The 2008 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

activity; floods; periodic droughts

      Environment - current issues:

      deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution; pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas of the Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands

      Environment - international agreements:

      party to: 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, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

      Geography - note:

      Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world

      People

       Ecuador

      Population:

      13,927,650 (July 2008 est.)

      Age structure:

      0–14 years: 32.1% (male 2,274,986/female 2,189,437) 15–64 years: 62.7% (male 4,355,909/female 4,381,141) 65 years and over: 5.2% (male 340,861/female 385,316) (2008 est.)

      Median age:

      total: 24.2 years male: 23.7 years female: 24.7 years (2008 est.)

      Population growth rate:

      0.935% (2008 est.)

      Birth rate:

      21.54 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

      Death rate:

      4.21 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

      Net migration rate:

      −7.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

      Sex ratio:

      at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15–64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

      total: 21.35 deaths/1,000 live births male: 25.61 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth:

      total population: 76.81 years male: 73.94 years female: 79.84 years (2008 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

      2.59 children born/woman (2008 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

      0.3% (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

      21,000 (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

      1,700 (2003 est.)

      Major infectious diseases:

      degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever water contact disease: leptospirosis (2008)

      Nationality:

      noun: Ecuadorian(s) adjective: Ecuadorian

      Ethnic groups:

      mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish and others 7%, black 3%

      Religions:

      Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%

      Languages:

      Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)

      Literacy:

      definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91% male: 92.3% female: 89.7% (2001 census)

      Education expenditures:

      1% of GDP (2001)

      Government

       Ecuador

      Country name:

      conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador

       conventional short form: Ecuador

       local long form: Republica del Ecuador

       local short form: Ecuador

      Government type:

      republic

      Capital:

      name: Quito geographic coordinates: 0 13 S, 78 30 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)

      Administrative divisions:

      24 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Azuay, Bolivar,

       Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Galapagos,

       Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Manabi, Morona-Santiago, Napo,

       Orellana, Pastaza, Pichincha, Santa Elena, Santo Domingo de los

       Tsachilas, Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Zamora-Chinchipe

      Independence:

      24 May 1822 (from Spain)

      National holiday:

      Independence Day (independence of Quito), 10 August (1809)

      Constitution:

      10 August 1998

      Legal system:

      based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

      Suffrage:

      18 years of age; universal, compulsory for literate persons ages 18–65, optional for other eligible voters

      Executive branch:

      chief of state: President Rafael CORREA Delgado (since 15 January 2007); Vice President Lenin MORENO Garces (since 15 January 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Rafael CORREA Delgado (since 15 January 2007); Vice President Lenin MORENO Garces (since 15 January 2007) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: the president and vice president are elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a four-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 15 October 2006 with a runoff election on 26 November 2006 (next to be held in October 2010) election results: Rafael CORREA Delgado elected president; percent of vote - Rafael CORREA Delgado 56.7%; Alvaro NOBOA 43.3%

      Legislative branch:

      unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (100 seats; members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 15 October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRIAN 28; PSP 24; PSC 13; ID 7; PRE 6; MUPP-NP 6; RED 5; UDC 5; other 6; note - defections by members of National Congress are commonplace, resulting in frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the various parties; as of 29 November 2007, Congress is on indefinite recess while a Constituent Assembly is convened

      Judicial branch:

      Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (according to the Constitution, new justices are elected by the full Supreme Court; in December 2004, however, Congress successfully replaced the entire court via a simple-majority resolution)

      Political parties and leaders:

      Alianza PAIS Movement [Rafael Vicente CORREA Delgado]; Christian

       Democratic Union or UDC [Diego ORDONEZ Guerrero]; Democratic Left or

       ID [Andres PAEZ Benalcazar]; Ethical and Democratic Network or RED

       [Leon ROLDOS]; Institutional Renewal and National Action Party or

       PRIAN [Alvaro NOBOA]; Pachakutik Plurinational Unity Movement - New

       Country or MUPP-NP [Jorge GUAMAN]; Patriotic Society Party