n; water pollution;
pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas
of the Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, 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

People Ecuador

Population:
13,212,742 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 33.9% (male 2,285,775; female 2,199,356)
15-64 years: 61.2% (male 4,020,873; female 4,062,672)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 302,129; female 341,937) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 23 years
male: 22.5 years
female: 23.5 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.03% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
23.18 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
4.26 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-8.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 24.49 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 29.34 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.01 years
male: 73.15 years
female: 79 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.78 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.3% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
21,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,700 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Ecuadorian(s)
adjective: Ecuadorian

Ethnic groups:
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish
and others 7%, black 3%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%

Languages:
Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.5%
male: 94%
female: 91% (2003 est.)

Government Ecuador

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador
conventional short form: Ecuador
local short form: Ecuador
local lo