Ecuador is in western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru. Its geographic coordinates are 2 00 S, 77 30 W. The capital city of Quito is located in the North. The entire country has a total area of 176,197 square miles (283,561 sq km) with 172,021 square miles (276,841 sq km) being land and 4,176 square miles (6,720 sq km) being water. The entire coastline of the country totals 1,390 miles (2,237 km). Starting from the coastal plain (costa) it moves into the inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), eventually leading to a flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente). It also is the home of the Galapagos Islands.
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Profile Information
ClimateEcuador is tropical along the coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands. It experiences frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity, floods and periodic droughts. 29.7% of Malaysian land is used for agriculture, 38.9% is forest, and 31.4% other.
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CultureHome of the Incan Civilization, Ecuador was colonized by the Spanish in 1533. It now contains a generous mix of people from all corners of the world from the U.S. to Africa. As such, there is a rich diversity of food, language, and religion. Though these pockets are mostly segregated.
In recent years the government has implemented social programs to address issues of poverty and need, such as cash exchanges for education and health care checkup. Literacy and overall health has improved in Ecuador, though many critics doubt the efficacy of these programs. |
PovertyEcuador is substantially dependent on its petroleum resources, which have accounted for more than half of the country's export earnings and approximately 25% of public sector revenues in recent years. 27.8% of the labor force works in agriculture while 54.4% have service jobs. The remaining 17.8% work in industry. The unemployment rate is around 5.5% with a whopping 25.6% falling below the poverty line.
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History
● 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 30 years of civilian governance in 2004, the period was marred by political instability.
● Protests in Quito contributed to the mid-term ouster of three of Ecuador's last four democratically elected presidents.
● In late 2008, voters approved a new constitution, Ecuador's 20th since gaining independence.
● General elections were held in February 2013, and voters re-elected President Rafael CORREA.
● Home to the Galapagos Islands.
● 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 30 years of civilian governance in 2004, the period was marred by political instability.
● Protests in Quito contributed to the mid-term ouster of three of Ecuador's last four democratically elected presidents.
● In late 2008, voters approved a new constitution, Ecuador's 20th since gaining independence.
● General elections were held in February 2013, and voters re-elected President Rafael CORREA.
● Home to the Galapagos Islands.