations that
   inhabited the Interandean valley, the region became part of the Inca
   Empire. Atahualpa, one of the sons of the Inca emperor Huayna Capac,
   was born in Quito. However, he could not receive the crown of the
   Empire since the emperor had another son, Huascar, born in Cusco, the
   capital of the Inca Empire. Therefore the empire was divided in two:
   Atahualpa received the north, with his capital in Quito, and Huascar
   received the south with its capital in Cuzco. In 1531, the Spanish
   conquistadors, under Francisco Pizarro, arrived in an Inca empire torn
   by civil war. Atahualpa wanted to align with the Spanish to defeat
   Huascar and reign over a re-unified Incan empire. The Spanish, however,
   had conquest intentions and established themselves in a fort in
   Cajamarca, captured Atahualpa during the Battle of Cajamarca and held
   him for ransom. A room was filled with gold to secure his release.
   During his capture, Atahualpa arranged for the murder of his
   half-brother Huascar in Cuzco. The stage was set for the Spaniards to
   take over the Incan empire. Despite being surrounded and vastly
   outnumbered, the Spanish executed Atahualpa. To escape the confines of
   the fort, the Spaniards fired all their cannons and broke through the
   lines of the bewildered Incans. In subsequent years the Spanish
   colonists became the new elite centering their power in Peru.

   The indigenous population was decimated by disease in the first decades
   of Spanish rule — a time when the natives also were forced into the "
   encomienda" labor system for Spanish landlords. In 1563, Quito became
   the seat of a royal "audiencia" (administrative district) of Spain and
   part of the Peruvian Viceroyalty with its capital in Lima.

   After nearly 300 years of Spanish colonization, Quito was a city of
   about 10,000 inhabitants, and it was there in 1822 that Ecuador joined
   Simón Bolívar's Republic of Gran Colombia, only to become a separate
   republic in 1830.

   The 19th century was marked by instability, with a rapid succession of
   rulers. The conservative Gabriel Garcia Moreno unified the country in
   the 1860s with the support of the Roman Catholic Church. In the late
   1800s, world demand for cocoa tied the economy to commodity exports and
   led to migrations from the highlands to the agricultural frontier on
   the coast.

   A coastal-based liberal revolution in 1895 under Eloy Alfaro reduced
   the power of the clergy, and this liberal wing retained power until the
   military coup of 1925. The 1930s and 1940s were marked by populist
   politicians such as five-time President José María Velasco Ibarra.

   Control over territory in the Amazon has led to a long-lasting dispute
   between Ecuador and Peru. In 1941, in midst of fast-growing tensions
   between the two countries, war broke out. Peru claimed that Ecuador's
   military presence in Peruvian-claimed territory was an invasion while
   Ecuador, on the other hand, claimed Peru invaded Ecuador. In July 1941
   troops were mobilized. Peru had an army of 11,681 troops, facing a
   poorly supplied and badly armed Ecuadorian force of 5,300 soldiers, of
   which a little over 1,300 were deployed in the southern provinces of
   the country. Hostilities broke on July 5, 1941, when Peruvian forces
   crossed the Zarumilla river on several spots, testing the strength and
   disposition of the Ecuadorian border troops. Finally, on July 23, 1941,
   the Peruvians launched a major invasion, crossing the Zarumilla river
   in force and advancing into the Ecuadorian province of El Oro. Over the
   course of the war Peru gained control over all the disputed territory
   and occupied the Ecuadorian province of El Oro and some parts of the
   province of Loja (some 6% of the country), demanding that the
   Ecuadorian government give up their territorial claims. The Peruvian
   Navy blocked the port of Guayaquil, cutting supplies to the Ecuadorian
   troops. After a few weeks of war and under pressure by the U.S and
   several Latin American nations, all fighting came to a stop. Ecuador
   and Peru came to an accord formalised in the Rio Protocol, signed on
   January 29, 1942, in favour of hemispheric unity against the Axis
   Powers in World War II. As a result of its victory, Peru was awarded
   the disputed territory. Two more wars would follow to finally end the
   dispute. See Paquisha Incident and Cenepa War
   Monument commemorating the conference between Simón Bolívar and José de
   San Martín
   Enlarge
   Monument commemorating the conference between Simón Bolívar and José de
   San Martín

