*Ecuador, Geography Location: Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator between Colombia and Peru Map references: South America, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 283,560 km2 land area: 276,840 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Nevada note: includes Galapagos Islands Land boundaries: total 2,010 km, Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km Coastline: 2,237 km Maritime claims: continental shelf: claims continental shelf between mainland and Galapagos Islands territorial sea: 200 nm International disputes: three sections of the boundary with Peru are in dispute Climate: tropical along coast becoming cooler inland Terrain: coastal plain (Costa), inter-Andean central highlands (Sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (Oriente) Natural resources: petroleum, fish, timber Land use: arable land: 6% permanent crops: 3% meadows and pastures: 17% forest and woodland: 51% other: 23% Irrigated land: 5,500 km2 (1989 est.) Environment: subject to frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; periodic droughts Note: Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world *Ecuador, People Population: 10,461,072 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: 2.07% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 26.54 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 5.8 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 40.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.61 years male: 67.09 years female: 72.25 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 3.19 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: Ecuadorian(s) adjective: Ecuadorian Ethnic divisions: mestizo (mixed Indian and Spanish) 55%, Indian 25%, Spanish 10%, black 10% Religions: Roman Catholic 95% Languages: Spanish (official), Indian languages (especially Quechua) Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 86% male: 88% female: 84% Labor force: 2.8 million by occupation: agriculture 35%, manufacturing 21%, commerce 16%, services and other activities 28% (1982) *Ecuador, Government Names: conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador conventional short form: Ecuador local long form: Republica del Ecuador local short form: Ecuador Digraph: EC Type: republic Capital: Quito Administrative divisions: 21 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Azuay, Bolivar, Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Galapagos, Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Manabi, Morona-Santiago, Napo, Pastaza, Pichincha, Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Zamora-Chinchipe Independence: 24 May 1822 (from Spain) Constitution: 10 August 1979 Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: Independence Day, 10 August (1809) (independence of Quito) Political parties and leaders: Center-Right parties: Social Christian Party (PSC), Jaime NEBOT Saadi, president; Republican Unity Party (PUR), President Sixto DURAN-BALLEN, leader; Conservative Party (CE), Vice President Alberto DAHIK, president Center-Left parties: Democratic Left (ID), Andres VALLEJO Arcos, Rodrigo BORJA Cevallos, leaders; Popular Democracy (DP), Jamil MANUAD Witt, president; Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party (PLRE), Carlos Luis PLAZA Aray, director; Radical Alfarista Front (FRA), Jaime ASPIAZU Seminario, director Populist parties: Roldista Party (PRE), Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz, director; Concentration of Popular Forces (CFP), Rafael SANTELICES, director; Popular Revolutionary Action (APRE), Frank VARGAS Passos, leader; Assad Bucaram Party (PAB), Avicena BUCARAM, leader; People, Change, and Democracy (PCD), Raul AULESTIA, director Far-Left parties: Popular Democratic Movement (MPD), Jorge Fausto MORENO, director; Ecuadorian Socialist Party (PSE), Leon ROLDOS, leader; Broad Leftist Front (FADI), Jose Xavier GARAYCOA, president; Ecuadorian National Liberation (LN), Alfredo CASTILLO, director Communists: Communist Party of Ecuador (PCE, pro-North Korea), Rene Leon Mague MOSWUERRA, secretary general (5,00 members); Communist Party of Ecuador/Marxist-Leninist (PCMLE, Maoist), leader NA (3,000 members) Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal, compulsory for literate persons ages 18-65, optional for other eligible voters *Ecuador, Government Elections: President: runoff election held 5 July 1992 (next to be held NA 1996); results - Sixto DURAN-BALLEN elected as president and Alberto DAHIK elected as vice president National Congress: last held 17 May 1992 (next to be held NA May 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (77 total) PSC 20, PRE 15, PUR 12, ID 7, PC 6, DP 5, PSE 3, MPD 3, PLRE 2, CFP 2, FRA 1, APRE 1 Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet Legislative branch: unicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema) Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government: President Sixto DURAN-BALLEN (since 10 August 1992); Vice President Alberto DAHIK (since 10 August 1992) Member of: AG, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM, OAS, ONUSAL, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Edgar TERAN chancery: 2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: (202) 234-7200 consulates general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco consulate: San Diego US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires James F. MACK embassy: Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida Patria, Quito mailing address: P. O. Box 538, Quito, or APO AA 34039-3420 telephone: [593] (2) 562-890 FAX: [593] (2) 502-052 consulate general: Guayaquil Flag: 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 that is shorter and does not bear a coat of arms *Ecuador, Economy Overview: Ecuador has substantial oil resources and rich agricultural areas. Growth has been uneven because of natural disasters, fluctuations in global oil prices, and government policies designed to curb inflation. Banana exports, second only to oil, have suffered as a result of EC import quotas and banana blight. The new President Sixto DURAN-BALLEN, has a much more favorable attitude toward foreign investment than did his predecessor. Ecuador has implemented trade agreements with Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, and Venezuela and has applied for GATT membership. At the end of 1991, Ecuador received a standby IMF loan of $105 million, which will permit the country to proceed with the rescheduling of Paris Club debt. In September 1992, the government launched a new, macroeconomic program that gives more play to market forces; as of March 1993, the program seemed to be paying off. National product: GDP - exchange rate conversion - $11.8 billion (1992) National product real growth rate: 3% (1992) National product per capita: $1,100 (1992) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 70% (1992) Unemployment rate: 8% (1992) Budget: revenues $1.9 billion; expenditures $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992) Exports: $3.0 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: petroleum 42%, bananas, shrimp, cocoa, coffee partners: US 53.4%, Latin America, Caribbean, EC countries Imports: $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: transport equipment, vehicles, machinery, chemicals partners: US 32.7%, Latin America, Caribbean, EC countries, Japan External debt: $12.7 billion (1992) Industrial production: growth rate 3.9% (1991); accounts for almost 40% of GDP, including petroleum Electricity: 2,921,000 kW capacity; 7,676 million kWh produced, 700 kWh per capita (1992) Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, metal works, paper products, wood products, chemicals, plastics, fishing, timber Agriculture: accounts for 18% of GDP and 35% of labor force (including fishing and forestry); leading producer and exporter of bananas and balsawood; other exports - coffee, cocoa, fish, shrimp; crop production - rice, potatoes, manioc, plantains, sugarcane; livestock sector - cattle, sheep, hogs, beef, pork, dairy products; net importer of foodgrains, dairy products, and sugar Illicit drugs: minor illicit producer of coca following the successful eradication campaign of 1985-87; significant transit country, however, for derivatives of coca originating in Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru; importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics; important money-laundering hub *Ecuador, Economy Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $498 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.15 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $64 million Currency: 1 sucre (S/) = 100 centavos Exchange rates: sucres (S/) per US$1 - 1,453.8 (August 1992), 1,046.25 (1991), 869.54 (December 1990), 767.75 (1990), 526.35 (1989), 301.61 (1988) Fiscal year: calendar year *Ecuador, Communications Railroads: 965 km total; all 1.067-meter-gauge single track Highways: 28,000 km total; 3,600 km paved, 17,400 km gravel and improved earth, 7,000 km unimproved earth Inland waterways: 1,500 km Pipelines: crude oil 800 km; petroleum products 1,358 km Ports: Guayaquil, Manta, Puerto Bolivar, Esmeraldas Merchant marine: 45 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 333,380 GRT/483,862 DWT; includes 2 passenger, 4 cargo, 17 refrigerated cargo, 4 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 15 oil tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 1 bulk Airports: total: 174 usable: 173 with permanent-surface runways: 52 with runway over 3,659 m: 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 6 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 21 Telecommunications: domestic facilities generally adequate; 318,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 272 AM, no FM, 33 TV, 39 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station *Ecuador, Defense Forces Branches: Army (Ejercito Ecuatoriano), Navy (Armada Ecuatoriana), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana), National Police Manpower availability: males age 15-49 2,655,520; fit for military service 1,798,122; reach military age (20) annually 109,413 (1993 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP