Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Ecuador shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Ecuador offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Ecuador at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Ecuador? Wrong! If the Ecuador is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Ecuador then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Ecuador? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Ecuador and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Ecuador wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Ecuador then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Ecuador site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Ecuador, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Ecuador, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox Country|native_name = República del Ecuador|conventional_long_name = Republic of Ecuador|common_name = Ecuador|image_flag = Flag of Ecuador.svg|image_coat = Ecuador COA.svg|image_map = LocationEcuador.svg|national_motto = "Dios, patria y libertad"(Spanish language)"Pro Deo, Patria et Libertas"(Latin)"God, homeland and liberty"]We Salute You, Our Homeland|official_languages = Spanish Language|demonym = Ecuadorian|capital = Quito|government_type = [Republic|leader_title2 = [List of Vice Presidents of Ecuador|leader_name1 = Rafael Correa|area_rank = 73nd|area_magnitude = 1 E11|area_km2 = 256,370|area_sq_mi = 98,985|percent_water = 8.8|population_estimate = 13,810,000|population_estimate_rank = 65th|population_estimate_year = 2007|population_census =|population_census_year =|population_density_km2 = 53.8|population_density_sq_mi = 139.4 |established_event1 = from Spain|established_date1 = [May 24 1822 [18302|currency_code = USD|country_code =|time_zone =|utc_offset = -5 (-63)|time_zone_DST =|utc_offset_DST =|cctld = [.ec and other [Amerindian languages spoken by indigenous communities.] until 2000, followed by the U.S. dollar and Ecuadorian centavo coins.-->

Ecuador ([IPA: /IPA chart for English/), officially the Republic of Ecuador (), is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, by Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean on the west. The country also includes the Galápagos Islands (Archipiélago de Colón) in the Pacific, about 965 kilometers (600 miles) west of the mainland. Ecuador straddles the equator, from which it takes its name, and has an area of 256,370 square kilometers (98,985 square mile). Its capital city is Quito; its largest city is Guayaquil.

History Pre-Columbian First settlements Evidence of human cultures in Ecuador exist from c. 3500 B.C. Many civilizations rose throughout Ecuador, such as the Valdivia Culture and Machalilla on the coast, the Quitus (near present day Quito) and the Cañari (in present day Cuenca). Each civilization developed its own distinctive architecture, pottery, and religious beliefs. After years of fierce resistance the Cañari fell to the Incan expansion, and were assimilated loosely into the Incan empire.

Part of the Incan empire Through a succession of wars and marriages among the nations that inhabited the valley, the region became part of the Inca Empire. Atahualpa, one of the sons of the Inca emperor Huayna Capac, could not receive the crown of the Empire since the emperor had another son, Huascar, born in Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire. Upon Huayna Capac's death, the empire was divided in two: Atahualpa received the north, with his capital in Quito; Huascar received the south, with its capital in Cusco. In 1530, Atahualpa defeated Huascar and conquered the entire Empire for the crown of Quito.

Colonization Barely a week later, in 1531, the Spain conquistadors, under Francisco Pizarro, arrived to find an Inca empire torn by civil war. Atahualpa wanted to reestablish a unified Incan empire; the Spanish, however, had conquest intentions and established themselves in a fort in Cajamarca, captured Atahualpa during the Battle of Cajamarca, and held him for ransom. The Incas filled one room with gold and two with silver to secure his release. Despite being surrounded and vastly outnumbered, the Spanish executed Atahualpa. To escape the confines of the fort, the Spaniards fired all their cannons and broke through the lines of the bewildered Incans. In subsequent years, the Spanish colonists became the new elite, centering their power in the vice-royalties of Viceroyalty of New Granada and Lima.

The indigenous population was decimated by disease during the first decades of Spanish rule — a time when the natives also were forced into the "encomienda" labor system for Spanish landlords. In 1563, Quito became the seat of a Royal Audience of Quito (administrative district) of Spain and part of the Vice-Royalty of Lima, and later the Vice-Royalty of Viceroyalty of New Granada.

Independence After nearly three hundred years of Spanish colonization, Quito was a city of ten thousand inhabitants. It was there, on August 10, 1809 (the national holiday), that the first call for independence from Spain was made in Latin America ("Primer Grito de la Independencia"), under the leadership of the city's criollos like Carlos Montúfar, Eugenio Espejo and Bishop Cuero y Caicedo. Quito's nickname, "Luz de América" ("Light of America"), comes from the idea that this first attempt produced the inspiration for the rest of Spanish America, creating a domino effect that would ultimately lead to the expulsion of Spain from the continent.

On October 9, 1820, Guayaquil became the first city in Ecuador to gain its independence from Spain. It was not until May 24, 1822, that the rest of Ecuador gained its independence after Field Marshal Antonio José de Sucre defeated the Spaniard Royalist forces at the Batalla del Pichincha (Battle of Pichincha) near Quito. Following the battle, Ecuador joined Simón Bolívar's Republic of Gran Colombia, only to become a separate republic in 1830.

Building a nation The 19th century for Ecuador was marked by instability, with a rapid succession of rulers. The first president of Ecuador was the Venezuelan born Juan José Flores, who was ultimately deposed, followed by many authoritarian leaders such as Vicente Rocafuerte, José Joaquín de Olmedo, José María Urbina, Diego Noboa, Pedro José de Arteta, Manuel de Ascásubi and Flores's own son, Antonio Flores Jijón, among others. The conservative Gabriel Garcia Moreno unified the country in the 1860s with the support of the Roman Catholic Church. In the late 19th century, world demand for cocoa tied the economy to commodity exports and led to migrations from the highlands to the agricultural frontier on the coast.

A coastal-based liberal revolution in 1895 under Eloy Alfaro reduced the power of the clergy and the conservative land owners of the highlands, and this liberal wing retained power until the military "Julian Revolution" of 1925. The 1930s and 1940s were marked by instability and emergence of populist politicians such as five-time President José María Velasco Ibarra.

