Introduction:
Ecuador is a small, mountainous country that receives its name from its location straddling the equator. As in many other countries in Latin America, indigenous languages continue to be used despite the dominant use of Spanish.
Vital statistics:
Population estimated at 13,183,978 as of July 2001; gross domestic product of about $2,900 per capita, with about 50 percent of the population living in poverty; capital is Quito, largest city is Guayaquil.
Linguistic highlights:
About 80 percent of the population speaks Spanish as a first language, with Quechua and other indigenous languages making up most of the remainder. Although Spanish is official, indigenous languages receive constitutional protection.
Studying Spanish in Ecuador:
Ecuador is a popular place for studying Spanish, since its Spanish is fairly typical of that of Latin America and costs of study are among the lowest in South America. Nearly all the schools catering to foreigners are based in Quito.
Tourist attractions:
The country's most well-known attraction is the Galápagos Islands, a group of 12 major Pacific Ocean islands and numerous small ones about 1,000 kilometers from the mainland. The islands are known for their volcanic activity and their unique species of plants and animals. It was at the islands that Charles Darwin made many of his observations that led to his theory of evolution. Visitors also often visit indigenous villages and the Andes.
Trivia:
Ecuador in 2000 became the first South American country to fully adopt the U.S. dollar as its official currency, replacing the sucre.
History:
The region that is now Ecuador boasted of an advanced indigenous culture long before the Spanish conquistadores arrive in 1534 and used their military might to defeat the Incas. Quito became the Spanish capital in 1563. A combination of economic subservience and the introduction of foreign diseases diminished the indigenous population, allowing the Spanish culture to dominate.
In 1822, Ecuador became part of Simón Bolívar's Gran Colombia, becoming an independent republic in 1830 when Bolívar's republic collapsed. Although it maintained its independence, Ecuador struggled both economically and politically in the following decades. Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors; a border conflict with Peru was settled only in the past decade. As recently as 2005, the country had a change in government precipitated by a crisis.
