Ecuador

ECUADOR

Information about travelling to Ecuador

Ecuador is located in Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru

Facts about Ecuador
Population13,927,650 (July 2008 est
CapitalQuito
Time zoneUTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Location Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru

General info about Ecuador
What is now Ecuador formed part of the northern Inca Empire until the Spanish conquest in 1533. Quito became a seat of Spanish colonial government in 1563 and part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717. The territories of the Viceroyalty - New Granada (Colombia), Venezuela, and Quito - gained their independence between 1819 and 1822 and formed a federation known as Gran Colombia. When Quito withdrew in 1830, the traditional name was changed in favor of the "Republic of the Equator." Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border war with Peru that flared in 1995 was resolved in 1999. Although Ecuador marked 25 years of civilian governance in 2004, the period has been marred by political instability. Protests in Quito have contributed to the mid-term ouster of Ecuador's last three democratically elected Presidents. In 2007, a Constituent Assembly was elected to draft a new constitution; Ecuador's twentieth since gaining independence.
Disease threats
degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid
Languages spoken
Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)
What about drugs?
significant transit country for cocaine originating in Colombia and Peru, with over half of the US-bound cocaine passing through Ecuadorian Pacific waters; importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics; attractive location for cash-placement by drug traffickers laundering money because of dollarization and weak anti-money-laundering regime; increased activity on the northern frontier by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents
Ethnic division
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish and others 7%, black 3%
HIV/AIDS prevalence rate
0.3% (2003 est.)
Climate
tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands
Resources
petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower
Economy
Ecuador is substantially dependent on its petroleum resources, which have accounted for more than half of the country's export earnings and one-fourth of public sector revenues in recent years. In 1999/2000, Ecuador suffered a severe economic crisis, with GDP contracted by more than 6%, with a significant increase in poverty. The banking system also collapsed, and Ecuador defaulted on its external debt later that year. In March 2000, Congress approved a series of structural reforms that also provided for the adoption of the US dollar as legal tender. Dollarization stabilized the economy, and positive growth returned in the years that followed, helped by high oil prices, remittances, and increased non-traditional exports. From 2002-06 the economy grew 5.5%, the highest five-year average in 25 years. The poverty rate declined but remained high at 38% in 2006. In 2006 the government imposed a windfall revenue tax on foreign oil companies, leading to the suspension of free trade negotiations with the US. These measures led to a drop in petroleum production in 2007. President Rafael CORREA raised the specter of debt default and followed through on those threats in December 2008. He also decreed a higher windfall revenue tax on private oil companies, then renegotiated their contracts to overcome the debilitating effect of the tax. This generated economic uncertainty; private investment has dropped and economic growth has slowed significantly.
Environment
deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution; pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas of the Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands

Cities in Ecuador

alamor     alausi     alfredo baquerizo moreno     ambato     archidona     arenillas     atuntaqui     azogues     babahoyo     bahia de caraquez     balao     banos     calceta     canar     cariamanga     catacocha     catamayo     catarama     cayambe     celica     chone     colimes     coronel mariduena     cotacachi     cuenca     daule     el angel     el carmen     el triunfo     esmeraldas     gualaceo     gualaquiza     guano     guaranda     guayaquil     huaquillas     ibarra     jipijapa     junin     la libertad     la mana     la troncal     latacunga     loja     lomas de sargentillo     macara     macas     machachi     machala     manta     milagro     montalvo     montecristi     muisne     naranjal     naranjito     nueva loja     otavalo     pajan     palenque     palestina     palora     pasaje     pedernales     pedro carbo     pelileo     pillaro     pimampiro     pinas     playas     portovelo     portoviejo     puebloviejo     puerto ayora     puerto baquerizo moreno     pujili     puyo     quevedo     quito     riobamba     rocafuerte     rosa zarate     salinas     samborondon     san cristobal     san gabriel     san lorenzo     san miguel     sangolqui     santa ana     santa elena     santa lucia     santa rosa     santo domingo     saquisili     sucre     sucua     tena     tosagua     valdez     velasco ibarra     ventanas     vinces     yaguachi     yantzaza     zamora     zaruma    


Airports in Ecuador
ChachoanATF
Bahia De CaraquezBHA
CuencaCUE
EsmeraldasESM
Simon BolivarGYE
JipijapaJIP
Lago AgrioLGQ
LojaLOH
MachalaMCH
MantaMEC
MacaraMRR
MendezMZD
CocaOCC
PastazaPTZ
PortoviejoPVO
PutumayoPYO
San Cristobal AirportSCY
SalinasSNC
SucuaSUQ
TarapoaTPC
TiputiniTPN
TaishaTSC
TulcanTUA
Mariscal Sucre AirportUIO
MacasXMS


Beer in Ecuador (0.33l)
Guayaquil~ 0.2 EUR
QUITO~ 0.6 EUR
Quito~ 0.6 EUR

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