conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador
conventional short form: Ecuador
local long form: Republica del Ecuador
local short form: Ecuador

EC

republic

Quito

22 provinces (provincias, singular -
provincia); Azuay, Bolivar, Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El
Oro, Esmeraldas, Galapagos, Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Manabi,
Morona-Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Pichincha, Sucumbios,
Tungurahua, Zamora-Chinchipe

24 May 1822 (from Spain)

Independence Day, 10 August (1809) (independence of
Quito)

10 August 1998

based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal, compulsory for literate persons
ages 18-65, optional for other eligible voters

chief of state: President Gustavo NOBOA (since 22 January 2000)
following coup which deposed President MAHUAD; Vice President Pedro
PINTO (since 28 January 2000); note - the president is both the chief
of state and head of government
head of government: President Gustavo NOBOA (since 22 January 2000)
following coup which deposed President MAHUAD; Vice President Pedro
PINTO (since 28 January 2000); note - the president is both the chief
of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by
popular vote for four-year term (no reelection); election last held 31
May 1998; runoff election held 12 July 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: results of the last election prior to the coup were:
Jamil MAHUAD elected president; percent of vote - 51%
note: a military-indigenous coup toppled democratically elected
President Jamil MAHAUD on 21 January 2000; the military quickly handed
power over to Vice President Gustavo NOBOA on 22 January; Congress
then elected a new vice president from a slate of candidates submitted
by NOBOA; the new administration is scheduled to complete the
remainder of MAHAUD's term, due to expire in January 2003

unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional
(121 seats; 79 members are popularly elected at-large nationally to
serve four-year terms; 42 members are popularly elected by province -
two per province - for four-year terms)
elections: last held 31 May 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DP
32, PSC 27, PRE 24, ID 18, P-NP 9, FRA 5, PCE 3, MPD 2, CFP 1; note -
defections by members of National Congress are commonplace, resulting
in frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the various
parties

Supreme Court or Corte Suprema, new justices are
elected by the full Supreme Court

Concentration of Popular Forces or CFP
; Democratic Left or ID ;
Ecuadorian Conservative Party or PCE ; Pachakutik-New
Country or P-NP ; Popular Democracy or
DP ; Popular Democratic Movement or MPD [Jaime HURTADO
Gonzalez]; Radical Alfarista Front or FRA ;
Roldosist Party or PRE ; Social
Christian Party or PSC 
note: political blocs include: far left - MPD; populist - CFP and
P-NP; populist left - PRE; center left - ID, DP, and FRA; center right
- PSC and PCE

Confederation of Indigenous
Nationalities of Ecuador or CONAIE

CAN, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA,
NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

chief of mission: Ambassador Ivonne A-BAKI
chancery: 2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:  (202) 234-7200
FAX:  (202) 667-3482
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New
Orleans, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and San Francisco

chief of mission: Ambassador Gwen CLARE
embassy: Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida Patria, Quito
mailing address: APO AA 34039
telephone:  (2) 562-890
FAX:  (2) 502-052
consulate(s) general: Guayaquil

three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double
width), blue, and red with the coat of arms superimposed at the center
of the flag; similar to the flag of Colombia which is shorter and does
not bear a coat of arms