Territorial dispute Control over territory in the Amazon basin led to a long-lasting dispute between Ecuador and Peru. In 1941, amid fast-growing tensions between the two countries, war broke out. Peru claimed that Ecuador's military presence in Peruvian-claimed territory was an invasion; Ecuador, for its part, claimed that Peru had invaded Ecuador. In July 1941, troops were mobilized in both countries. Peru had an army of 11,681 troops who faced a poorly-supplied and inadequately-armed Ecuadorean force of 5,300, of which only 1,300 were deployed in the southern provinces. Hostilities erupted on July 5, 1941, when Peruvian forces crossed the Zarumilla river at several locations, testing the strength and resolve of the Ecuadorean border troops. Finally, on July 23, 1941, the Peruvians launched a major invasion, crossing the Zarumilla river in force and advancing into the Ecuadorean province of El Oro.

During the course of the war, Peru gained control over all the disputed territory and occupied the Ecuadorean province of El Oro Province, now Tumbes Province, and some parts of the province of Loja (65 percent of the former country), demanding that the Ecuadorean government give up its territorial claims. The Peruvian Navy blocked the port of Guayaquil, cutting supplies to the Ecuadorean troops. After a few weeks of war and under pressure by the U.S. and several Latin American nations, all fighting came to a stop. Ecuador and Peru came to an accord formalized in the Rio Protocol, signed on January 29, 1942, in favor of hemispheric unity against the Axis Powers in World War II. As a result of its victory, Peru was awarded the disputed territory.

It would take two more undeclared wars before a peace agreement was finally reached in 1999 to end hostilities. (See Paquisha Incident and Cenepa War.)

and José de San Martín.

Government instability Recession and popular unrest led to a return to populist politics and domestic military interventions in the 1960s, while foreign companies developed oil resources in the Ecuadorean Amazon. In 1972, construction of the Andean pipeline was completed. The pipeline brought oil from the east side of the Andes to the coast, making Ecuador South America's second largest oil exporter. That same year a "revolutionary and nationalist" military military dictatorship overthrew the government, remaining in power until 1979, when elections were held under a new Constitution. Jaime Roldós Aguilera was elected President, governing until May 24, 1981, when he died in a plane crash. By 1982, the government of Osvaldo Hurtado faced an economic crisis, characterized by high inflation, budget deficits, a falling currency, mounting debt service, and uncompetitive industries, leading to chronic government instability.

Many years of mismanagement, starting with the mishandling of the country's debt during the 1970s military regime, had left the country essentially ungovernable. Since the mid 1990s, the government of Ecuador has been characterized by a weak executive branch that struggles to appease the ruling classes represented in the legislative and judiciary. The three democratically elected List of heads of state of Ecuador during the period 1996-2006 all failed to finish their terms.

Today's government The emergence of the indigenous population (app. 25 percent; see demographics below) as an active constituency has added to the democratic volatility of the country in recent years. The population have been motivated by government failures to deliver on promises of land reform, lower unemployment and provision of social services, and historical exploitation by the land-holding elite.

Their movement, along with the continuing destabilizing efforts by both the Elite and Leftist movements, have led to a deterioration of the executive office. The populace and the other branches of government give the president very little political capital, as illustrated by the most recent ouster of a president. In April 2005, Ecuador's congress ousted President Lucio Gutiérrez.

The vice-president, Alfredo Palacio, took his place and remained in office until the presidential Ecuadorian general election, 2006, which did not produce a conclusive winner until a runoff election on 26 November elected Rafael Correa over Alvaro Noboa. With less than four percent of the poll to be counted (364,000 votes), Correa's lead was more than 850,000 Bloomberg ==

Politics .

The constitution provides for concurrent four-year terms for the president, vice president, and members of Congress. Presidents may be reelected after an intervening term, while legislators may be reelected immediately.

The executive branch includes 15 ministries. Provincial governors and councilors (mayors, aldermen, and parish boards) are directly elected. Congress meets throughout the year except for recesses in July and December. There are 20 seven-member congressional committees. Justices of the Supreme Court are appointed by the Congress for indefinite terms.

On September 30, 2007 Ecuador Ecuadorian Constituent Assembly election, 2007 aEcuadorian Constituent Assembly, dominated by President Rafael Correa's PAIS Alliance, charged with rewriting the Constitution of Ecuador.

Foreign Relations Ecuador has often placed great emphasis on multilateral approaches to international issues. Ecuador is a member of the United Nations (and most of its specialized agencies) and a member of many regional groups, including the Rio Group, the Latin American Economic System, the Latin American Energy Organization, the Latin American Integration Association, and The Andean Pact.

Geography Ecuador has three main geographic regions, plus an insular region in the Pacific Ocean:

Capital City Ecuador's capital is Quito, Ecuador, which is in the province of Pichincha in the Sierra region. Its largest city is Guayaquil, in the province of Guayas on the Coast. Cotopaxi, which is just south of Quito, features one of the world's highest active volcanoes. The top of Mount Chimborazo (6,310 meters) is considered to be the most distant point from the center of the Earth, given the ovoidal shape of the planet (wider at the equator). top of Mt. Everest is the highest point above sea level.

Provinces and cantons Ecuador is divided into 24 provinces, each with its own administrative capital:{] || Cuenca, Ecuador| Bolívar Province (Ecuador) || Guaranda ] || Azogues ] || Tulcán ] || Riobamba ] || Latacunga ] || Machala ] || Esmeraldas (city)| Galápagos Province || Puerto Baquerizo Moreno || [Guayaquil ] || Ibarra, Ecuador| Loja Province || Loja, Ecuador| Los Ríos Province || Babahoyo ] || Portoviejo ] || Macas ] || Tena, Ecuador| Orellana Province || Puerto Francisco de Orellana || [Puyo, Pastaza | Pichincha Province || Quito ] || Santa Elena, Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas Province || [Santo Domingo de los Colorados | Sucumbíos ] | Tungurahua Province || San Juan de Ambato| Zamora-Chinchipe ]|}

The provinces are divided into 199 Cantons of Ecuador and subdivided into parishes (or parroquias).

