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Posted by motoman 04/29/2009 @ 14:09

Tags : ecuador, south america, americas, world

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Ecuador Bond Buyback Participation Is Seen At Above 90% - Wall Street Journal
By Kejal Vyas and Mercedes Alvaro Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Ecuador could repurchase around 90% of its defaulted bonds as too few bondholders, it appears, have rallied sufficient support among fellow investors to undercut the...
Ecuador Oriente Crude At $50.12/Bbl May 12; Napo At $48.02/Bbl - Wall Street Journal
Crude oil is Ecuador's main export. The Ecuadorian government estimates an average price of around $35 per barrel for 2009. Last year, Ecuador's oil averaged around $84 per barrel. Ecuador exports its crude oil primarily to Asia, the US,...
Swine Flu Spreads to Ecuador; New York Has Flare-Up - Bloomberg
By Henry Goldman and Jason Gale May 15 (Bloomberg) -- A school administrator became New York City's first seriously ill swine flu patient as the virus spread to 35 countries and Ecuador confirmed its first case. Global health authorities today received...
Ecuador Reports First H1N1 Flu Case - Health Minister - Wall Street Journal
QUITO (Dow Jones)--Health Minister Caroline Chang confirmed Friday that an 11-year-old student in Guayaquil is the first case of H1N1 flu in Ecuador. The boy arrived last Sunday in Guayaquil from Miami. "The virus is confirmed but it isn't spreading in...
Ecuador to move ahead with Perenco's oil sale - Reuters
QUITO, May 14 (Reuters) - Ecuador will move ahead with the auction of 1.4 million barrels of crude seized from French oil company Perenco despite a foreign court order to halt the sale that stems from a tax row, a top official said on Thursday....
Ecuador lifts restrictions to charter flights from and to Mexico - Xinhua
QUITO, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador lifted the restrictions to charter flights from and to Mexico, which were set in late April as a preventive measure to prevent the influenza A/H1N1 epidemic, Mexican embassy in Ecuador said on Friday....
WHO says H1N1 flu cases, death toll rise - Reuters
The number of countries reporting confirmed cases of H1N1, commonly known as swine flu, has risen to 36 with Ecuador and Peru confirming their first cases, the WHO said. The vast majority of cases have been in Mexico and the United States....
New York Times Bolsters Ecuador's $27-Billion Shake Down of Chevron - Business Media Institute
The article by Simon Romero and Clifford Krauss, pointed out how the people of Ecuador resent Chevron for pollution the country's current government claims was left behind by Texaco. “Texaco's roughnecks are long gone, but black gunk from the pits...
Ecuador Studies ICSID Decision To Define Position On Perenco - Wall Street Journal
QUITO (Dow Jones)--Ecuador's government is studying a decision by the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes, or ICSID, which ordered it not to take legal measures against French oil company Perenco until a dispute was settled....
Ecuador Finance Minister: Bond Prices Could Differ - Wall Street Journal
In December, Ecuador defaulted on some $3.21 billion in bonds due in 2012 and 2030, contending they are "illegal" and "illegitimate." The government has since offered to repurchase outstanding bonds at 30 cents on the US dollar....


Coat of arms of Ecuador


Evidence of human cultures in Ecuador exists from c. 3500 B.C. Many civilizations rose throughout Ecuador, such as the Valdivia Culture and Machalilla Culture on the coast, the Quitus (near present day Quito) and the Cañari (near present day Cuenca). Each civilization developed its own distinctive architecture, pottery, and religious interests. After years of fiery resistance by the Cayambes and other tribes, as demonstrated by the battle of Yahuarcocha (Blood Lake) where thousands of resistance fighters were killed and thrown in the lake, the region fell to the Incan expansion and was assimilated loosely into the Incan empire.

Through a succession of wars and marriages among the nations that inhabited the valley, the region became part of the Inca Empire in 1463. Atahualpa, one of the sons of the Inca emperor Huayna Capac, could not receive the crown of the empire since the emperor had another son, Huascar, born in the Incan capital Cusco. Upon Huayna Capac's death in 1525, the empire was divided in two: Atahualpa received the north, with his capital in Quito; Huascar received the south, with its capital in Cusco. In 1530, Atahualpa defeated Huascar and conquered the entire empire for the crown of Quito. However the emperor Atahualpa never ruled the empire, as he was fighting the Spanish at Cajamarca.

