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ECUADOR
Map of ECUADOR
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Location:
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Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru |
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Geographic coordinates:
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2 00 S, 77 30 W |
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Area:
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total: 283,560 sq km
land: 276,840 sq km
water: 6,720 sq km
note: includes Galapagos Islands |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Nevada |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,010 km
border countries: Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km |
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Coastline:
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2,237 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 200 nm
continental shelf: 100 nm from 2,500-m isobath |
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Climate:
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tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands |
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Terrain:
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coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente) |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chimborazo 6,267 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land: 5.71%
permanent crops: 4.81%
other: 89.48% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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8,650 sq km (2003) |
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Total renewable water resources:
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432 cu km (2000) |
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 16.98 cu km/yr (12%/5%/82%)
per capita: 1,283 cu m/yr (2000) |
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Natural hazards:
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frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution; pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas of the Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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Population:
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13,927,650 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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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.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Ecuadorian(s)
adjective: Ecuadorian |
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Ethnic groups:
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mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish and others 7%, black 3% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 95%, other 5% |
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Languages:
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Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91%
male: 92.3%
female: 89.7% (2001 census) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador
conventional short form: Ecuador
local long form: Republica del Ecuador
local short form: Ecuador |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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name: Quito
geographic coordinates: 0 13 S, 78 30 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Independence:
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24 May 1822 (from Spain) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day (independence of Quito), 10 August (1809)
Source: http://cia.gov
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