Download The Republic of EQUADOR

The Republic of
EQUADOR
By
Aleksi Nieminen
Ville Kontinen
T569SN 2009
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Republic of Ecuador
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Capital: Quito
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Official language is Spanish
Government: Presidential Republic
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Largest city: Guayaquil
President Rafael Correa
Land area 256 370km2
Population app. 13 million
Currency is USD
 GDP 108 389 billion (7 785 per capita)
History
Cultures have existed in the area of Ecuador from
3500 BC
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At
first there were many different civilizations (e.g.
Valdivia culture and Machalilla culture)
The region came under the Inca empire in 1463 and
was ruled by Atahualpa (who was in charge of the
northern parts of the empire)
In 1531 the Spanish conquistadors invaded most of
South America and the Incas fell under their rule
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History from Spanish rule to the Republic of Ecuador
After 300 years of Spanish rule, the city of Guayaquil
became the first city in Ecuador to gain independence (Oct
9 1820)
The rest of Ecuador gained independence in May 24
1822 after a victorious battle against the Spaniard Royalist
forces
The 19th century was tainted by instability
There were multiple skirmishes and takeovers for the
sovereignty of Ecuador, but ultimately it unified to meet the
demand of cocoa for the growing world market
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There
were still many coups and revolutions until the threat of
Peru arose in 1940’s
History from liberal revolutions to modern democracy
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Peru and Ecuador fought over territorial control for
the area near the Amazon
 Disputes
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ended in peace agreement in 1998
Military governments ruled the country from 1972
to 1979 after which the military junta stepped
down
Elections were held under a new constitution and a
new president was elected
After that the domestic political disturbances settled
Culture
Mainstream culture is a mixture of mestizo majority,
European and Amerindian influences with African elements
Spanish is the common language (about 98% of the
population speak it as either first or second language)
Cuisine varies by region
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In
the coastal region seafood is the main ingredient
Different types of meat and beans are used for dishes in the
mountain region
Near the Amazon rainforest the main components are
products grown there (e.g. bananas, grapes)
Culture Arts and literature
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In general there are multiple writers and artists who
unfortunately haven’t achieved global recognition
The indigenous people of Tigua have gained
popularity for their tradicional paintings
Film industry was founded in 1924 and it enjoyed
it’s golden era during that time
Soccer and tennis are the most popular sports
 New
forms of activity such as Capoiera, paintball and
motocross are gaining popularity
Geography
Ecuador is environmentally
rich with a diverse habitat
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One
of the 17
megadiverse countries
The climate varies from
tropical climate to arid
mountaneous atmosphere
Because of the position
the amount of daylight
doesn’t vary much
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Geography Galápagos Islands
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Galápagos Islands
are located app.
1000 km west from
the mainland
The islands are rich
with fauna
Unfortunately the
islands are
threatened by oil
exploitation of the
Amazon rain forest
Economy
Main export is crude oil
Industry is mainly focusing on domestic market
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Products
include fish, shrimp, timber, gold and tropical
fruits
Due to multiple factors the country faced a major
economic crisis (from 1997-1999), and in order to avert
complete market destabilisation US dollar was
introduced as the new currency in 2000
Foreign debt is estimated at two billion dollars (2009)
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Demographics
There are multiple
ethnic groups
Main religion is Roman
Catholic (95%)
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Protestants
4%
Rest are a mixture of
ancient religions and
customs
Majority of the
population is located in
the central and western
part of the country
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Interesting facts
Position
currency
Transportation
Jipijapa
Active volcano Cotopaxi
Mt Chimborazo (6310m) furthest away from the centre
of Earth due the shape of the planet
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