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: 15,737,878 (2014E—UN); 15,654,411 (2014E—U.S. Census).
Major Urban Centers (2012E): QUITO (1,619,146), Guayaquil (2,291,158), Cuenca (331,888), Ambato (178,538).
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 January 15, 2007, succeeding Alfredo PALACIO Gonzáles (independent); reelected in ...