The Republic of Ecuador is a country located in South America that shares its borders with Colombia to the north, Peru to the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Its name, which literally translates to “Republic of the Equator,” The Valdivia and Machalilla cultures, the Quitus, and the Caari are all examples of early civilizations that are still extant; each of these groups had its own distinctive architectural style, ceramics, and religious preoccupations. In 1463, the area was included into the well-known Inca Empire and remained under Spanish colonial rule for about 300 years. Quito, which was much smaller than it is now, issued what is considered to be the first declaration of independence from Spain in the Latin American area on August 10, 1809. But it wasn’t until 1822 that the rest of Ecuador finally won its independence in what is also referred to as the Glorious May Revolution.
There is a large amount of variation in Ecuador’s climate, the primary driver of which is height. The climate along the coast of the Pacific Ocean is tropical, whilst the climate in the Andean Highlands is temperate and only mildly arid. Ecuador is one of the 17 nations in the world that are considered to have enormous diversity. The country is home to over 25,000 types of flora, 1600 bird species, and 6,000 butterfly species. There are a total of 24 provinces in this nation, and each one has its own administrative capital and is further subdivided into cantons. The political structure of Ecuador is a presidential representative democratic republic, with a multi-party system. The President of the country serves as both the head of government and the head of state. It is composed of three different branches: the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judicial. The export of bananas, shrimp, oil, and other agricultural goods, as well as remittances from the almost one million Ecuadorians who are now employed outside of the country, are the primary drivers of Ecuador’s economy. The nation is the leading exporter of both bananas (worth 936.5 million dollars in 2002) and shrimp (worth 251 million dollars in 2002).
The traditional culture of Ecuador is a fusion of European and American traditions, with traces of African heritage passed down through ancestors who were slaves in the country’s past. It is estimated that around 95 percent of Ecuadorians are members of the Roman Catholic Church. Protestantism, Islam, and Buddhism are the three other predominant religions in the nation. In general, the cuisine of Ecuador changes significantly from one location to the next. Rice and maize or potatoes are often served alongside mountain-style favorites including pork, chicken, and beef as well as guinea pig (also known as cuy). In coastal areas, residents have a particular fondness for seafood delicacies including shrimp, prawns, and lobster. In Ecuador, as in the majority of other South American countries, soccer is the most popular sport. Some of the most well-known professional teams in the country include Barcelona S.C. and C.S. Emelec, Liga Deportiva Universitania de Quito, Deportivo Quito and El Nacional, Olmedo, and Deportivo Cuenca.
CULTURE AND ANCESTORAL PRACTICES
Mestizo culture and a significant Afro-Ecuadorian culture both originated in this nation, which is now known as Ecuador. The bulk of the people that live in Ecuador are of mestizo descent. Its ancestry and origins may be traced back to both the Amerindian and European continents. Despite the fact that old indigenous practices are intertwined with their Christian beliefs, the majority of Ecuadorians adhere to the Roman Catholic Church. Buddhism, Islam, Mormonism, and Orthodox Catholicism are some of the other religions that are followed by people in this nation.
Although Spanish is the official language of the nation, a sizeable portion of the populace is fluent in Amerindian languages such as Kichwa, Awapit, A’ingae, Achuar-Shiwiar, Cha’palaachi, Chicham, Paicoca, Shuar, Tsa’fiki, and Wao Tededo. Juan León Mera is credited for penning the words of “Salve, Oh Patria,” which serves as the nation’s official national song. Writers such as Eugenio Espejo, Juan Montalvo, and Horacio Hidrovo Velásquez are a few examples of the country’s other notable authors.
The Highlands and the Coast each have their own distinctive musical traditions, which contribute significantly to the country as a whole. Bamboo flutes, charangos, drums, and pan pipes are some examples of instruments that are frequently used in traditional music. Bullfighting, football, soccer, and volleyball are some of the sports that are officially recognized in the country. Card games, darts, hopscotch, skipping ropes, and fishing are some of the other popular forms of recreation and entertainment that can be found throughout the nation. Dishes such as ayampaco, choclo, encebollado, lomo saltado, and pollo ishpingo, amongst others, are extremely well-liked across the nation. Llapingachos, patacones, plantains cooked in oil, and seco de chivo are typical examples of Ecuadorian dishes that are part of the country’s cuisine.
LANGUAGE
Mestizo culture and a significant Afro-Ecuadorian culture both originated in this nation, which is now known as Ecuador. The bulk of the people that live in Ecuador are of mestizo descent. Its ancestry and origins may be traced back to both the Amerindian and European continents. Despite the fact that old indigenous practices are intertwined with their Christian beliefs, the majority of Ecuadorians adhere to the Roman Catholic Church. Buddhism, Islam, Mormonism, and Orthodox Catholicism are some of the other religions that are followed by people in this nation.
Although Spanish is the official language of the nation, a sizeable portion of the populace is fluent in Amerindian languages such as Kichwa, Awapit, A’ingae, Achuar-Shiwiar, Cha’palaachi, Chicham, Paicoca, Shuar, Tsa’fiki, and Wao Tededo. Juan León Mera is credited for penning the words of “Salve, Oh Patria,” which serves as the nation’s official national song. Writers such as Eugenio Espejo, Juan Montalvo, and Horacio Hidrovo Velásquez are a few examples of the country’s other notable authors.
