Ecuador Jacob Buchanan The Basics: Ecuador is located on the Northwest coast of South American and the capital is Quito. Ecuador is a country who has a population of 15,223,680 and 95% of the population speaks Spanish. The dominant religion there is Roman-Catholic. Ecuador’s main exports are bananas, petroleum, and shrimp and their main customers are the U.S., Panama, Peru and Italy. The main imports are cars and medical equipment.
Demographics: Population growth rate 1.419% Birth rate 19.6 births/1,000 population Death rate 5.01 deaths/1,000 population
Population
15,223,680 Age structure 0-14 years: 30.1% 15-64 years: 63.5% 65 years and over: 6.4% Median age total: 25.7 years male: 25 years female: 26.3 years
Geography Ecuador is bounded by Colombia to the north, Peru to the east and south and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is separated by the equator, which is how it got its name. Despite Ecuador’s small size it is one of the most Geographically, Biologically, ethnically and culturally diverse countries in the world. The weather is tropical along coast and becomes cooler inland at higher elevations.
History The tribes in the northern highlands of Ecuador formed the Kingdom of Quito around 1000. It was absorbed into the Inca Empire. Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro conquered the land in 1532, and throughout the 17th century a Spanish colony thrived by exploitation of the Indians. The first revolt against Spain occurred in 1809. In 1819, Ecuador joined Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama in a confederacy known as Greater Colombia.When Greater Colombia collapsed in 1830, Ecuador became independent. Revolts and dictatorships followed; it had 48 presidents during the first 131 years of the republic. Conservatives ruled until the revolution of 1895 ushered in nearly a half century of Radical Liberal rule, during which the church was disestablished and freedom of worship, speech, and press was introduced. Although it was under military rule in the 1970s, the country did not experience the violence and repression characteristic of other Latin American military regimes. Its last 30 years of democracy, however, have been largely ineffectual because of a weak executive branch and a strong Congress.Peru invaded Ecuador in 1941 and seized a large tract of Ecuadoran territory in the disputed Amazon region. In 1981 and 1995 war broke out again. In May 1999, Ecuador and Peru signed a treaty ending the nearly 60-year border dispute.
. Government
The Republic of Ecuador's political system is a representative democracy. The Government is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. There is also an autonomous electoral agency called the "Tribunal Supremo Electoral". Ecuador is separated into 21 provinces. The people of Ecuador directly elect the nation's President and Congressmen. Voting is a constitutional right for all Ecuadorian citizens and is compulsory for literate Ecuadorians between the ages of 18 and 65 years old residing in Ecuador. Voting is optional for the illiterate and for senior citizens over the age of 65. Also, active members of the military are not permitted to vote.
Culture
Much of the art in Ecuador is traditional and usually the skills involved are passed down from generation to generation. Most of the locals make no distinction between fine arts and crafts. Most of the art is therefore not only beautiful but has a practical use. When it comes to local sports, the most popular activity is generally soccer. The Ecuadorian people have a rather distinctive dress code. It is influenced by the cultural diversity that can be found in the various regions of Ecuador.
Tourism
Ecuador gets a majority of its revenue from tourists that come to see the beautiful sites held in ecuador. One of the main attractions it has to offer is the Galapagos islands because of its outrageous wildlife. Ecuador has many other attractions like the avenue of volcanos and old town Quito.
Resouces:
www.embecu.se/info.htm
www.ecuador.com
www.infoplease.com/ecuador
www.everyculture.com/ecuador
Current Events
On September 29 a Briton and an Australian were kidnapped while on a canoeing trip with a group of other tourists. Locals blamed the kidnapping on three gang members who used to be apart of a paramilitary group. The other tourist were took to a safe spot and the kin of the kidnapped were notified. While the surrounding countries are doing what they can to help keep the kidnappers from getting away, its hard to do considering the terrain of South America. One day after they were taken they were rescued by police and armed forces while taking no harm.
Jacob Buchanan
The Basics:
Ecuador is located on the Northwest coast of South American and the capital is Quito. Ecuador is a country who has a population of 15,223,680 and 95% of the population speaks Spanish. The dominant religion there is Roman-Catholic. Ecuador’s main exports are bananas, petroleum, and shrimp and their main customers are the U.S., Panama, Peru and Italy. The main imports are cars and medical equipment.
Demographics:
Population growth rate
1.419%
Birth rate
19.6 births/1,000 population
Death rate
5.01 deaths/1,000 population
Population
15,223,680Age structure
0-14 years: 30.1% 15-64 years: 63.5% 65 years and over: 6.4%
Median age
total: 25.7 years male: 25 years female: 26.3 years
Geography
Ecuador is bounded by Colombia to the north, Peru to the east and south and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is separated by the equator, which is how it got its name. Despite Ecuador’s small size it is one of the most Geographically, Biologically, ethnically and culturally diverse countries in the world. The weather is tropical along coast and becomes cooler inland at higher elevations.
History
The tribes in the northern highlands of Ecuador formed the Kingdom of Quito around 1000. It was absorbed into the Inca Empire. Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro conquered the land in 1532, and throughout the 17th century a Spanish colony thrived by exploitation of the Indians. The first revolt against Spain occurred in 1809. In 1819, Ecuador joined Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama in a confederacy known as Greater Colombia.When Greater Colombia collapsed in 1830, Ecuador became independent. Revolts and dictatorships followed; it had 48 presidents during the first 131 years of the republic. Conservatives ruled until the revolution of 1895 ushered in nearly a half century of Radical Liberal rule, during which the church was disestablished and freedom of worship, speech, and press was introduced. Although it was under military rule in the 1970s, the country did not experience the violence and repression characteristic of other Latin American military regimes. Its last 30 years of democracy, however, have been largely ineffectual because of a weak executive branch and a strong Congress.Peru invaded Ecuador in 1941 and seized a large tract of Ecuadoran territory in the disputed Amazon region. In 1981 and 1995 war broke out again. In May 1999, Ecuador and Peru signed a treaty ending the nearly 60-year border dispute.
.
Government
The Republic of Ecuador's political system is a representative democracy. The Government is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. There is also an autonomous electoral agency called the "Tribunal Supremo Electoral". Ecuador is separated into 21 provinces.
The people of Ecuador directly elect the nation's President and Congressmen. Voting is a constitutional right for all Ecuadorian citizens and is compulsory for literate Ecuadorians between the ages of 18 and 65 years old residing in Ecuador. Voting is optional for the illiterate and for senior citizens over the age of 65. Also, active members of the military are not permitted to vote.
Culture
Much of the art in Ecuador is traditional and usually the skills involved are passed down from generation to generation. Most of the locals make no distinction between fine arts and crafts. Most of the art is therefore not only beautiful but has a practical use. When it comes to local sports, the most popular activity is generally soccer. The Ecuadorian people have a rather distinctive dress code. It is influenced by the cultural diversity that can be found in the various regions of Ecuador.
Tourism
Ecuador gets a majority of its revenue from tourists that come to see the beautiful sites held in ecuador. One of the main attractions it has to offer is the Galapagos islands because of its outrageous wildlife. Ecuador has many other attractions like the avenue of volcanos and old town Quito.
Resouces:
Current Events
On September 29 a Briton and an Australian were kidnapped while on a canoeing trip with a group of other tourists. Locals blamed the kidnapping on three gang members who used to be apart of a paramilitary group. The other tourist were took to a safe spot and the kin of the kidnapped were notified. While the surrounding countries are doing what they can to help keep the kidnappers from getting away, its hard to do considering the terrain of South America. One day after they were taken they were rescued by police and armed forces while taking no harm.