The 2003 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
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 Ecuador
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador
conventional short form: Ecuador
local short form: Ecuador
local long form: Republica del 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 Lucio GUTIERREZ (since 15 January 2003);
Vice President Alfredo PALACIO (since 15 January 2003); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
elections: the president and vice president are elected on the same
ticket by popular vote for four-year term (no reelection); election
last held 20 October 2002; runoff election held 24 November 2002
(next to be held NA October 2006)
head of government: President Lucio GUTIERREZ (since 15 January
2003); Vice President Alfredo PALACIO (since 15 January 2003); note
- the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
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%
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 NA 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 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 (new justices are elected by the
full Supreme Court)
Political parties and leaders:
Concentration of Popular Forces or CFP [Averroes BUCARAM];
Democratic Left or ID [Rodrigo BORJA Cevallos]; National Action
Institutional Renewal Party or PRIAN [leader NA]; Pachakutik
Movement [Miguel LLUCO]; Patriotic Society Party or PSP [leader NA];
Popular Democracy or DP [Dr. Juan Manuel FUERTES]; Popular
Democratic Movement or MPD [Gustavo TERAN Acosta]; Radical Alfarista
Front or FRA [Fabian ALARCON, director]; Roldosist Party or PRE
[Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz, director]; Social Christian Party or PSC
[Pascual DEL CIOPPO]; Socialist Party or PS [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or CONAIE
[Leonidas IZA, president]; Coordinator of Social Movements or CMS
[F. Napoleon SANTOS]; Federation of Indigenous Evangelists of
Ecuador or FEINE [Marco MURILLO, president]; National Federation of
Indigenous Afro-Ecuatorianos and Peasants or FENOCIN [Pedro DE LA
CRUZ, president]; Popular Front or FP [Luis VILLACIS]
International organization participation:
CAN, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Raul GANGOTENA Rivadeneira
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New
Orleans, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 667–3482
telephone: [1] (202) 234–7200
chancery: 2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Kristie Anne KENNEY
embassy: Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida Patria, Quito
mailing address: APO AA 34039
telephone: [593] (2) 256–2890
FAX: [593] (2) 250–2052
consulate(s) general: Guayaquil
Flag description:
three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double width), blue, and red
with the coat of arms superimposed at the center of the flag;
similar to the flag of Colombia, which is shorter and does not bear
a coat of arms
Economy Ecuador
Economy - overview:
Ecuador has substantial oil 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. Ecuador joined the World Trade
Organization (WTrO) in 1996, but has failed to comply with many of
its accession commitments. The aftermath of El Nino and depressed
oil market of 1997–98 drove Ecuador's economy into a free-fall in