Ecuador Facts
President: Rafael Correa (2007)
Land area: 106,888 sq mi (276,840 sq km); total area: 109, 483 sq mi (283,560 sq km)
Population (2012 est.): 15,223,680 (growth rate: 1.42%); birth rate: 19.6/1000; infant mortality rate: 19.06/1000; life expectancy: 75.94; density per sq km: 50
Capital (2009 est.): Quito 1,801,000
Largest cities: Guayaquil, 2,634,000
Monetary unit: U.S. dollar
National name: República del Ecuador
Languages: Spanish (official), Quechua, other Amerindian languages
Ethnicity/race: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish and others 7%, black 3%
National Holiday: Independence Day, August 10
Religion: Roman Catholic 95%
Literacy rate: 91% (2011 est.)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2011 est.): $125.8 billion; per capita $8,300. Real growth rate: 6.5%. Inflation: 5.4%. Unemployment: 4.2% Arable land: 6%. Agriculture: bananas, coffee, cocoa, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca), plantains, sugarcane; cattle, sheep, pigs, beef, pork, dairy products; balsa wood; fish, shrimp. Labor force: 4.682 million (urban) (2010 est.); agriculture 8.3%, industry 21.2%, services 70.4% (2005). Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, wood products, chemicals. Natural resources: petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower. Exports: $22.29 billion (2011 est.): petroleum, bananas, cut flowers, shrimp. Imports: $23.58 billion (2011 est.): vehicles, medicinal products, telecommunications equipment, electricity. Major trading partners: U.S., Peru, Italy, Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Panama (2006).
Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 2.086 million (2011); mobile cellular: 14.781 million (2011). Radio broadcast stations: AM 392, FM 35, shortwave 29 (2001). Television broadcast stations: 7 (plus 14 repeaters) (2001). Televisions: 2.5 million (2001). Internet hosts: 162,281 (2011). Internet users: 3.352 million (2011).