Ecuador
Ecuador
Mount Imbabura (Ecuador). Source: Marc Figueras/Wikimedia Commons
| Topics: |  Geography |
Ecuador is a nation of fifteen million people in South America bordering the Pacific Ocean at the equator between Columbia and Peru. The equator, which gives the country its name (which means "Republic of the Equator"), passes through Ecuador just north of the capitol city, Quito.
The biodiversity-rich and environmentally-sensitive Galápagos Islands are part of the country and lie 972 km (604 miles) east of the mainland in the Pacific Ocean.
Its major environmental issues include:
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- deforestation;
- soil erosion;
- desertification;
- water pollution; and, pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas of the Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands.
Ecuador is susceptible to Frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity, floods, and periodic droughts.
Cotopaxi in the Andes is highest active volcano in world.
Due to the fact that the earth is not a perfect sphere and has an equatorial bulge, the highest point on the planet furthest from its center is Mount Chimborazo not Mount Everest, which is merely the highest peak above sea-level.
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 September 2008, voters approved a new constitution; Ecuador's twentieth since gaining independence.
General elections, under the new constitutional framework, were held in April 2009, and voters re-elected President Rafael Cprrea.
Geography
Geographic Coordinates: 2 00 S, 77 30 W
Area: 283,560 km2 (276,840 km2 land and 6,720 km2 water). This includes the Galapagos Islands.
Land Boundaries: 2,010 km. Border countries are Colombia 590 km and Peru 1,420 km
Coastline: 2,237 km
Maritime Claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm
continental shelf: 100 nm from 2,500-m isobath
Natural Hazards: Frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts
volcanism: Ecuador experiences volcanic activity in the Andes Mountains; Sangay (elev. 5,230 m), which erupted in 2010, is mainland Ecuador's most active volcano; other historically active volcanoes in the Andes include Antisana, Cayambe, Chacana, Cotopaxi, Guagua Pichincha, Reventador, Sumaco, and Tungurahua; Fernandina (elev. 1,476 m), a shield volcano that last erupted in 2009, is the most active of the many Galapagos volcanoes; other historically active Galapagos volcanoes include Wolf, Sierra Negra, Cerro Azul, Pinta, Marchena, and Santiago
Terrain: Coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente) . The highest point is Chimborazo (6,267 m). Note: due to the fact that the earth is not a perfect sphere and has an equatorial bulge, the highest point on the planet furthest from its center is Mount Chimborazo not Mount Everest, which is merely the highest peak above sea-level.
Climate: Tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands
Topography of Ecudor. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Ecology and Biodiversity
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The richest and most diverse region on Earth, the Tropical Andes passes through central Ecuador. Along the coast lies the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena biodiversity hotspot, which includes a wide variety of habitats and South America's only remaining coastal dry forests. There are a number of diverse terrestrial ecoregions throughout Ecuador:
Also: Galápagos Islands xeric scrub |
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Protected areas
See main article: Protected areas of Ecuador
Ecuador is home to two major protected areas. The Galápagos National Park & Galápagos Marine Resources Reserve consists of the largest, most diverse almost pristine archipelago remaining in the world. It is made up of volcanic islands and the surrounding seas located west of Ecuador at the confluence of several ocean currents. The largest area of unaltered wild land in the country's eastern Cordilleras is known as Sangay National Park. It includes a wide range of ecosystems, from the tropical rainforests of the Amazon basin to mountain glaciers.
Government
Government Type: Republic
Capital: Quito -1.801 million (2009)
Other Major Cities: Guayaquil - 2.634 million (2009)
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Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia);
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Source: Wikimedia Commons |
Independence Date: 24 May 1822 (from Spain)
Legal System: civil law based on the Chilean civil code with modifications. Ecuadopr has not submitted an International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction declaration. It accepts International criminal court (ICCt) jurisdiction
International Environmental Agreements
Ecuador is party to international agreements on: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, and Wetlands.
People and Society
Population: 15,007,343 (July 2011 est.)
Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish and others 7%, black 3%
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| Vicuña, one of two wild South American camelids. In the background the highest placed volcano on Earth, the Chimborazo vulcano - Ecuador. Source: Wikimedia |
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| Quito. Source: Patricio Mena Vásconez/Wikimedia Commons. |
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In mid-April 2011, after a decade of low activity, Ecuador’s Tungurahua Volcano began a substantial eruption. On April 21st fine ash fell on nearby communities, followed by the appearance of small lava fountains at Tungurahua’s summit. On April 26th significant eruption of ash began, up to an altitude of 38,000 feet (12,000 meters). These emissions continued until at least May 4, 2011. Source: NASA |
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This true-color image of the Galapagos Islands was acquired on March 12, 2002, by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA's Terra satellite. The Galapagos Islands, which are part of Ecuador, sit in the Pacific Ocean about 1000 km (620 miles) west of South America. As the three craters on the largest island (Isabela Island) suggest, the archipelago was created by volcanic eruptions, which took place millions of years ago. Unlike most remote islands in the Pacific, the Galapagos have gone relatively untouched by humans over the past few millennia. As a result, many unique species have continued to thrive on the islands. Over 95 percent of the islands’ reptile species and nearly three quarters of its land bird species cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Two of the more well known are the Galapagos giant tortoise and marine iguanas. The unhindered evolutionary development of the islands’ species inspired Charles Darwin to begin The Origin of Species eight years after his visit there. To preserve the unique wildlife on the islands, the Ecuadorian government made the entire archipelago a national park in 1959. Each year roughly 60,000 tourists visit these islands to experience what Darwin did over a century and a half ago. Source: NASA. Credit: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC |
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| A sea turtle at Tagus Cove on Isabela Island (Galapagos Islands) |
Age Structure:
0-14 years: 30.1% (male 2,301,840/female 2,209,971)
15-64 years: 63.5% (male 4,699,548/female 4,831,521)
65 years and over: 6.4% (male 463,481/female 500,982) (2011 est.)
