Ecuador is a country straddling the equator on South America’s west coast. Its diverse landscape encompasses Amazon jungle, Andean highlands and the wildlife-rich Galápagos Islands. In the Andean foothills at an elevation of 2,850m, Quito, the capital, is known for its largely intact Spanish colonial center, with decorated 16th- and 17th-century palaces and religious sites, like the ornate Compañía de Jesús Church.
Languages: Spanish (Castilian) 93% (official), Quechua 4.1%, other indigenous 0.7%, foreign 2.2%
Ethnic Groups: Mestizo 72%, Montubio 7%, African Ecuadorian 7%, Native South American 7%, White Ecuadorian 6%, other ethnicities 1%
Belief Systems: Roman Catholic Christianity 79%,Protestant Christianity 11%, Atheism or Agnosticism 7%, Jehovah's Witness Christianity 1%, other beliefs 2%
Demographics:
Population: 15.3 million people (World Rank: 68th) (2014 estimate)
Population Density: 143 people/mi^2 (People per Square Mile) (World Rank: 155th) (2014 estimate)
Population Growth: 1.32 %/yr (World Rank: 93rd) (2013 estimate)
Life Expectancy: 76.5 years (World Rank: 76th) (2013 estimate)
Median Age: 25.2 years (World Rank: 111th) (2010 estimate)
Sites for More Information:
Map of Ecuador
Worldatlas.com
Ecuador
World Factbook
Ecuador - General Information
Encyclopedia.com
Travel Info for Ecuador
Travelnotes.org
Ecuadorian Embassy
in Washington D.C.
Ecuadorian Government Web Sites
by Gunnar Anzinger