   Recession and popular unrest led to a return to populist politics and
   domestic military interventions in the 1960s, while foreign companies
   developed oil resources in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In 1972, the
   construction of the Andian pipeline, which brought oil from the east to
   the coast was completed, making Ecuador South America's second largest
   oil producer. That same year a nationalist military junta overthrew the
   government, remaining in power until 1979 when more democratic
   constitutional measures were implemented. By 1982, the government faced
   an economic crisis, characterized by high inflation, budget deficits, a
   falling currency, mounting debt service, and uncompetitive industries,
   leading to chronic government instability.

   Many years of mismanagement, starting with the mishandling of the
   country's debt during the 1970s military regime, have left the country
   essentially ungovernable. By the mid 90s, the government of Ecuador has
   been characterized by a weak executive branch that struggles to appease
   the ruling classes, represented in the legislative and judiciary. The
   last three democratically elected presidents have failed to finish
   their terms during that period.

   Among the most relevant factors in the democratic instability is the
   emergence of the indigenous population as an active constituency. The
   population were motivated by government failures to deliver on promises
   of land reform and lower unemployment, and by historical exploitation
   by the land-holding elite.

   Their movement, along with the continuing destabilizing efforts by both
   the Elite and Leftist movements, have led to a deterioration of the
   executive office. The public and the other branches of government give
   the president very little political capital to work with, as happened
   when in April 2005 Ecuador's Congress ousted President Lucio Gutiérrez.
   The Vice-President, Alfredo Palacio, took his place and remained in
   office until the presidential election of 15 October 2006, which did
   not produce a conclusive winner. The two highest polling candidates on
   that occasion, Alvaro Noboa and Rafael Correa went on a runoff election
   on 26 November, which results showed Correa winning the election with
   56.8% of the vote.

Politics

   Partial view of northeastern Quito.
   Enlarge
   Partial view of northeastern Quito.

   Politics of Ecuador takes place in a framework of a presidential
   representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Ecuador is
   both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform
   multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government.
   Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Congress.
   The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

   Executive Branch: President: Alfredo Palacio (since 20 April 2005 and
   after Lucio Guitiérrez was removed from office by Congress) Vice
   President: Nicanor Alejandro Serrano Aguilar (since 5 May 2005)

   Cabinet: Cabinet is appointed by the president who has sole authority
   for determining the number of Ministers and their scope. Currently
   there are 15 Ministers (Ministerios) and 7 Secretariats (Secretarías).

   Elections: the President and Vice president are elected on the same
   ticket by universal, mandatory popular vote for a four-year term and
   are not allowed to serve consecutive terms. Last general election was
   held on October 20th 2002 with a run-off election that took place on
   November 24th 2002 in which Lucio Guitiérrez was elected as President.
   Next general elections will take place in October 2006.

   Legislative Branch: unicameral National Congress Congreso Nacional that
   has 100 seats with members that are popularly elected by province to
   serve four-year terms.

   Judicial Branch: Represented by the Supreme Court Corte Suprema.
   According to the country's constitution, Justices Ministros Juez are
   elected by the existing members of the Supreme Court, nonetheless in
   December 2004 Congress successfully replaced the entire court.

   Source: CIA worldfactbook

Foreign relations

   Ciudad Mitad del Mundo; where the northern and southern hemisphere of
   the earth meet.
   Enlarge
   Ciudad Mitad del Mundo; where the northern and southern hemisphere of
   the earth meet.

   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. Ecuador holds close relations with
   the US. In 2006, a contract breach from Occidental, a North American
   oil company, created stress in the USA-Ecuador relations. The
   Ecuadorian government declared the contract with the oil giant invalid,
   being the main cause for the delay in the Free Trade Agreement
   negotiation talks between the two countries. The Atpdea treaty will
   soon expire, meaning that commerce with the US will be significantly
   reduced, pressuring Ecuador to look for other international markets.

