Ecuador

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Not to be confused with Equator.
For other uses, see Ecuador (disambiguation).
Coordinates: 2°00′S 77°30′W

Republic of Ecuador

 República del Ecuador (Spanish)

 Ikwayur Runaq Imayka (Quechua)
 Ekuatur Nunka (Shuar)

Flag

Coat of arms

Motto:

 "Dios, patria y libertad" (Spanish)

 "Pro Deo, Patria et Libertate" (Latin)
 "God, homeland and freedom"

Anthem: Salve, Oh Patria (Spanish)

Hail, Oh Homeland
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 Location of Ecuador (dark green)
in South America (grey)

Capital Quito
and largest city
00°9′S 78°21′W

Official languages Spanish[1]

Recognized Kichwa (Quichua), Shuar and others
regional languages "are in official use for indigenous
peoples"[2]

Ethnic groups  81.9% Indigenous

([3])  7.4% Montubio
  7.2% Cañari
 7% Amerindian
 2.1% Mestizo

Demonym(s) Ecuadorian

Government Unitary presidentialconstitutional

republic

• President Lenín Moreno

• Vice President Otto Sonnenholzner

Legislature National Assembly

Independence

• Declared August 10, 1809

• from Spain May 24, 1822
• from Gran Colombia May 13, 1830
• Recognized by Spain February 16, 1840[4]
• Current constitution September 28, 2008

Area
• Total 283,561[1] km2(109,484 sq mi)a(73rd)
• Water (%) 5

Population
• 2016 estimate 16,385,068[5] (66th)
• 2010 census 14,483,499[6]
• Density 58.95/km2(152.7/sq mi) (151st)

GDP (PPP) 2019 estimate

• Total $202.043 billion
• Per capita $11,701[7]

GDP (nominal) 2019 estimate

• Total $106.289 billion
• Per capita $6,155[7]

Gini (2014) 45.4[8]

medium

HDI (2017) 0.752[9]

high · 86th

Currency United States dollarb(USD)

Time zone UTC−5 / −6 (ECT / GALT)

 Driving side right

Calling code +593

ISO 3166 code EC

Internet TLD .ec

a. Including Galápagos.

b. Sucre until 2000, replaced by the US$ and Ecuadorian

centavo coins.

Ecuador (/ˈɛkwədɔːr/ ( listen) EK-wə-dor; Spanish pronunciation: [ekwaˈðoɾ] (

listen); Quechua: Ikwayur; Shuar: Ecuador or Ekuatur),[10][11] officially the Republic of
Ecuador (Spanish: República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of
the Equator"; Quechua: Ikwadur Ripuwlika; Shuar: Ekuatur Nunka),[12][13] is a country in
northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and
south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Ecuador also includes the Galápagos Islands in
the Pacific, about 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) west of the mainland. The capital city is Quito,
which is also the largest city.[14]
What is now Ecuador was home to a variety of Amerindian groups that were gradually
incorporated into the Inca Empire during the 15th century. The territory was colonized by
Spain during the 16th century, achieving independence in 1820 as part of Gran Colombia,
from which it emerged as its own sovereign state in 1830. The legacy of both empires is
reflected in Ecuador's ethnically diverse population, with most of its 16.4 million people
being mestizos, followed by large minorities of European, Amerindian,
and African descendants. Spanish is the official language and is spoken by a majority of
the population, though 13 Amerindian languages are also recognized,
including Quichua and Shuar.
The sovereign state of Ecuador is a middle-income representative democratic republic with
a developing economy that is highly dependent on commodities, namely petroleum and
agricultural products. It is governed as a democratic presidential republic. One of
18 megadiverse countries in the world,[15][16] Ecuador hosts many endemic plants and
animals, such as those of the Galápagos Islands. In recognition of its unique ecological
heritage, the new constitution of 2008 is the first in the world to recognize legally
enforceable Rights of Nature, or ecosystem rights.[17] It also has the fifth lowest homicide
rate in the Americas.[18] Between 2006 and 2016, poverty decreased from 36.7% to 22.5%
and annual per capita GDP growth was 1.5 percent (as compared to 0.6 percent over the
prior two decades). At the same time, inequalities, as measured by the Gini index,
decreased from 0.55 to 0.47.[19]

Contents

 1History
o 1.1Pre-Inca era
o 1.2Inca era
o 1.3Spanish rule
o 1.4Independence
o 1.5Liberal Revolution
o 1.6Loss of claimed territories since 1830
 1.6.1President Juan José Flores de jure territorial claims
 1.6.2Struggle for independence
 1.6.3Peruvian occupation of Jaén, Tumbes, and Guayaquil
  1.6.4The dissolution of Gran Colombia
 1.6.5Struggle for possession of the Amazon Basin
o 1.7Military governments (1972–79)
o 1.8Return to democracy
 2Government and politics
o 2.1Executive branch
o 2.2Legislative branch
o 2.3Judicial branch
o 2.4Electoral branch
o 2.5Transparency and social control branch
o 2.6Human rights
o 2.7Foreign affairs
 3Administrative divisions
o 3.1Regions and planning areas
 4Military
 5Geography
o 5.1Climate
o 5.2Hydrology
o 5.3Biodiversity
 6Economy
o 6.1Tourism
 7Transport
 8Demographics
o 8.1Religion
o 8.2Nations
o 8.3Population genetics
o 8.4Population density
o 8.5Immigration and emigration
 9Culture
o 9.1Language
o 9.2Music
o 9.3Cuisine
o 9.4Literature
o 9.5Art
o 9.6Sports
 10Health
 11Education
 12Sciences and research
 13See also
 14References
 15Further reading
 16External links