Climate Because of its three mainland regions (as delineated in the preceding section), Ecuador's climate cannot be generalized. La Costa (Pacific coastal area) is tropical, La Sierra (Andes highlands) is temperate, and El Oriente (eastern side of the mountains) shares the jungle climate of the upper Amazon rain forest.

Because of its location at the equator, Ecuador does not experience variations in daylight hours during the course of a year. Except for a few minutes resulting from a slight wobble in the earth as it rotates, sunrise and sunset are always at 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., respectively. Although it is in the same time zone as the eastern United States (except for the Galápagos Islands, which correspond to the U.S. central time zone), Ecuador does not switch to daylight savings time.

Biodiversity Ecuador is one of 17 megadiverse countries in the world according to Conservation International. Conservation Internation Site With 1600 bird species (15 percent of the world's known bird species) in the continental area, and 38 more Endemism in the Galápagos. In addition to 25,000 species of plants, the country has 106 endemic reptiles, 138 endemic amphibians, and 6,000 species of butterfly. The Galápagos Islands are well known as a region of distinct fauna, famous as the place of birth of Charles Darwin Theory of Evolution, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unesco World Heritage Despite being on the UNESCO list, the Galápagos Islands islands are endangered by a range of negative environmental effects, threatening the existence of this exotic ecosystem. Time Magazine Report

Economy buildings.

Ecuador has substantial petroleum resources and rich agricultural areas. Because the country exports primary products such as oil, bananas, flowers and shrimp, fluctuations in world market prices can have a substantial domestic impact. Industry is largely oriented to servicing the domestic market, and some exports to the Andean Common market. Deteriorating economic performance in 1997-98 culminated in a severe economic and financial crisis in 1999. The crisis was precipitated by a number of external shocks, including the El Niño weather phenomenon in 1997, a sharp drop in global oil prices in 1997-98, and international emerging market instability in 1997-98. These factors highlighted the Government of Ecuador's unsustainable economic policy mix of large fiscal deficits and expansionary money policy and resulted in a 7.3 percent contraction of GDP, annual year-on-year inflation of 52.2 percent, and a 65 percent devaluation of the national currency (the Sucre) in 1999, which helped precipitate a default on external loans later that year.

On January 9 2000, the administration of President Jamil Mahuad announced its intention to adopt the U.S. dollar as the official currency of Ecuador to address the ongoing economic crisis. The formal adoption of the dollar as currency on September 10, 2000, as opposed to merely pegging the Sucre to the dollar as Argentina has done, theoretically meant that the benefits of seigniorage would accrue to the U.S. economy. Subsequent protests related to the economic and financial crises led to the removal of Mahuad from office and the elevation of Vice President Gustavo Noboa to the presidency.

However, the Noboa government confirmed its commitment to dollarize as the centerpiece of its economic recovery strategy. The government also entered into negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), culminating in the negotiation of a 12-month standby arrangement with the Fund. Additional policy initiatives include efforts to reduce the government's fiscal deficit and to implement structural reforms to strengthen the banking system and regain access to private capital markets.

Buoyed by high oil prices, the Ecuadorean economy experienced a modest recovery in 2000, with GDP rising 1.9 percent. However, 70 percent of the population was estimated to live below the poverty line that year, more than double the rate in 1995.

In April 2007, after winning a referendum on constitutional reform, President Correa announced that he no longer intended that the country would make repayments to the IMF nor deal with the World Bank.

Demographics Ecuador's population is ethnically diverse. The largest ethnic group is the Mestizos, the mixed descendants of Spanish colonists and indigenous Indians, who constitute 65 percent of the population. Indigenous Peoples of the Americas are second in their numbers and account for 25 percent of the current population. Whites, mainly Criollo (people), the unmixed descendants of early Spanish colonists, as well as immigrants from other European and Latin American countries, account for about seven percent. The small Afro-Ecuadorian people minority, including Mulattos and zambos, largely based in Esmeraldas and Imbabura provinces, make up three percent.

There are sizeable expatriate Ecuadorean communities in Spain and Italy, as well across Europe, the United States, Canada and Japan. It is estimated that 700,000 people emigrated from Ecuador following the 1999 economic crisis, and that the expatriate Ecuadorian population totals 2.5 million.

The tropical forest region to the east of the mountains (El Oriente) remains sparsely populated and contains only about three percent of the population.

The public education system is free at the point of delivery, and attendance is mandatory from ages five to 14. Provision of public schools falls far below the levels needed, and class sizes are often very large, and families of limited means often find it necessary to pay for education. However, the Ministry of Education reports that only 76 percent of children finish six years of schooling. In rural areas, only 10 percent of the children go on to high school. Ministry statistics give the mean number of years completed as 6.7.

Ecuador has 61 universities, many of which offer graduate degrees, although only 87 percent of the faculty in public universities possess graduate degrees. About 300 higher institutes offer two to three years of post-secondary vocational or technical training.

Religion .Approximately 95 percent of Ecuadorians are Roman Catholic . In the rural parts of Ecuador, indigenous beliefs and Christianity are sometimes syncretized. There is also a growing number of Mormon and Protestant denominations.

Most festivals and annual parades are based on religious celebrations.

There is a small Muslim minority numbering in the low thousands. The Jewish community numbers just over a thousand and is mostly of Germany and Italy origin. There are also Sephardic Jews (Judeo-Spanish Jews).

Culture Ecuador's mainstream culture is defined by its mestizo majority and, like their ancestry, is a mixture of European and Amerindian influences infused with African elements inherited from Slavery ancestors. Ecuador's indigenous communities are integrated into that mainstream culture to varying degrees, but some may also practice their own autochthonous cultures, particularly the more remote indigenous communities of the Amazon basin.