In 1531, the Spanish conquistadors, under Francisco Pizarro, arrived to find an Inca empire torn by civil war. Atahualpa wanted to reestablish a unified Incan empire; the Spanish, however, had conquest intentions and established themselves in a fort in Cajamarca, captured Atahualpa during the Battle of Cajamarca, and held him for ransom. The Incas filled one room with gold and two with silver to secure his release. Despite being surrounded and vastly outnumbered, the Spanish executed Atahualpa. To escape the confines of the fort, the Spaniards fired all their cannon and broke through the lines of the bewildered Incas. In subsequent years, the Spanish colonists became the new elite, centering their power in the vice-royalties of Nueva Granada and Lima.

Disease decimated the indigenous population during the first decades of Spanish rule — a time when the natives also were forced into the encomienda labor system for Spanish landlords. In 1563, Quito became the seat of a royal audiencia (administrative district) of Spain and part of the Vice-Royalty of Lima, and later the Vice-Royalty of Nueva Granada.

After nearly 300 years of Spanish colonization, Quito still was a small city of only 10,000 inhabitants. It was there, on August 10, 1809 (the national holiday), that the first call for independence from Spain was made in Latin America ("Primer Grito de la Independencia"), under the leadership of the city's criollos like Carlos Montúfar, Eugenio Espejo and Bishop Cuero y Caicedo. Quito's nickname, "Luz de América" ("Light of America"), comes from the idea that this first attempt produced the inspiration for the rest of Spanish America. Quito is also known as "La Cara de Dios" ("The Face of God") for its beauty.

On October 9, 1820, Guayaquil became the first city in Ecuador to gain its independence from Spain. On August 10, 1822, the rest of Ecuador gained its independence after Field Marshal Antonio José de Sucre defeated the Spaniard Royalist forces at the Batalla de Pichincha (Battle of Pichincha) near Quito. Following the battle, Ecuador joined Simón Bolívar's Republic of Gran Colombia. Joined with modern day Colombia and Venezuela, only to become a republic in 1830.

The 19th century for Ecuador was marked by instability, with a rapid succession of rulers. The first president of Ecuador was the Venezuelan born Juan José Flores, who was ultimately deposed, followed by many authoritarian leaders such as Vicente Rocafuerte, José Joaquín de Olmedo, José María Urbina, Diego Noboa, Pedro José de Arteta, Manuel de Ascásubi and Flores's own son, Antonio Flores Jijón, among others. The conservative Gabriel Garcia Moreno unified the country in the 1860s with the support of the Roman Catholic Church. In the late 19th century, world demand for cocoa tied the economy to commodity exports and led to migrations from the highlands to the agricultural frontier on the coast.

The coast-based Liberal Revolution of 1895 under Eloy Alfaro reduced the power of the clergy and the conservative land owners of the highlands, and this liberal wing retained power until the military "Julian Revolution" of 1925. The 1930s and 1940s were marked by instability and emergence of populist politicians such as five-time President José María Velasco Ibarra.




The Rio Protocol failed to precisely resolve the border along a small river in the remote Cordellera del Cóndor region in southern Ecuador. This caused a long-simmering dispute between Ecuador and Peru, which ultimately led to fighting between the two countries; first a border skirmish in January-February 1981 known as the Paquisha Incident, and ultimately full-scale warfare in January 1995 where the Educadorian military shot down Peruvian aircraft and helicopters and Peruvian infantry marched into southern Ecuador. Each country blamed the other for the onset of hostilities, known as the Cenepa War. Sixto Durán Ballén, the Ecuadorian president, famously declared that he would not give up a single centimeter of Ecuador. Popular sentiment in Ecuador became strongly nationalistic against Peru: graffiti could be seen on the walls of Quito referring to Peru as the "Cain de Latinoamérica," a reference to the murder of Abel by his brother Cain in the Book of Genesis. Ecuador and Peru reached a tentative peace agreement in October 1998, which ended hostilities.