Population Growth Rate: 1.443% (2011 est.)
Birthrate: 19.96 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Death Rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
Net Migration Rate: -0.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Life Expectancy at Birth: 75.73 years (2011 est.)
Total Fertility Rate: 2.42 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Languages: Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)
Literacy: 91% (2001 census)
Urbanization: 67% of total population (2010) growing at an annual rate of change of 2% (2010-15 est.)
Water
Total Renewable Water Resources: 432 cu km (2000)
Freshwater Withdrawal: 16.98 cu km/yr (12% domestic, 5% industrial, 82% agricultural)
Per Capita Freshwater Withdrawal: 1,283 cu m/yr (2000)
Agriculture
Agricultural products:
Irrigated Land: 8,650 sq km (2008)
Resources
Natural Resources: petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower
Land Use:
arable land: 5.71%
permanent crops: 4.81%
other: 89.48% (2005)
Energy
The oil sector dominates the Ecuadorian economy, accounting for 40 percent of export earnings and one-third of all tax revenues. According to Oil and Gas Journal, Ecuador held proven oil reserves of 4.6 billion barrels, the third largest in South America, and 345 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas reserves as of January 2006. There is negligible domestic demand or support infrastructure for natural gas. Ecuador produced 14.84 billion kilowatt-hours (Bkwh) of electricity and consumed 12.9 Bkwh in 2006. About 63 percent of Ecuador's electricity production comes from hydroelectricity, with the balance supplied by conventional thermal plants.
See Energy profile of Ecuador.
Conflict
International Disputes: organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia penetrate across Ecuador's shared border, which thousands of Colombians also cross to escape the violence in their home country
Economy
Ecuador is substantially dependent on its petroleum resources, which have accounted for more than half of the country's export earnings and approximately one-third of public sector revenues in recent years.
In 1999/2000, Ecuador suffered a severe economic crisis, with GDP contracting by 5.3%. Poverty increased significantly, the banking system collapsed, and Ecuador defaulted on its external debt.
In March 2000, the 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 an average of 5.2% per year, the highest five-year average in 25 years.
After moderate growth in 2007, the economy reached a growth rate of 7.2% in 2008, in large part due to high global petroleum prices and increased public sector investment.
President Rafael Correa, who took office in January 2007, defaulted in December 2008 on Ecuador's sovereign debt, which, with a total face value of approximately US$3.2 billion, represented about 80% of Ecuador's private external debt.
In May 2009, Ecuador bought back 91% of its "defaulted" bonds via an international auction.
Economic policies under the Correa administration - including an announcement in late 2009 of its intention to terminate 13 bilateral investment treaties, including one with the United States - have generated economic uncertainty and discouraged private investment.
The Ecuadorian economy slowed to 0.4% growth in 2009 due to the global financial crisis and to the sharp decline in world oil prices and remittance flows.
Growth picked up to a 3.6% rate in 2010 and 5.8% in 2011.
The government in 2011 signed a $2 billion loan with the state-owned China Development Bank and announced plans to obtain further Chinese loans. China has become Ecuador's largest foreign lender since Quito defaulted in 2008, allowing the government to maintain a high rate of social spending.
GDP: (Purchasing Power Parity): $124.8 billion (2011 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $65.3 billion (2011 est.)
GDP- per capita (PPP): $8,300 (2011 est.)
GDP- composition by sector:
agriculture: 6.5%
industry: 34.6%
services: 58.9% (2011 est.)
Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, wood products, chemicals
Natural Resources: Bananas, coffee, cocoa, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca), plantains, sugarcane; cattle, sheep, pigs, beef, pork, dairy products; balsa wood; fish, shrimp
Currency: United States Dollar
Citation
World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, Central Intelligence Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administra (Lead Author);CIA World Factbook (Content Source);Peter Saundry (Topic Editor) "Ecuador". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth May 21, 2009; Last revised Date February 8, 2012; Retrieved February 9, 2012 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Ecuador>
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Known worldwide by its panda logo, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) leads international efforts to protect endangered species and their habitats. Now in its fifth decade, WWF works in more than 100 countries around the globe to conserve the diversity of life on Earth. With nearly 1.2 million members in the U.S. and another 4 million worldwide, WWF is the world's largest privately financed conservation organization. WWF directs its conservation efforts toward three global goals: 1) saving endangered ... (Full Bio)
A U.S.-based, international organization, Conservation International (CI) is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
CI applies innovations in science, economics, policy and community participation to protect the Earth's richest regions of plant and animal diversity in the biodiversity hotspots, high-biodiversity wilderness areas as well as important marine regions around the globe. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., CI works in more than 40 ... (Full Bio)
The Central Intelligence Agency was created in 1947 with the signing of the National Security Act by President Harry S. Truman. The act also created a Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) to serve as head of the United States intelligence community; act as the principal adviser to the President for intelligence matters related to the national security; and serve as head of the Central Intelligence Agency. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 amended the National Securit ... (Full Bio)
President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1958, partially in response to the Soviet Union's launch of the first artificial satellite. NASA grew out of the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, which had been researching flight technology for more than 40 years. Today, NASA conducts its work in four principle organizations, called mission directorates: Aeronautics: pioneering and proving new flight technologies that improve our ab ... (Full Bio)
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