The Panama hat is of Ecuadorean origin, and is known there as "Sombrero de paja toquilla" It is made principally in Montecristi(Pile, Pampas, Cruces) in the Province of Manabi. Its manufacture (particularly that of the Montecristi superfino) is considered a great craft.

Notable people born in Ecuador include painters Enrique Tábara, Guayasamín, Eduardo Kingman, Manuel Rendón, Arauz, Constanté, Viteri, Molinari, Maldonado, Gutierrez, Gonzalo Endara Crow, Villacís, Camilo Egas, Villafuerte and Caesar Andrade Faini; animator Mike Judge; poet and statesman José Joaquín de Olmedo, scholar Benjamín Urrutia, and tennis player Pancho Segura.

Sports The most popular sport in Ecuador, as in most South American countries, is soccer (futbol). Its best known professional teams include Barcelona Sporting Club and Club Sport Emelec, from Guayaquil, Liga Deportiva Universitaria (Quito), Sociedad Deportivo Quito and Club Deportivo El Nacional (the Ecuadorian Armed Forces team) from Quito, Centro Deportivo Olmedo from Riobamba, and Club Deportivo Cuenca, from Cuenca.

The matches of the Ecuador national football teamean national football team are the most watched sports events in the country. In June 2007, FIFA adopted a resolution prohibiting international football games at or higher than 2,500 meters above sea level. Rafael Correa, and his presidential counterparts in Peru, Bolivia and Colombia, issued a joint letter of protest against this ruling.Ecuador qualified for the final rounds of both the 2002 FIFA World Cup and 2006 FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cups. Ecuador finished ahead of Poland and Costa Rica to come in second to Germany in Group A in the 2006 World Cup. Futsal, often referred to as índor, is particularly popular for mass participation.

There is considerable interest in tennis in the middle and upper classes in the Ecuadorean society, and several Ecuadorean professional players have attained considerable international fame, including Francisco Segura and Andrés Gómez. Basketball also has a high profile, while Ecuador's specialities include Volleyball variations#Ecuadorian Volleyball .28Ecuavolley.29, a three-person variation of volleyball. Bullfighting is practiced at a professional level in Quito, during the annual festivities that commemorate the Spanish founding of the city. Bullfighting is found in smaller towns, notably El Chaco (east of Quito).

Ecuador obtained its first Olympic gold medal in Atlanta's 1996 Olympic Games, through Jefferson Pérez, on the 20 km race-walk. There is flourishing activity in nontraditional sports such as mountainbiking, motorbiking, surfing, and paintball. Since 2005, Ecuador has held the Guayaquil Marathon, which is an international foot race.

Food The food in Ecuador is diverse, varying with altitude and associated agricultural conditions. Pork, chicken, beef, and “cuy” (guinea pig) are popular in the mountain regions and are served with a variety of grains (especially rice and corn) or potatoes. A popular street food in mountain regions of Ecuador consists of potatoes served with roasted pig (hornado). Fanesca, a fish soup including several types of bean, is often eaten during Lent. During the week before Halloween, the fruit beverage Colada Morada, is drunk hot, accompanied by Guaguas de Pan, stuffeded bread shaped like children.

A wide variety of fresh fruit is available, particularly at lower altitudes, including granadilla, passionfruit, naranjilla, several types of bananas, uvilla, taxo, and tree tomato.

Seafood is popular at the coast, where prawns, shrimp and lobster are key parts of the diet. Plantain- and peanut-based dishes are the basis of most coastal meals, which are usually served in two courses. The first course is caldo soup, which may be aguado (a thin soup, usually with meat) or caldo de leche, a cream vegetable soup. The second course might include rice, a little meat or fish with a menestra (stew), and salad or vegetables. Patacones are popular side dishes with coastal meals.

Some of the typical dishes in the coastal region are: ceviche, pan de almidón, corviche, guatita, encebollado and empanadas; in the mountain region: hornado, fritada, humitas, tamales, llapingachos, lomo saltado, and churrasco.

In the rainforest, a dietary staple is the yuca, elsewhere called cassava. The starchy root is peeled and boiled, fried, or used in a variety of other dishes. Many fruits are available in this region, including bananas, tree grapes, and peach palms.

Aguardiente, a licorice-flavoured spirit, is probably the most popular national alcohol and beers are brewed. Drinkable yogurt, available in many fruit flavors, is extremely popular and is often consumed with pan de yuca, which is a light bread filled with cheese and eaten warm.

Art .There are many contemporary Ecuadorean writers, including the novelist Jorge Enrique Adoum; the poet Jorge Carrera Andrade; the essayist Benjamín Carrión; the poet Fanny Carrión de Fierro; the novelist Enrique Gil Gilbert; the novelist Jorge Icaza (author of the novel Huasipungo, translated to many languages); the short story author Pablo Palacio; the novelist Alicia Yanez Cossio; the prominent author and essayist, Juan Montalvo, and U.S.-based, half Ecuadorean poet Emanuel Xavier.

Ecuador has produced many world renowned master painters including: Oswaldo Guayasamín, Camilo Egas and Eduardo Kingman from the Indiginist Movement; and Manuel Rendon, Enrique Tábara, Aníbal Villacís and Estuardo Maldonado from the Informalist Movement.

Film





















In addition to film, there are numerous books and novels based on Ecuador, including the science fiction novel by Rod Glenn, The King of America, and the science fiction novel Galápagos by Kurt Vonnegut.

Transportation Ecuador has a network of Highways of Ecuador maintained by the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Comunicaciones (Ministry of Public Works and Communication) government agency . The Pan-American Highway connects the northern and southern portions of the country as well as connecting Ecuador with Colombia to the north and Peru to the south. The quality of roads, even on truck routes, is highly variable. There is an extensive network of intercity buses that use these mountain roads and highways.