   The outlook for the flower industry, in particular, is grim. The US
   buys 75% of all of Ecuador's flower exports. Ecuador's foreign policy
   failure is estimated to cost the country 30,000 jobs per year.

Geography

   Ecuador has three main geographic regions, plus an insular region in
   the Pacific Ocean.
    1. La Costa, or the coast, comprises the low-lying littoral in the
       western part of the country, including the Pacific coastline.
    2. La Sierra ("the saw") is the high-altitude belt running north to
       south along the centre of the country, its mountainous terrain
       dominated by the Andes mountain range.
    3. El Oriente ("the 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.
    4. 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 often
   wrongly claimed to be the world's highest active volcano, but several
   peaks in northern Chile and southern Peru are higher and (at least
   currently) more active.

Administrative divisions

   Map of Ecuador
   Enlarge
   Map of Ecuador

   Ecuador is divided into 22 provinces, each with its own administrative
   capital. The capitals are provided in parentheses.
     * Azuay ( Cuenca)
     * Bolívar ( Guaranda)
     * Cañar ( Azogues)
     * Carchi ( Tulcán)
     * Chimborazo ( Riobamba)
     * Cotopaxi ( Latacunga)
     * El Oro ( Machala)
     * Esmeraldas ( Esmeraldas)
     * Galápagos ( Puerto Baquerizo Moreno)
     * Guayas ( Guayaquil)
     * Imbabura ( Ibarra)

     * Loja ( Loja)
     * Los Ríos ( Babahoyo)
     * Manabí ( Portoviejo)
     * Morona-Santiago ( Macas)
     * Napo ( Tena)
     * Orellana ( Puerto Francisco de Orellana)
     * Pastaza Province ( Puyo)
     * Pichincha (Quito)
     * Sucumbíos ( Nueva Loja)
     * Tungurahua ( Ambato)
     * Zamora-Chinchipe ( Zamora)

Economy

   Ecuador has substantial petroleum resources and rich agricultural
   areas. Because the country exports primary products such as oil,
   bananas, and shrimp, fluctuations in world market prices can have a
   substantial domestic impact. Industry is largely oriented to servicing
   the domestic market. Deteriorating economic performance in 1997-98
   culminated in a severe economic and financial crisis in 1999. The
   crisis was precipitated by a number of external shocks, including the
   El Niño weather phenomenon in 1997, a sharp drop in global oil prices
   in 1997-98, and international emerging market instability in 1997-98.
   These factors highlighted the Government of Ecuador's unsustainable
   economic policy mix of large fiscal deficits and expansionary money
   policy and resulted in an 7.3% contraction of GDP, annual year-on-year
   inflation of 52.2% and a 65% devaluation of the national currency in
   1999, which helped precipitate an unprecedented default on external
   loans later that year.

   On January 9, 2000, the administration of President Jamil Mahuad
   announced its intention to adopt the U.S. dollar as the official
   currency of Ecuador to address the ongoing economic crisis. The
   adoption of the U.S. dollar as currency, as opposed to pegging a local
   currency to it, means that the benefits of seigniorage accrue to the
   U.S. economy whether or not there is any compensation for this.
   Subsequent protest led to the removal of Mahuad from office and the
   elevation of Vice President Gustavo Noboa to the presidency.

   The Noboa government confirmed its commitment to dollarize as the
   centerpiece of its economic recovery strategy. The government also
   entered into negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF),
   culminating in the negotiation of a 12-month stand-by arrangement with
   the Fund. Additional policy initiatives include efforts to reduce the
   government's fiscal deficit, implement structural reforms to strengthen
   the banking system and regain access to private capital markets. Buoyed
   by high oil prices, the Ecuadorian economy experienced a modest
   recovery in 2000, with GDP rising 1.9%. However, 70% of the population
   lives below the poverty line, more than double the rate of 5 years ago.
   Inflation in 2000 remained high at 96.1%, but the rate of inflation
   continues to fall. Monthly inflation in February 2001 was 2.9%.

Demographics

   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 relatively unmixed descendants of early Spanish
   colonists, and account for some 15%. The small Afro-Ecuadorian minority
   — including Mulattos and zambos, and largely based in Esmeraldas and
   Ibarra — and immigrants from around the world constitute the remainder.
   Many foreign nationals have set up residence in Ecuador. There are
   sizeable expatriate Ecuadorian communities in Spain, Italy and the
   U.S.A.

   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. 300 Higher Institutes offer 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, Ecuador
   Enlarge
   Iglesia de San Francisco, Quito, Ecuador

   Approximately 96.8% of Ecuadorians are Roman Catholic. Much of the
   population is practicing and attends Mass regularly. In the rural parts
   of Ecuador, indigenous beliefs and Christianity are sometimes
   syncretized.

   There is a small Muslim minority numbering in the low thousands. The
   Jewish community numbers just over 1,000 individuals and is mostly of
   German and Italian origin.

   There are also Sephardic Jews (Judeo-Spanish Jews). Few of them still
   practice Judaism at different levels, while the majority are today
   Christians whose ancestors were converted to Catholicism.

Culture

   Ecuador's mainstream culture is defined by Ecuador's mestizo majority
   and, like their ancestry, is a mixture of European and Amerindian
   influences infused with African elements inherited from slave
   ancestors. Ecuador's indigenous communities are integrated into that
   mainstream culture to varying degrees, but some may also practice their
   own autochthonous cultures, particularly the more remote indigenous
   communities of the Amazon basin. African-Ecuadoreans, much less
   integrated into the mainstream majority, are victims of
   high-unemployment and racism.
   The Marine iguana is one of the signature animals of the Galápagos
   islands.
   Enlarge
   The Marine iguana is one of the signature animals of the Galápagos
   islands.
   Galapagos Tortoise.
   Enlarge
   Galapagos Tortoise.

Sport

   The most popular sport in Ecuador, as in most South American countries,
   is futbol (soccer). Some of its best known professional teams include
   Barcelona S.C. and C.S. Emelec, from Guayaquil, Liga Deportiva
   Universitaria de Quito and El Nacional (the Ecuadorian Armed Forces
   team) from Quito, Olmedo from Riobamba, and Deportivo Cuenca, from
   Cuenca. The matches of the Ecuadorian national football team are the
   most watched sports events in the country. Ecuador has qualified for
   the final rounds of both the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups. Ecuador
   beat Poland and Costa Rica to finish 2nd to Germany in Group A in the
   2006 World Cup and qualify for the second round for the first time in
   their history, where they lost 1-0 to England. Futsal is particularly
   popular for mass participation.

   There is considerable interest in tennis in the middle and upper
   classes in the Ecuadorian society, and several Ecuadorian professional
   players have attained considerable international fame, including
   Francisco Segura, Andrés Gómez and, in the 1990s, Nicolas Lapentti.
   Basketball also has a high profile, while Ecuador's specialities
   include Ecuavolley, a 3 person variation of volleyball. Bullfighting is
   practiced at a professional level only in Quito, during the annual
   festivities which commemorate the Spanish founding of the city,
   although bloodless variations of this sport, called rodeos montubios
   are practiced in many rural areas during local festivities.

   Olympic sports are also popular especially since Ecuador obtained its
   first Olympic gold medal in Atlanta's 1996 Olympic Games, through
   Jefferson Pérez, on the 20km walk. There is flourishing activity in
   non-traditional sports such as mountainbiking, motorbiking, surfing,
   paintball (Equadorian sides are among the top 6 ranked in the continent
   ) and mountain climbing among others.

