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INFORMATIVE FACTS ON THE COUNTRY

Official name: Republic of Ecuador

 Capital: Quito (it was the first Latin American city to proclaim its independence; August 10, 1809) 

Location: northwest South America, between Colombia (to the north), the Pacific Ocean (to the est.), and Peru (to the south and east). The equinox line (0 degrees latitude) crosses the north part of the country. 

Provinces: 22 provinces Official time GMT-5 (continental) and GMT-6 (in the Galapagos Islands) 

Population: approximately 11 million inhabitants 

Official language: Spanish (various indigenous languages are recognized such as: Quichua, Shuara, Chapalachi (colored Indians), Chachis, etc. 

Religion: mostly catholic; there is freedom of religion

               Although it is a small country compared to its neighbors, the Republic of Ecuador represents a great variety of climates in only one country. From the icy cold of the eternal snows (on the volcanoes Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, and Carihuairazo), to the most strong heat, both humid and dry. In between is the most comfortable temperate climate called "eternal spring" by the first European travelers that visited this magic land.

The people are varied as well. There exist the indigenous of different types in the highlands and the lowlands, the (predominantly Spanish) Europeans, the Africans, which are principally concentrated in the province of Esmeraldas (the Green Province) and a majority of Mestizos, which have resulted from the mixing of these groups.

HISTORICAL SYNOPSIS

Although the richness of Ecuador's soil extraordinary, it remains dim before the richness of its history. 10,000 years ago Ecuador was inhabited by hunting nomads. 5000 years ago agriculture and ceramics were introduced to these lands. 3500 years ago, in present-day Quito (Quito or Quitus means Center of the Earth; the Indians used this name), there already existed permanent signs of cemeteries.

Shortly before the arrival of the Spanish, the Incas had conquered this region. On these same lands, Atahualpa, the last emperor of Tahuantinsuyo, was born and he conquered the land of his brother, Huascar, who was born in Cuzco. Unfortunately, he also fell before the advance of the Spanish Conquerors (in the 16^th century) who had allied themselves with the people oppressed by the Incas and later dominated the entire population.

The rebellion before the invasion was led by Rumiñahui while the Iberian colonizers were under the control of Sebastian de Benalcazar. From our territory (Quito) the discovery expedition left from the great Amazon river on February 12, 1542, led by Francisco de Orellana. The 300 years of Spanish colonialism put down the foundation for a new nation, neither Indian nor Spanish, but Mextizo (mixted).

The religious art of this era, almost the only type of art permitted, showed the trace of its indigenous base behind the European foreground. The Escuela Quiteña (Quito School) stood out in painting and sculpture of America.

In the 18^th century, a scientific mission came from Europe to measure a meridian arc from the equatorial line and discovered with a surprise that the Indians had already marked the place as la Mitad del Mundo (the Middle of the World).

The winds of freedom also arrived in the country at the dawn of the 19-century. Quito was the first Latin American city to proclaim its independence on the 10^th of August 1809, although shortly afterward it was drowned in blood. The final victory was won on the 24^th of May 1822, in the battle of Pichincha. From then on until May 13, 1830, we belonged, with Venezuela and present-day Colombia and Panama, to the Republic or Great Colombia, the thwarted dream of Simon Bolivar. On the last day mentioned, the Republic of Ecuador was founded. Dominated by the conservative party for more than half a century, it was transformed by the liberal revolution on June 5, 1895.

The 20^th century began with political reforms of a new era and the best materials, like the railway that united Quito and Guayaquil, the two principal centers of development.

Until 1922, the majority of Ecuadorian wealth came from cacao. The fall of the price of this product and the internal situation provoked another revolution in 1925. With it was born the modern state of the economic plan with the creation of the Central Bank and Social Security. Unfortunately, the political instability of the thirties debilitated the state, therefore, in 1941,

Ecuador was defenseless during the conflict with Peru. The results of this war, including the limits treaty signed the following year, have still not been totally resolved.

In October, Ecuador and Peru signed a peace treaty, and made valid the treaty signed in 1942, giving the benefit to the Peruvian territory.

The banana boom of the fifties followed a slight economic decline and later, in 1969, there was a petroleum boom. Behind the conflicts in the Middle East, the decade of the seventies saw the elevation of the price of petroleum, which allowed for the modernization of Ecuador, especially concerning the road system. In the eighties, the price of petroleum fell, forcing Ecuador to diversify its production towards exports and away from traditional products; this, unfortunately, caused external debt. Since that era, Ecuador has been financially unstable.

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