See also {{columns |width=250px|col1 = |col2 = -->

References External links Government

General Information

{{Infobox Country|native_name = República del Ecuador|conventional_long_name = Republic of Ecuador|common_name = Ecuador|image_flag = Flag of Ecuador.svg|image_coat = Ecuador COA.svg|image_map = LocationEcuador.svg|national_motto = "Dios, patria y libertad"(Spanish language)"Pro Deo, Patria et Libertas"(Latin)"God, homeland and liberty"]We Salute You, Our Homeland|official_languages = Spanish Language|demonym = Ecuadorian|capital = Quito|government_type = [Republic|leader_title2 = [List of Vice Presidents of Ecuador|leader_name1 = Rafael Correa|area_rank = 73nd|area_magnitude = 1 E11|area_km2 = 256,370|area_sq_mi = 98,985|percent_water = 8.8|population_estimate = 13,810,000|population_estimate_rank = 65th|population_estimate_year = 2007|population_census =|population_census_year =|population_density_km2 = 53.8|population_density_sq_mi = 139.4 |established_event1 = from Spain|established_date1 = [May 24 1822 [18302|currency_code = USD|country_code =|time_zone =|utc_offset = -5 (-63)|time_zone_DST =|utc_offset_DST =|cctld = [.ec and other [Amerindian languages spoken by indigenous communities.] until 2000, followed by the U.S. dollar and Ecuadorian centavo coins.-->

Ecuador ([IPA: /IPA chart for English/), officially the Republic of Ecuador (), is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, by Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean on the west. The country also includes the Galápagos Islands (Archipiélago de Colón) in the Pacific, about 965 kilometers (600 miles) west of the mainland. Ecuador straddles the equator, from which it takes its name, and has an area of 256,370 square kilometers (98,985 square mile). Its capital city is Quito; its largest city is Guayaquil.

History Pre-Columbian First settlements Evidence of human cultures in Ecuador exist from c. 3500 B.C. Many civilizations rose throughout Ecuador, such as the Valdivia Culture and Machalilla on the coast, the Quitus (near present day Quito) and the Cañari (in present day Cuenca). Each civilization developed its own distinctive architecture, pottery, and religious beliefs. After years of fierce resistance the Cañari fell to the Incan expansion, and were assimilated loosely into the Incan empire.

Part of the Incan empire Through a succession of wars and marriages among the nations that inhabited the valley, the region became part of the Inca Empire. Atahualpa, one of the sons of the Inca emperor Huayna Capac, could not receive the crown of the Empire since the emperor had another son, Huascar, born in Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire. Upon Huayna Capac's death, the empire was divided in two: Atahualpa received the north, with his capital in Quito; Huascar received the south, with its capital in Cusco. In 1530, Atahualpa defeated Huascar and conquered the entire Empire for the crown of Quito.

Colonization Barely a week later, in 1531, the Spain conquistadors, under Francisco Pizarro, arrived to find an Inca empire torn by civil war. Atahualpa wanted to reestablish a unified Incan empire; the Spanish, however, had conquest intentions and established themselves in a fort in Cajamarca, captured Atahualpa during the Battle of Cajamarca, and held him for ransom. The Incas filled one room with gold and two with silver to secure his release. Despite being surrounded and vastly outnumbered, the Spanish executed Atahualpa. To escape the confines of the fort, the Spaniards fired all their cannons and broke through the lines of the bewildered Incans. In subsequent years, the Spanish colonists became the new elite, centering their power in the vice-royalties of Viceroyalty of New Granada and Lima.

The indigenous population was decimated by disease during the first decades of Spanish rule — a time when the natives also were forced into the "encomienda" labor system for Spanish landlords. In 1563, Quito became the seat of a Royal Audience of Quito (administrative district) of Spain and part of the Vice-Royalty of Lima, and later the Vice-Royalty of Viceroyalty of New Granada.

Independence After nearly three hundred years of Spanish colonization, Quito was a city of ten thousand inhabitants. It was there, on August 10, 1809 (the national holiday), that the first call for independence from Spain was made in Latin America ("Primer Grito de la Independencia"), under the leadership of the city's criollos like Carlos Montúfar, Eugenio Espejo and Bishop Cuero y Caicedo. Quito's nickname, "Luz de América" ("Light of America"), comes from the idea that this first attempt produced the inspiration for the rest of Spanish America, creating a domino effect that would ultimately lead to the expulsion of Spain from the continent.

On October 9, 1820, Guayaquil became the first city in Ecuador to gain its independence from Spain. It was not until May 24, 1822, that the rest of Ecuador gained its independence after Field Marshal Antonio José de Sucre defeated the Spaniard Royalist forces at the Batalla del Pichincha (Battle of Pichincha) near Quito. Following the battle, Ecuador joined Simón Bolívar's Republic of Gran Colombia, only to become a separate republic in 1830.

Building a nation The 19th century for Ecuador was marked by instability, with a rapid succession of rulers. The first president of Ecuador was the Venezuelan born Juan José Flores, who was ultimately deposed, followed by many authoritarian leaders such as Vicente Rocafuerte, José Joaquín de Olmedo, José María Urbina, Diego Noboa, Pedro José de Arteta, Manuel de Ascásubi and Flores's own son, Antonio Flores Jijón, among others. The conservative Gabriel Garcia Moreno unified the country in the 1860s with the support of the Roman Catholic Church. In the late 19th century, world demand for cocoa tied the economy to commodity exports and led to migrations from the highlands to the agricultural frontier on the coast.

A coastal-based liberal revolution in 1895 under Eloy Alfaro reduced the power of the clergy and the conservative land owners of the highlands, and this liberal wing retained power until the military "Julian Revolution" of 1925. The 1930s and 1940s were marked by instability and emergence of populist politicians such as five-time President José María Velasco Ibarra.

