in 1830 (the others
being Colombia and Venezuela). Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost
territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border
war with Peru that flared in 1995 was resolved in 1999.

Ecuador Geography

Location: Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the
Equator, between Colombia and Peru

Geographic coordinates: 2 00 S, 77 30 W

Map references: South America

Area: total: 283,560 sq km

land: 276,840 sq km

water: 6,720 sq km

note: includes Galapagos Islands

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Nevada

Land boundaries: total: 2,010 km

border countries: Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km

Coastline: 2,237 km

Maritime claims: continental shelf: claims continental shelf
between mainland and Galapagos Islands

territorial sea: 200 NM

Climate: tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher
elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands

Terrain: coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands
(sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point: Chimborazo 6,267 m

Natural resources: petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 6%

permanent crops: 5%

permanent pastures: 18%

forests and woodland: 56%

other: 15% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 5,560 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic
activity; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion;
desertification; water pollution; pollution from oil production
wastes

Environment - international agreements: party to:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in
world

Ecuador People

Population: 13,183,978 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 35.8% (male 2,398,801; female 2,320,537)

15-64 years: 59.81% (male 3,900,193; female 3,984,797)

65 years and over: 4.39% (male 269,372; female 310,278) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 2% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 25.99 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 5.44 dea