In 1972 a "revolutionary and nationalist" military junta overthrew the government of Velasco Ibarra. The coup d'etat was led by General Guillermo Rodríguez and executed by navy commander Jorge Queirolo G. The new president exiled José María Velasco to Argentina, remaining in power until 1976 when he was removed by another military government. It was a military junta led by Admiral Alfredo Poveda, who was declared chairman of the Supreme Council. The Supreme Council had two other members as well, General Guillermo Durán Arcentales and General Luis Leoro Franco. After the country stabilized, socially and economically, this Supreme Council proceeded to hold democratic elections and stepped down to hand presidential duties over to the new democratically elected president.

Elections were held on April 29, 1979, under a new constitution. Jaime Roldós Aguilera was elected president, garnering over one million votes, the most in Ecuadorian history. He took office on August 10 as the first constitutionally elected president after nearly a decade of civilian and military dictatorships. In 1980 he founded the Partido Pueblo, Cambio y Democracia (People, Change and Democracy Party) after withdrawing from the Concentracion de Fuerzas Populares (Social Christian Party) and governed until May 24, 1981, when he died along with his wife and the minister of defense, Marco Subia Martinez, when his Air Force plane crashed in heavy rain near the Peruvian border. Many Ecuadorians believe that he was assassinated, given the multiple death threats levelled against him because of his reformist agenda and the sometimes contradictory accounts of the incident.

Roldos was immediately succeeded by Vice President Osvaldo Hurtado who was followed in 1984 by León Febres Cordero from the Social Christian Party. Rodrigo Borja Cevallos of the Democratic Left (Izquierda Democrática or ID) party won the presidency in 1988, running in the runoff election against Abdalá Bucaram (brother in law of Jaime Roldos and founder of the Ecuadorian Roldosist Party). His government was committed to improving human rights protection and carried out some reforms, notably an opening of Ecuador to foreign trade. The Borja government concluded an accord leading to the disbanding of the small terrorist group, "¡Alfaro Vive, Carajo!" ("Alfaro Lives, Dammit!") named after Eloy Alfaro. However, continuing economic problems undermined the popularity of the ID, and opposition parties gained control of Congress in 1990.


The executive branch includes 25 ministries. Provincial governors and councilors (mayors, aldermen, and parish boards) are directly elected. Congress meets throughout the year except for recesses in July and December. There are 69 seven-member congressional committees. Justices of the Supreme Court are appointed by the Congress for indefinite terms.


The provinces are divided into cantons, and further subdivided into parishes (parroquias).




Ecuador is one of 18 megadiverse countries in the world according to Conservation International. With 1,600 bird species (15% of the world's known bird species) in the continental area, and 38 more endemic in the Galápagos. In addition to 25,000 species of plants, the country has 106 endemic reptiles, 138 endemic amphibians, and 6,000 species of butterfly. The Galápagos Islands are well known as a region of distinct fauna, famous as the place of birth of Darwin's Theory of Evolution, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Despite being on the UNESCO list, the Galapagos are endangered by a range of negative environmental effects, threatening the existence of this exotic ecosystem. Additionally, oil exploitation of the Amazon rain forest has led to the release of billions of gallons of untreated wastes, gas, and crude oil into the environment, contaminating ecosystems and causing detrimental health effects to indigenous peoples.

Ecuador's natural resources include petroleum, fish, shrimp, timber and gold. In addition, it has rich agriculture: bananas, flowers, coffee, cacao, sugar, tropical fruits, palm oil, palm hearts, rice, and corn. Fluctuations in world market prices can have a substantial domestic impact. Industry is largely oriented to servicing the domestic market, with some exports to the Andean Common market. Deteriorating economic performance in 1997-98 culminated in a severe economic and financial crisis in 1999. The crisis was precipitated by a number of external shocks, including the El Niño weather phenomenon in 1997, a sharp drop in global oil prices in 1997-98, and international emerging market instability in 1997-98. These factors highlighted the Government of Ecuador's unsustainable economic policy mix of large fiscal deficits and expansionary money policy and resulted in a 7.3% contraction of GDP, annual year-on-year inflation of 52.2%, and a 65% devaluation of the national currency, the sucre, in 1999, which helped precipitate a default on external loans later that year.