Territorial dispute Control over territory in the Amazon basin led to a long-lasting dispute between Ecuador and Peru. In 1941, amid fast-growing tensions between the two countries, war broke out. Peru claimed that Ecuador's military presence in Peruvian-claimed territory was an invasion; Ecuador, for its part, claimed that Peru had invaded Ecuador. In July 1941, troops were mobilized in both countries. Peru had an army of 11,681 troops who faced a poorly-supplied and inadequately-armed Ecuadorean force of 5,300, of which only 1,300 were deployed in the southern provinces. Hostilities erupted on July 5, 1941, when Peruvian forces crossed the Zarumilla river at several locations, testing the strength and resolve of the Ecuadorean border troops. Finally, on July 23, 1941, the Peruvians launched a major invasion, crossing the Zarumilla river in force and advancing into the Ecuadorean province of El Oro.

During the course of the war, Peru gained control over all the disputed territory and occupied the Ecuadorean province of El Oro Province, now Tumbes Province, and some parts of the province of Loja (65 percent of the former country), demanding that the Ecuadorean government give up its territorial claims. The Peruvian Navy blocked the port of Guayaquil, cutting supplies to the Ecuadorean troops. After a few weeks of war and under pressure by the U.S. and several Latin American nations, all fighting came to a stop. Ecuador and Peru came to an accord formalized in the Rio Protocol, signed on January 29, 1942, in favor of hemispheric unity against the Axis Powers in World War II. As a result of its victory, Peru was awarded the disputed territory.

It would take two more undeclared wars before a peace agreement was finally reached in 1999 to end hostilities. (See Paquisha Incident and Cenepa War.)

and José de San Martín.

Government instability Recession and popular unrest led to a return to populist politics and domestic military interventions in the 1960s, while foreign companies developed oil resources in the Ecuadorean Amazon. In 1972, construction of the Andean pipeline was completed. The pipeline brought oil from the east side of the Andes to the coast, making Ecuador South America's second largest oil exporter. That same year a "revolutionary and nationalist" military military dictatorship overthrew the government, remaining in power until 1979, when elections were held under a new Constitution. Jaime Roldós Aguilera was elected President, governing until May 24, 1981, when he died in a plane crash. By 1982, the government of Osvaldo Hurtado faced an economic crisis, characterized by high inflation, budget deficits, a falling currency, mounting debt service, and uncompetitive industries, leading to chronic government instability.

Many years of mismanagement, starting with the mishandling of the country's debt during the 1970s military regime, had left the country essentially ungovernable. Since the mid 1990s, the government of Ecuador has been characterized by a weak executive branch that struggles to appease the ruling classes represented in the legislative and judiciary. The three democratically elected List of heads of state of Ecuador during the period 1996-2006 all failed to finish their terms.

Today's government The emergence of the indigenous population (app. 25 percent; see demographics below) as an active constituency has added to the democratic volatility of the country in recent years. The population have been motivated by government failures to deliver on promises of land reform, lower unemployment and provision of social services, and historical exploitation by the land-holding elite.

Their movement, along with the continuing destabilizing efforts by both the Elite and Leftist movements, have led to a deterioration of the executive office. The populace and the other branches of government give the president very little political capital, as illustrated by the most recent ouster of a president. In April 2005, Ecuador's congress ousted President Lucio Gutiérrez.

The vice-president, Alfredo Palacio, took his place and remained in office until the presidential Ecuadorian general election, 2006, which did not produce a conclusive winner until a runoff election on 26 November elected Rafael Correa over Alvaro Noboa. With less than four percent of the poll to be counted (364,000 votes), Correa's lead was more than 850,000 Bloomberg ==

Politics .

The constitution provides for concurrent four-year terms for the president, vice president, and members of Congress. Presidents may be reelected after an intervening term, while legislators may be reelected immediately.

The executive branch includes 15 ministries. Provincial governors and councilors (mayors, aldermen, and parish boards) are directly elected. Congress meets throughout the year except for recesses in July and December. There are 20 seven-member congressional committees. Justices of the Supreme Court are appointed by the Congress for indefinite terms.

On September 30, 2007 Ecuador Ecuadorian Constituent Assembly election, 2007 aEcuadorian Constituent Assembly, dominated by President Rafael Correa's PAIS Alliance, charged with rewriting the Constitution of Ecuador.

Foreign Relations Ecuador has often placed great emphasis on multilateral approaches to international issues. Ecuador is a member of the United Nations (and most of its specialized agencies) and a member of many regional groups, including the Rio Group, the Latin American Economic System, the Latin American Energy Organization, the Latin American Integration Association, and The Andean Pact.

Geography Ecuador has three main geographic regions, plus an insular region in the Pacific Ocean:

Capital City Ecuador's capital is Quito, Ecuador, which is in the province of Pichincha in the Sierra region. Its largest city is Guayaquil, in the province of Guayas on the Coast. Cotopaxi, which is just south of Quito, features one of the world's highest active volcanoes. The top of Mount Chimborazo (6,310 meters) is considered to be the most distant point from the center of the Earth, given the ovoidal shape of the planet (wider at the equator). top of Mt. Everest is the highest point above sea level.

Provinces and cantons Ecuador is divided into 24 provinces, each with its own administrative capital:{] || Cuenca, Ecuador| Bolívar Province (Ecuador) || Guaranda ] || Azogues ] || Tulcán ] || Riobamba ] || Latacunga ] || Machala ] || Esmeraldas (city)| Galápagos Province || Puerto Baquerizo Moreno || [Guayaquil ] || Ibarra, Ecuador| Loja Province || Loja, Ecuador| Los Ríos Province || Babahoyo ] || Portoviejo ] || Macas ] || Tena, Ecuador| Orellana Province || Puerto Francisco de Orellana || [Puyo, Pastaza | Pichincha Province || Quito ] || Santa Elena, Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas Province || [Santo Domingo de los Colorados | Sucumbíos ] | Tungurahua Province || San Juan de Ambato| Zamora-Chinchipe ]|}

The provinces are divided into 199 Cantons of Ecuador and subdivided into parishes (or parroquias).

