ditures--percent of GDP: 1.1% (1998)

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: none

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs
destined for the US

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@Ecuador
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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

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

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, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

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

People

Population: 12,562,496 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 35% (male 2,250,690; female 2,172,302)
15-64 years: 60% (male 3,745,390; female 3,833,841)
65 years and over: 5% (male 261,090; female 299,183) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.78% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 22.26 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 5.06 deaths/1,000 popula