Country
Countries A-Z
Ecuador
Republic of Ecuador
República del Ecuador
Political Status: Gained independence from Spain (as part of Gran Colombia) in 1822; independent republic established in 1830; present constitution approved by a constituent assembly elected September 30, 2007, and in effect from September 28, 2008.
Area: 109,482 sq. mi. (283,561 sq. km), excluding the region previously in dispute with Peru, but including the Galápagos Islands.
Population: 15,495,016 (2013E—UN); 15,439,429 (2013E—U.S. Census).
Major Urban Centers (2012E): QUITO (1,608,000), Guayaquil (2,279,000), Cuenca (330,000), Ambato (165,000).
Official Language: Spanish.
Monetary Unit: U.S. Dollar. The dollar was phased in from January 2000 to March 2001 to replace the sucre as Ecuador’s legal tender.
President: Rafael CORREA Delgado (Country Alliance); elected in second-round voting on November 26, 2006, and inaugurated on ...