Climate Because of its three mainland regions (as delineated in the preceding section), Ecuador's climate cannot be generalized. La Costa (Pacific coastal area) is tropical, La Sierra (Andes highlands) is temperate, and El Oriente (eastern side of the mountains) shares the jungle climate of the upper Amazon rain forest.

Because of its location at the equator, Ecuador does not experience variations in daylight hours during the course of a year. Except for a few minutes resulting from a slight wobble in the earth as it rotates, sunrise and sunset are always at 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., respectively. Although it is in the same time zone as the eastern United States (except for the Galápagos Islands, which correspond to the U.S. central time zone), Ecuador does not switch to daylight savings time.

Biodiversity Ecuador is one of 17 megadiverse countries in the world according to Conservation International. Conservation Internation Site With 1600 bird species (15 percent of the world's known bird species) in the continental area, and 38 more Endemism in the Galápagos. In addition to 25,000 species of plants, the country has 106 endemic reptiles, 138 endemic amphibians, and 6,000 species of butterfly. The Galápagos Islands are well known as a region of distinct fauna, famous as the place of birth of Charles Darwin Theory of Evolution, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unesco World Heritage Despite being on the UNESCO list, the Galápagos Islands islands are endangered by a range of negative environmental effects, threatening the existence of this exotic ecosystem. Time Magazine Report

Economy buildings.

Ecuador has substantial petroleum resources and rich agricultural areas. Because the country exports primary products such as oil, bananas, flowers and shrimp, fluctuations in world market prices can have a substantial domestic impact. Industry is largely oriented to servicing the domestic market, and some exports to the Andean Common market. Deteriorating economic performance in 1997-98 culminated in a severe economic and financial crisis in 1999. The crisis was precipitated by a number of external shocks, including the El Niño weather phenomenon in 1997, a sharp drop in global oil prices in 1997-98, and international emerging market instability in 1997-98. These factors highlighted the Government of Ecuador's unsustainable economic policy mix of large fiscal deficits and expansionary money policy and resulted in a 7.3 percent contraction of GDP, annual year-on-year inflation of 52.2 percent, and a 65 percent devaluation of the national currency (the Sucre) in 1999, which helped precipitate a default on external loans later that year.

On January 9 2000, the administration of President Jamil Mahuad announced its intention to adopt the U.S. dollar as the official currency of Ecuador to address the ongoing economic crisis. The formal adoption of the dollar as currency on September 10, 2000, as opposed to merely pegging the Sucre to the dollar as Argentina has done, theoretically meant that the benefits of seigniorage would accrue to the U.S. economy. Subsequent protests related to the economic and financial crises led to the removal of Mahuad from office and the elevation of Vice President Gustavo Noboa to the presidency.

However, the Noboa government confirmed its commitment to dollarize as the centerpiece of its economic recovery strategy. The government also entered into negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), culminating in the negotiation of a 12-month standby arrangement with the Fund. Additional policy initiatives include efforts to reduce the government's fiscal deficit and to implement structural reforms to strengthen the banking system and regain access to private capital markets.

Buoyed by high oil prices, the Ecuadorean economy experienced a modest recovery in 2000, with GDP rising 1.9 percent. However, 70 percent of the population was estimated to live below the poverty line that year, more than double the rate in 1995.

In April 2007, after winning a referendum on constitutional reform, President Correa announced that he no longer intended that the country would make repayments to the IMF nor deal with the World Bank.

Demographics Ecuador's population is ethnically diverse. The largest ethnic group is the Mestizos, the mixed descendants of Spanish colonists and indigenous Indians, who constitute 65 percent of the population. Indigenous Peoples of the Americas are second in their numbers and account for 25 percent of the current population. Whites, mainly Criollo (people), the unmixed descendants of early Spanish colonists, as well as immigrants from other European and Latin American countries, account for about seven percent. The small Afro-Ecuadorian people minority, including Mulattos and zambos, largely based in Esmeraldas and Imbabura provinces, make up three percent.

There are sizeable expatriate Ecuadorean communities in Spain and Italy, as well across Europe, the United States, Canada and Japan. It is estimated that 700,000 people emigrated from Ecuador following the 1999 economic crisis, and that the expatriate Ecuadorian population totals 2.5 million.

The tropical forest region to the east of the mountains (El Oriente) remains sparsely populated and contains only about three percent of the population.

The public education system is free at the point of delivery, and attendance is mandatory from ages five to 14. Provision of public schools falls far below the levels needed, and class sizes are often very large, and families of limited means often find it necessary to pay for education. However, the Ministry of Education reports that only 76 percent of children finish six years of schooling. In rural areas, only 10 percent of the children go on to high school. Ministry statistics give the mean number of years completed as 6.7.

Ecuador has 61 universities, many of which offer graduate degrees, although only 87 percent of the faculty in public universities possess graduate degrees. About 300 higher institutes offer two to three years of post-secondary vocational or technical training.

Religion .Approximately 95 percent of Ecuadorians are Roman Catholic . In the rural parts of Ecuador, indigenous beliefs and Christianity are sometimes syncretized. There is also a growing number of Mormon and Protestant denominations.

Most festivals and annual parades are based on religious celebrations.

There is a small Muslim minority numbering in the low thousands. The Jewish community numbers just over a thousand and is mostly of Germany and Italy origin. There are also Sephardic Jews (Judeo-Spanish Jews).

Culture Ecuador's mainstream culture is defined by its mestizo majority and, like their ancestry, is a mixture of European and Amerindian influences infused with African elements inherited from Slavery ancestors. Ecuador's indigenous communities are integrated into that mainstream culture to varying degrees, but some may also practice their own autochthonous cultures, particularly the more remote indigenous communities of the Amazon basin.

