Local time--:--:--Quito ·

South America · Card 006

Ecuador

Ecuador is a country in South America. Its capital is Quito.

Find Ecuador

● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers. The Galápagos Islands are shown west of the mainland. The clock uses Quito time; the Galápagos have a different time zone.

At a glance

Capital: Quito
Language guide: Languages spoken & official status
Currency: United States dollar (USD)
Population: 18.3 million2025 · World Bank
Area: 276,841 km²106,888.86 square miles
Independence: 1822 / 1830Spanish rule ended around Quito in 1822; a separate republic formed in 1830.

Ecuador in context

South America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Quito; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.

Natural Earth · locator map

Geography & environment

Landscape

Ecuador has four broad geographic regions: Pacific coastal country, the Andes, Amazon lowlands and the Galápagos Islands. The mountains divide the mainland and create large changes in elevation over short distances. Rivers drain west to the Pacific and east toward the Amazon.

Cotopaxi is a prominent volcanic peak within the Andes. The Galápagos have a separate volcanic island setting far offshore. These island landscapes differ from both mainland mountain farming regions and humid Amazon forest.

Climate & seasons

Coastal and Amazonian lowlands are tropical. The Andes are cooler, with temperature changing sharply as elevation increases.

Altitude & isolation

Temperature and vegetation vary strongly with elevation on the mainland. Ocean conditions and geographic isolation shape the Galápagos. Forests, highland grasslands, wetlands and marine habitats therefore require separate geographic explanations.

Flag

Three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double-width), blue, and red, with the coat of arms at the center of the flag

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Landscapes & nature

Languages

Public and official use

Spanish is the official language. Kichwa and Shuar have official status for intercultural relations, while other ancestral languages have recognized uses in the areas where their communities live.

Community and regional languages

Kichwa is part of the Quechuan language family, while Shuar belongs to a different family. Other languages include Waorani, A’ingae and several Amazonian languages.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

History & independence

The region was home to Indigenous societies and later formed part of the Inca Empire before Spanish conquest. The Battle of Pichincha in 1822 ended Spanish control around Quito. The territory joined Gran Colombia, then became the separate Republic of Ecuador in 1830. The country adopted the US dollar in 2000 following a banking and currency crisis, and approved a new constitution in 2008.

1822
The Battle of Pichincha ends Spanish control around Quito
1830
Ecuador separates from Gran Colombia
2000
Ecuador adopts the US dollar
2008
A new constitution is approved

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Economy

Main activities

Oil, shrimp, bananas, cocoa and other agricultural products are important exports. Services, commerce and manufacturing also support employment. The use of the US dollar removes a separate national exchange rate but does not eliminate price changes or economic shocks. Oil-price fluctuations, infrastructure needs and security problems affect investment and livelihoods.

Industry and production

Petroleum, shrimp farming and processing, bananas, cocoa, food products and manufacturing.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Population & economic trends

Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.

Population, 1970–2025

Millions of people

18.32025 · millions of people

Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.

Sources: World Bank · Population

View data table

Population: source values and plotted units
Year	People	Millions of people
1970	6,155,387	6.155
1980	8,165,877	8.166
1990	10,473,673	10.474
2000	12,689,206	12.689
2010	15,076,695	15.077
2020	17,546,065	17.546
2025	18,289,896	18.290

Real GDP, 1990–2025

Billions of constant 2015 US dollars

112.72025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars

Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.

Sources: World Bank · Real GDP

View data table

Real GDP: source values and plotted units
Year	Constant 2015 US$	Billions of constant 2015 US dollars
1990	41,053,840,192	41.054
1991	42,815,601,070	42.816
1992	43,720,855,883	43.721
1993	44,583,563,741	44.584
1994	46,482,043,534	46.482
1995	47,529,074,179	47.529
1996	48,352,157,793	48.352
1997	50,444,773,790	50.445
1998	52,092,567,129	52.093
1999	49,623,699,372	49.624
2000	50,165,491,739	50.165
2001	52,275,588,700	52.276
2002	54,851,779,632	54.852
2003	56,433,979,416	56.434
2004	60,289,773,140	60.290
2005	63,544,590,361	63.545
2006	66,303,144,899	66.303
2007	67,564,514,888	67.565
2008	72,000,071,700	72.000
2009	72,785,601,820	72.786
2010	75,718,234,074	75.718
2011	82,140,258,351	82.140
2012	86,890,603,905	86.891
2013	93,156,490,881	93.156
2014	97,093,344,927	97.093
2015	97,209,558,000	97.210
2016	96,540,800,718	96.541
2017	102,304,671,535	102.305
2018	103,373,033,702	103.373
2019	103,544,017,315	103.544
2020	93,971,273,314	93.971
2021	102,825,145,845	102.825
2022	108,859,360,918	108.859
2023	110,854,579,494	110.855
2024	108,699,466,450	108.699
2025	112,749,552,668	112.750

Human development

The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.

HDI · 20230.777High human developmentRank 88 of 193 · 2025 report

Human Development Index over time

19900.646

20000.683

20100.737

20200.740

20230.777

77.4 yearsLife expectancy at birth

9.0 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+

The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.

Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025

Government

A presidential republic. An elected President leads the executive, and the National Assembly is a single-chamber legislature. The constitution also provides electoral and transparency institutions alongside the executive, legislature and judiciary.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Knowledge check

Three questions about Ecuador.

QUESTION 1 OF 3

Which island group is part of Ecuador?

Sources & notes

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.

Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.