Ecuador Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
The Republic of Ecuador is a country of South America.
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| National motto: Libertad y Orden (Spanish; "The peace and wellbeing, the glory and triumph") | ||||
| Official language | Spanish | |||
| Capital | Quito | |||
| Largest City | Guayaquil | |||
| President | Lucio Gutiérrez | |||
| Area - Total - % water | Ranked 71st 283,560 km² 8.8% | |||
| Population - Total (2002) - Density | Ranked 62nd 13,183,978 36/km² | |||
| Independence
- Date | From Spain
24 May, 1822 | |||
| Currency | US dollar | |||
| Time zone | UTC -5 | |||
| National anthem | Salve, Oh Patria | |||
| Internet TLD | .EC | |||
| Calling Code | 593 | |||
| Table of contents |
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2 Politics 3 Provinces 4 Geography 5 Economy 6 Demographics 7 Culture 8 Miscellaneous topics 9 External link |
The Republic of Ecuador was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Colombia and Venezuela).
Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors.
In 1941 a territorial conflict started between Ecuador and Peru which led to the "Protocolo de Rio de Janeiro" signed in January 29, 1942. Still several wars between the two countries carried on until October 26, 1999 when presidents Jamil Mahuad (Ecuador) and Alberto Fujimori (Peru) signed the "Acta de Brasilia". Peru gave 1 square-kilometer (called "Tiwintza") to Ecuador inside its territory where 14 soldiers are buried; also both countries signed commerce and navigation agreements in which Ecuador have unrestricted navigation rights on the Amazon river.
On November 24, 2002, Lucio Gutiérrez won the presidential elections. He became president on January 15, 2003.
The capital is Quito and the largest city is Guayaquil.
Gustavo Noboa, who assumed the presidency in January 2000, has managed to pass substantial economic reforms and mend relations with international financial institutions. Ecuador completed its first standby agreement since 1986 when the IMF Board approved a 10 December 2001 disbursement of $96 million, the final installment of a $300 million standby credit agreement. In February 2003, newly installed president Lucio Gutierrez faced a budget gap and massive foreign debt. He has pledged to use oil revenues to pay off debt and is seeking additional IMF support.
The demographic composition of Ecuador's current population is ethnically and racially diverse. Today the majority of Ecuadorians are mestizos (of mixed Spanish and Amerindian ancestry), who constitute just over 65 per cent of the population. Second in numbers are the Amerindians of the various Andean and Amazonian nationalities, which combined constitute the country's largest minority, accounting for approximately 25%. Whites are mainly creoles, unmixed descendants of Spanish colonist, and account for 7% of the Ecuadorian population. A small minority of Afro-Ecuadorians, including mulattos and zambos, constitute the remainder.
The culture of Ecuador mirrors the demographics of the country itself, and is a rich amalgam of various influences. Much like the ancestry of the mestizo majority, the national culture is also a mixture of both European and Amerindian influences, infused with various other elements inherited through the descendants of the country’s African slave past.
In addition to the national culture, many of the existing indigenous communities also practise their own autochthonous cultures.
See also:
This is an Article on Ecuador. Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About Ecuador History
Main article: History of EcuadorPolitics
Main article: Politics of EcuadorProvinces
see Provinces of EcuadorGeography
Main article: Geography of EcuadorEconomy
Main article: Economy of EcuadorDemographics
Main article: Demographics of EcuadorCulture
Main article: Culture of EcuadorMiscellaneous topics
External link