Food

   The food in Ecuador is very diverse, varying with altitude as do the
   agricultural conditions. Pork, chicken, meat or “cuy” ( guinea pig) are
   popular in the mountain regions served with an immense variety of
   cereals and potatoes or rice. A street food in mountain regions of
   Ecuador is potatoes served with roasted pig. Fanesca is also a dish
   that has been made famous in Ecuador, it is a soup made during the time
   of Lent and is made with numerous types of bean (i.e. green beans, lima
   beans, chochos) and milk and is usually served with fish.

   There is a great variety of fresh fruit available, particularly at
   lower altitudes. Seafood is popular at the coast, particularly with
   prawns. Shrimp is very popular and is very fresh in Ecuador. Plantain
   and peanut based dishes and foods are the basis of most coastal meals,
   which in general are served in two courses: a "caldo", or soup, which
   may be "aguado" (a thin soup, usually with meat), or "caldo de leche",
   a cream vegetable soup. The second course might typically include rice,
   some meat or fish in a "menestra" (stew), and salad or vegetables.
   Patacones are popular sidedishes with most coastal meals.

   Some of the typical dishes in the coastal region are: ceviche, pan de
   almidón, corviche, guatita, encebollado and empanadas; in the mountain
   region: hornado, fritada, humitas, tamales, llapingachos, etc.

Art

   See Ecuadorian painters

Film

   The 2005 film Crónicas, written and directed by Ecuadorian Sebastián
   Cordero starring John Leguizamo in his Spanish-language debut, is set
   and filmed entirely in Ecuador.

   The 2004 film Maria Full of Grace was partially shot in Ecuador,
   although it is set in Colombia.

   The 2003 film "The Dancer Upstairs" was filmed in Ecuador, it was
   directed by John Malkovich and it starred Javier Bardem.

   Beyond the Gates of Splendor (2002) directed by Jim Hanon is a
   documentary about five missionaries killed by the Huaorani Indians in
   the 1950s. This film was Hanon's first film release based on a true
   story. He recycles the story into the 2006 Hollywood production The End
   of the Spear planning to be promoted by Christian groups. Most of this
   film was shot in Panama.

   The film Proof of Life (2000), starring Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe, was
   filmed in Ecuador. The film, nonetheless, takes place in a fictitious
   South American country named 'Tecala'. The guerrilla movement depicted
   in the film is reminiscent of Peru's Shining Path or Colombia's FARC.

   Ratas, Ratones, Rateros (1999) written and directed by Ecuadorian
   Sebastián Cordero is an Ecuadorian film about an 18 year quiteño whose
   cousin, a thief from the more violent coastal city of Guayaquil,
   embroils all those around him. The film has been accused by several
   critics of painting an extremely distorted contrast between the coast
   (Guayaquil) and the highlands (Quito), which stems from the
   ever-present feelings of regionalism between the aforementioned
   parties.

   Entre Marx y una Mujer Desnuda (1995), known by the title Between Marx
   and a Nude Woman, is difficult to find, but this film created by
   Ecuadorian Camilo Luzuriaga provides a window into the life of young
   Ecuadorian leftists living in a country plagued by the remnants of
   feudal systems and coup d'etats.

   The 1991 film "Sensaciones" was directed by ecuadorean sieblings Juan
   Esteban Cordero and Viviena Cordero, and shot in Ecuador. Viviana
   Cordero was then involved in the production of "Ratas, Ratones, y
   Rateros" (1999) and later produced "Un Titán en el Ring" (2002).

   The 1980s film Vibes, starring Cyndi Lauper and Jeff Goldblum, was shot
   in Ecuador. The Andean cities served as a backdrop for the film.

   In addition to film, the science fiction novel by Rod Glenn, The King
   of America, features locations in Ecuador.

Transportation

   Ecuador has a network of national highways maintained by the Ministerio
   de Obras Públicas y Comunicaciones (Ministry of Public Works and
   Communication) government agency . The Pan-American Highway connects
   the northern and southern portions of the country as well as connecting
   Ecuador with Colombia to the north and Peru to the south. The quality
   of roads, even on trunk routes, is highly variable.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecuador"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
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