On January 9, 2000, the administration of President Jamil Mahuad announced its intention to adopt the U.S. dollar as the official currency of Ecuador to address the ongoing economic crisis. The formal adoption of the dollar, as opposed to merely pegging the sucre to the dollar as Argentina had done, theoretically meant that the benefits of seigniorage would accrue to the U.S. economy. Subsequent protests related to the economic and financial crises led to the removal of Mahuad from office and the elevation of Vice President Gustavo Noboa to the presidency. However, the Noboa government confirmed its commitment to dollarize as the centerpiece of its economic recovery strategy. The government also entered into negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), culminating in the negotiation of a 12-month standby arrangement with the IMF. Additional policy initiatives include efforts to reduce the government's fiscal deficit and to implement structural reforms to strengthen the banking system and regain access to private capital markets.

Buoyed by high oil prices, the Ecuadorian economy experienced a modest recovery in 2000, with GDP rising 1.9% annually. However, 70% of the population was estimated to live below the poverty line that year, more than double the rate in 1995.

Ecuador's population is ethnically diverse. The largest ethnic group (as of 2007) is the Mestizos, who are the mixed descendants of Spanish colonists and indigenous Indians and who constitute less than 55% of the population. Amerindians account for around 24% of the current population. Whites, mainly criollos, the unmixed descendants of early Spanish colonists, as well as immigrants from other European countries, account for about 16% of the population. The small Afro-Ecuadorian minority, including Mulattos and zambos, largely based in Esmeraldas and Imbabura provinces, make up 5% of the population.

There are sizeable expatriate Ecuadorian communities in Spain, the United Kingdom (Ecuadorian Britons), and Italy, as well across Europe, the United States (Ecuadorian American), Canada, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico and Japan.

Many people from other South American countries, especially Peru and Bolivia have moved to Ecuador in search of higher wages. There has been increased immigration from the Middle East, Asia (especially China and Japan), North America and Europe. There is a large community of Arab-Ecuadorians, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, mostly of Lebanese, Syrian, or Palestinian origin, prominent in commerce and industry, and concentrated in the country's second city, the Pacific port of Guayaquil. Ecuador contains tiny communities of Italians, Jews, Armenians and Greek-Ecuadorians. The Ecuadorian Jews, who number less than 500, are mostly of German or Italian descent. There are 112,000 German speakers in Ecuador, mainly descendants of immigrants who arrived in the late 19th century. In recent years Ecuador has seen an influx of Colombians seeking refuge from the Colombian armed conflict.

A small east Asian Latino community estimated at 2,500 mainly consists of those of Japanese and Chinese descent, whose ancestors arrived as miners, farm hands and fishermen in the late 19th century.

Approximately 95% of Ecuadorians are Roman Catholic, and 4% are Protestants. In the rural parts of Ecuador, indigenous beliefs and Catholicism are sometimes syncretized. Most festivals and annual parades are based on religious celebrations, many incorporating a mixture of rites and icons.

The Jewish community of Ecuador, with domicile in Quito, has about 500 members. However, this number is decreasing because young people are emigrating to study in Israel or elsewhere abroad and not returning. The community has a Jewish center with a synagogue, a country club, a cemetery and supports the Albert Einstein School, where Judaism, Jewish history and Hebrew are taught. A Chabad House was established 2004 in Quito. There are some very small communities in Cuenca and Ambato. The "Comunidad de Culto Israelita" works in Guayaquil independently of the community in Quito,. There are some small percentages of Eastern Orthodox Christians, indigenous religions, Muslims, Buddhists and Bahá'í. Ecuador also has strong membership with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A Mormon temple was constructed in Guayaquil in 1999.

The majority of Ecuadorians live in the central provinces inland in the Andes mountains, or along the Pacific coast. The tropical forest region to the east of the mountains (El Oriente) remains sparsely populated and contains only about three percent of the population.



Notable people born in Ecuador include painters Tábara, Guayasamín, Kingman, Rendón, Arauz, Constanté, Viteri, Molinari, Maldonado, Gutierrez, Endara Crow, Villacís, Egas, Villafuerte and Faini; Enrique Espín Yépez composer, violinist and conductor; animator Mike Judge; poet and statesman José Joaquín de Olmedo y Maruri, scholar Benjamín Urrutia, world traveler Claudia Velasco, and tennis player Pancho Segura.


