The Highlands and the Coast each have their own distinctive musical traditions, which contribute significantly to the country as a whole. Bamboo flutes, charangos, drums, and pan pipes are some examples of instruments that are frequently used in traditional music. Bullfighting, football, soccer, and volleyball are some of the sports that are officially recognized in the country. Card games, darts, hopscotch, skipping ropes, and fishing are some of the other popular forms of recreation and entertainment that can be found throughout the nation. Dishes such as ayampaco, choclo, encebollado, lomo saltado, and pollo ishpingo, amongst others, are extremely well-liked across the nation. Llapingachos, patacones, plantains cooked in oil, and seco de chivo are typical examples of Ecuadorian dishes that are part of the country’s cuisine.
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
A preprimary education, primary education, secondary education, and higher education are the four stages that make up the formal education system. Those from 2 to 6 years old are not required to attend preprimary school as part of their formal education. Children from the ages of 6 to 14 are required to attend school and it is free for them to do so; however, families are responsible for other expenditures such as tuition and transportation costs. Nearly one in five elementary and secondary classrooms in the country is run by a private organization. Students who received their education at a private institution account for approximately 20 percent of those enrolled in basic education and more than 40 percent of those enrolled in secondary education. The expenditures made by the public sector on education probably amounted to 3.2 percent of GDP in 1995. The percentage of adults over the age of 15 who can read and write was 8.1% in the year 2000. The mandates for all of the educational programs, with the exception of higher education, which is handled by a national technical council, come from the Ministry of Education.
There are at least 61 universities spread around Ecuador. This nation is home to 61 different institutions, several of which offer graduate-level education. There are around 300 educational institutes that offer two to three years of technical training. The National Polytechnical School (located in Quito), the Polytechnical School of Littoral (located in Guayaquil), and the Universidad Catolica de Cuenca are the three Catholic universities in the nation (Cuenca). Some of the universities in the country include the Universidad Técnica de Ambato, which is situated in Ambato; the Universidad Técnica de Cotopaxi, which is situated in Latacunga; the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, which is situated in Loja; the Universidad Internacional SEK; the Universidad Técnica de Manab, which is situated in Portoviejo; the Universidad Ecotec, which (located in Riobamba).
HEALTHCARE SECTOR
The Ministry of Public Health is in charge of regulating, standardizing, and managing all activities involving public and private organizations that have anything to do with health, whether it be the health of individuals or the health of the environment. The Institute of Social Security was formed in order to monitor the health of the Ecuadorian population in regards to issues such as aging, childbirth, mortality, and other potential threats to their wellbeing. The Ministry of Public Health, the National Child and Family Institute, the Ministry of Social Welfare, the Institute for Economic and Social Security (IESS), and the Public Health Service of the Armed Forces and Police are all included in the public sub-sector.
There is a 24 percent chance of dying before the age of five for every thousand live births, and there is a 206 to 123 percent chance of dying between the ages of 15 and 60 for every thousand people in the population. The overall expenditure on healthcare in 2005 was 5.3% of GDP, and the cost of healthcare (in international dollars) was $274 per person.
In 1995, there are around 53 hospitals with a total of 3,985 available beds. There were around 13.3 physicians, 1.6 dentists, 4.6 nurses, 11.8 nursing aides, and 0.7 midwives for every 10,000 inhabitants. Additionally, there were approximately 11.8 nursing aides. Hypertensive and cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of mortality for every 100,000 people in the population. Other illnesses that are frequent in the nation include rheumatic fever, leprosy, HIV/AIDS, pulmonary TB, measles, newborn tetanus, diarrhea, respiratory infections, rabies infection, Plasmodium falciparum, dengue, cholera, and hepatitis B. Rabies is an infection caused by the rabies virus. An infectious hepatitis immunization, malaria vaccination, poliomyelitis vaccination, rabies vaccination, tetanus vaccination, typhoid vaccination, and yellow fever vaccination are the recommended vaccinations for travel to Latin America. Ecuadorians can reach 911 for immediate medical assistance, 101 for the National Police, and 131 for the Red Cross by dialing their respective phone numbers.
ECONOMY AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
The production of petroleum, which accounted for 59 percent of total export earnings, and agricultural production (bananas, shrimp, flowers, and other primary agricultural products) for both domestic consumption and export form the basis of the Ecuadorian economy. In addition to being a significant exporter of shrimp, bananas, and plantains, Ecuador is also the world’s leading exporter of shrimp. In recent years, there has been an increase in the amount of nontraditional goods, such as flowers and canned fish, that are exported. As of 2008, the country’s GDP reached 48.5 billion USD, with an annual growth rate of 4.25 percent
Since Ecuador switched to using the dollar as its official currency in the year 2000, the country’s economy has shown steady improvement. Since that time, annual growth has averaged 4.6 percent, which has been made possible by the stability brought about by high oil prices, robust domestic consumer demand, increased non-traditional exports, and growing remittances from Ecuadorians who are working outside the country. Due to a lack of capacity, Ecuador has been unable to derive the full benefits of those resources for its own economic growth. The state’s oil output has been decreasing over the past decade due to poor management, a lack of investment, and widespread corruption in the oil sector, which is held by the state.
He cited fears that Ecuador is not yet adequately competitive, notably in sensitive agriculture areas, as the reason for his objection to the reopening of FTA discussions with the U.S. President Correa has expressed his opposition to the continuation of FTA talks with the U.S. Prior to taking office, he said that the Government of Ecuador would only service its external debt obligations after funding domestic social priorities. As of January 2008, the government had met its external debt obligations.History and Overview of Hungary
