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Ecuador

area:	283,560sq km (109,483sq mi)
population:	13,285,700
capital (population):	Quito (1,648,100)
government:	Multiparty republic
ethnic groups:	Mestizo 40%, Amerindian 40%, White 15%, Black 5%
languages:	Spanish (official)
religions:	Christianity (Roman Catholic 92%)
currency:	US dollar = 100 cents

Republic in nw South America. Ecuador straddles the Equator. Three ranges of the high Andes mountains form its backbone. The snowcapped Andean peaks include Mount Chimborazo and the world's highest active volcano, Cotopaxi, at 5896m (19,344ft). Earthquakes are frequent and often devastating. Ecuador's capital, Quito, lies in the high Andean plateaux, which are home to nearly half of the nation's population. West of the Andes lie flat coastal lowlands, which include Ecuador's largest city and port, Guayaquil. The e lowlands (Oriente) are drained by headwaters of the River Amazon. The Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean, lie c.1050km (650mi) off the w coast.

Climate

Ecuador's climate varies greatly according to altitude. Although the Peruvian current cools the coast, temperatures remain between 23° and 25°C (73°F and 77°F) throughout the year. Quito, just s of the Equator at 2500m (8200ft), experiences temperatures of 14°C to 15°C (57°F to 59°F). Rainfall is low in the sw, but the Oriente region is hot and wet.

Vegetation

Vegetation in the Andes varies from high snowfields to grassy meadows in the foothills. Beans, maize and wheat are grown in the highlands; citrus fruits, rice and sugar cane on the coastal lowlands. These lowlands also include deciduous woodland and large tropical forests in n coastal areas. Palm trees are common. Balsa trees grow in the Guayas valley. The s border with Peru is desert. Dense rainforest covers the Oriente.

History and Politics

The Inca conquered the kingdom of Quito in the late 15th century, and their language, Quechua, remains widely spoken. In 1532, Spanish forces, under Francisco Pizarro, defeated the Incas at Cajamarca and established the Spanish viceroyalty of Quito. A revolutionary war culminated in Antonio José de Sucre's defeat of the Spanish at the battle of Mount Pichincha (1822). Simón Bolívar negotiated the admittance of Quito to the federation of Gran Colombia, with Colombia and Venezuela. Ecuador seceded in 1830.

For the first half of the 20th century, the army dominated the political scene. In the Treaty of Rio (1942), Ecuador was forced to cede more than 50% of its Amazonian territory to Peru. José María Velasco Ibarro dominated politics in the post-1945 politics. During the 1950s, his authoritarian regime improved Ecuador's infrastructure. In 1970, faced with student riots and economic recession, Velasco established a dictatorship. In 1972, an army coup deposed him. Ecuador returned to democracy in 1979. Failure to implement land reforms and lack of recognition for minorities saw continual unrest during the 1980s. Durán Ballen's presidency (1992–96) saw the start of privatization. Austerity measures provoked civil unrest. A border war with Peru (1995) led to the establishment of a demilitarized zone. Abdala Bucaram defeated Ballen in 1996 elections. In 1997, Bucaram was declared mentally incompetent and removed from office. Jamil Mahaud won the 1998 elections. Recession and soaring inflation saw Vice-President Gustavo Noboa succeed Mahaud after a coup in June 2000.

Economy

Ecuador is a lower-middle income developing nation (2000 GDP per capita, US$2900). It suffered from recession at the end of the 20th century. Agriculture employs 33% of the workforce. It is the world's third largest producer of bananas. The discovery (1972) of oil in the Oriente transformed the economy. Other important crops and industries are cocoa, coffee, forestry, and mining. Fishing is important, but periodically disrupted by El Niño. In 2000, the US dollar became the national currency in an attempt to stabilise the economy and curtail inflation.

Political map

Physical map

Websites

http://www.vivecuador.com