1986 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1986 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Agriculture
main crops — bananas, coffee, cocoa, sugarcane, corn, potatoes, rice; an illegal producer of coca for the international drug trade
Aid
economic — Western (non-US) ODA and OOF commitments (1970-83), $589 million; US economic (FY70-84), $279; Communist countries (1970-84), $51 million; military—US (FY70-84) $64 million
Branches
executive; unicameral legislature (Chamber of Representatives); independent judiciary
Budget
(1984) revenues, $1,088 million; expenditures, $1,140 million
Capital
Quito
Communists
Communist Party of Ecuador (PCE, pro-Moscow, Rene Mauge — secretary general), 6,000 members; Communist Party of Ecuador/Marxist Leninist (PCMLE, independent), 6,000 members; Revolutionary Socialist Party of Ecuador (PSRE, proCuba), 100 members plus an estimated 5,000 sympathizers
Elections
parliamentary and presidential elections held January 1984; second-stage presidential election held May 1984; government and legislature took office in August 1984; an amendment to the constitution in August 1983 changed the term of office for the president from 5 to 4 years; the 59 deputies elected by the provinces serve for 2 years; the 12 at-large deputies serve for 4 years; next presidential election scheduled for 1988 Political parties and leaders: Social Christian Party (PSC, the party of President Leon Febres-Cordero), center-right; Popular Democracy (DP), Osvaldo Hurtado; Christian Democratic, Julio Cesar Trujillo; Democratic Left (ID), Xavier Ledesma; Social Democratic, Rodrigo Borja; Radical Alfarist Front (FRA), Cecilia Calderon de Castro, populist; Democratic Party (PD), Francisco Huerta, center-left; Radical Liberal Party, Eudoro Loor Rivadeneira, centerright; Conservative Party, Jose Teran, centerright; Concentration of Popular Forces (CFP), Averroes Bucaram, populist; People, Change, and Democracy (PCD), Aquiles Rigail Santistevan, center-left; Democratic Popular Movement (MPD), Jaime Hurtado, Communist; Revolutionary Nationalist Party (PNR), Carlos Julio Arosemena, center-right; Broad Leftist Front (FADI), Rene Mauge, pro-Moscow Communist
Electric power
1,700,000 kW capacity (1985); 3.575 billion kWh produced (1985), 380 kWh per capita
Exports
$2.6 billion (f.o.b., 1984); petroleum, fish products, coffee, bananas, cocoa
Fiscal year
calendar year Communications
Fishing
catch 307,300 metric tons (1983); exports $219.3 million (1984), imports negligible
GNP
$9.9 billion (1984), $1,165 per capita; 60% private consumption, 21% gross investment, 12% public consumption, 7% foreign (1984); average annual growth rate 2.7% (1978-84)
Government leader
Leon FEBRESCORDERO Ribadeneyra, President (since August 1984)
Highways
28,000 km total; 3,600 km paved, 17,400 km gravel and improved earth, 7,000 km unimproved earth
Imports
$1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1984); agricultural and industrial machinery, industrial raw materials, building supplies, chemical products, transportation and communication equipment
Labor force
(1983) 2.8 million; 52% agriculture, 13% manufacturing, 7% commerce, 4% construction, 4% public administration, 16% other services and activities
Legal system
based on civil law system; progressive new constitution passed in January 1978 referendum; came into effect following the installation of a new civilian government in August 1979; legal education at four state and two private universities; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Literacy
84%
Major industries
food processing, textiles, chemicals, fishing, petroleum
Major trade partners
exports (1984) — 64% US, 13% Latin America and Caribbean, 3% EC, 1% Japan; imports (1984)— 36% US, 22% Latin America and Caribbean, 21% EC, 7% Japan (1984)
Member of
Andean Pact, ECOSOC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDE — Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ITU, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPEC, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO Economy
Monetary conversion rate
110 sucres= US$1 (31 January 1986)
National holiday
Independence Day, 10 August
Natural resources
petroleum, fish, timber
Official name
Republic of Ecuador
Organized labor
less than 15% of labor force Government
Political subdivisions
20 provinces including Galapagos Islands
Railroads
965 km total; all 1.067-meter gauge single track
Suffrage
universal over age 18; compulsory for literates
Type
republic
Voting strength
results of May 1984 presidential runoff election — Leon FebresCordero of the Social Christian Party, who headed the coalition National Reconstruction Front, 52.2%; Rodrigo Borja of the Democratic Left, 47.8%