The Panama hat is of Ecuadorean origin, and is known there as "Sombrero de paja toquilla" It is made principally in Montecristi(Pile, Pampas, Cruces) in the Province of Manabi. Its manufacture (particularly that of the Montecristi superfino) is considered a great craft.

Notable people born in Ecuador include painters Enrique Tábara, Guayasamín, Eduardo Kingman, Manuel Rendón, Arauz, Constanté, Viteri, Molinari, Maldonado, Gutierrez, Gonzalo Endara Crow, Villacís, Camilo Egas, Villafuerte and Caesar Andrade Faini; animator Mike Judge; poet and statesman José Joaquín de Olmedo, scholar Benjamín Urrutia, and tennis player Pancho Segura.

Sports The most popular sport in Ecuador, as in most South American countries, is soccer (futbol). Its best known professional teams include Barcelona Sporting Club and Club Sport Emelec, from Guayaquil, Liga Deportiva Universitaria (Quito), Sociedad Deportivo Quito and Club Deportivo El Nacional (the Ecuadorian Armed Forces team) from Quito, Centro Deportivo Olmedo from Riobamba, and Club Deportivo Cuenca, from Cuenca.

The matches of the Ecuador national football teamean national football team are the most watched sports events in the country. In June 2007, FIFA adopted a resolution prohibiting international football games at or higher than 2,500 meters above sea level. Rafael Correa, and his presidential counterparts in Peru, Bolivia and Colombia, issued a joint letter of protest against this ruling.Ecuador qualified for the final rounds of both the 2002 FIFA World Cup and 2006 FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cups. Ecuador finished ahead of Poland and Costa Rica to come in second to Germany in Group A in the 2006 World Cup. Futsal, often referred to as índor, is particularly popular for mass participation.

There is considerable interest in tennis in the middle and upper classes in the Ecuadorean society, and several Ecuadorean professional players have attained considerable international fame, including Francisco Segura and Andrés Gómez. Basketball also has a high profile, while Ecuador's specialities include Volleyball variations#Ecuadorian Volleyball .28Ecuavolley.29, a three-person variation of volleyball. Bullfighting is practiced at a professional level in Quito, during the annual festivities that commemorate the Spanish founding of the city. Bullfighting is found in smaller towns, notably El Chaco (east of Quito).

Ecuador obtained its first Olympic gold medal in Atlanta's 1996 Olympic Games, through Jefferson Pérez, on the 20 km race-walk. There is flourishing activity in nontraditional sports such as mountainbiking, motorbiking, surfing, and paintball. Since 2005, Ecuador has held the Guayaquil Marathon, which is an international foot race.

Food The food in Ecuador is diverse, varying with altitude and associated agricultural conditions. Pork, chicken, beef, and “cuy” (guinea pig) are popular in the mountain regions and are served with a variety of grains (especially rice and corn) or potatoes. A popular street food in mountain regions of Ecuador consists of potatoes served with roasted pig (hornado). Fanesca, a fish soup including several types of bean, is often eaten during Lent. During the week before Halloween, the fruit beverage Colada Morada, is drunk hot, accompanied by Guaguas de Pan, stuffeded bread shaped like children.

A wide variety of fresh fruit is available, particularly at lower altitudes, including granadilla, passionfruit, naranjilla, several types of bananas, uvilla, taxo, and tree tomato.

Seafood is popular at the coast, where prawns, shrimp and lobster are key parts of the diet. Plantain- and peanut-based dishes are the basis of most coastal meals, which are usually served in two courses. The first course is caldo soup, which may be aguado (a thin soup, usually with meat) or caldo de leche, a cream vegetable soup. The second course might include rice, a little meat or fish with a menestra (stew), and salad or vegetables. Patacones are popular side dishes with coastal meals.

Some of the typical dishes in the coastal region are: ceviche, pan de almidón, corviche, guatita, encebollado and empanadas; in the mountain region: hornado, fritada, humitas, tamales, llapingachos, lomo saltado, and churrasco.

In the rainforest, a dietary staple is the yuca, elsewhere called cassava. The starchy root is peeled and boiled, fried, or used in a variety of other dishes. Many fruits are available in this region, including bananas, tree grapes, and peach palms.

Aguardiente, a licorice-flavoured spirit, is probably the most popular national alcohol and beers are brewed. Drinkable yogurt, available in many fruit flavors, is extremely popular and is often consumed with pan de yuca, which is a light bread filled with cheese and eaten warm.

Art .There are many contemporary Ecuadorean writers, including the novelist Jorge Enrique Adoum; the poet Jorge Carrera Andrade; the essayist Benjamín Carrión; the poet Fanny Carrión de Fierro; the novelist Enrique Gil Gilbert; the novelist Jorge Icaza (author of the novel Huasipungo, translated to many languages); the short story author Pablo Palacio; the novelist Alicia Yanez Cossio; the prominent author and essayist, Juan Montalvo, and U.S.-based, half Ecuadorean poet Emanuel Xavier.

Ecuador has produced many world renowned master painters including: Oswaldo Guayasamín, Camilo Egas and Eduardo Kingman from the Indiginist Movement; and Manuel Rendon, Enrique Tábara, Aníbal Villacís and Estuardo Maldonado from the Informalist Movement.

Film





















In addition to film, there are numerous books and novels based on Ecuador, including the science fiction novel by Rod Glenn, The King of America, and the science fiction novel Galápagos by Kurt Vonnegut.

Transportation Ecuador has a network of Highways of Ecuador maintained by the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Comunicaciones (Ministry of Public Works and Communication) government agency . The Pan-American Highway connects the northern and southern portions of the country as well as connecting Ecuador with Colombia to the north and Peru to the south. The quality of roads, even on truck routes, is highly variable. There is an extensive network of intercity buses that use these mountain roads and highways.

See also {{columns |width=250px|col1 = |col2 = -->

References External links Government

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