The public education system is free at the point of delivery, and attendance is mandatory from ages five to 14. Provision of public schools falls far below the levels needed, and class sizes are often very large, and families of limited means often find it necessary to pay for education. In rural areas, only 10% of the children go on to high school. The Ministry of Education states that the mean number of year completed as 6.7.

Ecuador has 61 universities, many of which offer graduate degrees, although only 87% of the faculty in public universities possess graduate degrees. About 300 higher institutes offer two to three years of post-secondary vocational or technical training.

The public policies on science and technology in Ecuador are regulated by Senacyt (Secretaria Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia). Senacyt works alongside universities and private sector to promote applied research. The major focus of research has been in agriculture and environmental impact on raw material extraction.




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History of Ecuador

Five Time President of Ecuador Jose Maria Velasco Ibarra

The History of Ecuador extends over a 9,000-year period. During this time a variety of cultures and territories influenced what has become the Republic of Ecuador. The history can be divided into five eras: Pre-Colombian, The Conquest, The Colonial Period, The War of Independence and the Republican Era. The beginning of history is respresented by a variety of cultures and finishes with the Incan invasion. The Incas were followed closely by the arrival of the conquistadors, the Spanish Conquests. The Spanish would found modern day Quito and Guayaquil as part of the political-administration era which lasted until the war of Independence, the rise of Gran Colombia and Simon Bolivar to the final separation of his vision into what is known today as the Republic of Ecuador.











The Manteños were the last of the pre-colombian cultures in the coastal region exsisting between 600 – 1534. They were the first to witness the arrival of Spanish ships sailing in the surrounding Pacific Ocean. According to archelogical evidence and Spanish chronicals the civilization exsisted from Bahia de Caraquez to Cerro de Hojas in the south. They were excellent weavers, produced textiles, articles of gold, silver spondylus shells and mother of pearls. The manteños mastered the seas and created an extensive trade routes as far as Chile to the south and Western Mexico to the north. The center of the culture was in the area of Manta which was named in their honor.





As the Inca Civil War raged, in 1531 the Spanish landed in Ecuador. Led by Francisco Pizzaro, the conquistadors learned that the conflict and disease were destroying the empire After receiving reinforcements in September 1532, Pizzaro set out to the newly victorious Atahualpa.


























The new era brought in liberalism, the most outstanding was Eloy Alfaro, under his direction the government headed out to aid those in the rural sectors of the coast. Alfaro is credited for finishing the construction of the railroad connecting Guayaquil and Quito, the separation of church and state, establishment of many public schools, implementing civil rights such as freedom of speech, and the legalization of civil marriages and divorce.

Sadly Alfaro too was confronted a dissident tendency inside its own party, directed by its General Leonidas Plaza and constituted by the upper middle class of Guayaquil. His death was followed with the economic liberalism (1912-25) when banks were allowed to acquire almost complete control of the country.


Much of the 20th century was dominated by one José María Velasco Ibarra, whose 5 presidential terms began with an mandate in 1934 and final presidency ended in 1972. However the only term he actually completed was his 3rd from 1952-1956.

Much of the century was also dominated with the relations between Peru and Ecuador. In 1941 Peru invaded Ecuadorian territory. In that time the Equator was immersed in internal political fights, and was not well equipped to defend its territory.

With the world at war Ecuador attempted to settle the matter by means of a third party settlement. In Brazil the two countries negotiations were overseen by four "Guarantor" states (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and the United States—four of the most powerful countries in the region). The resulting treaty known as the Rio Protocol. The protocol became the focus of a surge of Ecuadorian national pride and concomitant opposition which resulted in an uprising and overthrow of the government.





















In 15 January 2007, the social-democrat Rafael Correa succeeded Palacio as President of Ecuador, with the promise of summoning a Constituent Assembly, and bringing focus on poverty.

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Ecuador Davis Cup team

The Ecuador Davis Cup team represents Ecuador in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Ecuador Tennis Federation.

Ecuador currently compete in the Americas Zone of Group II. They last competed in the World Group in 2001.

Ecuador competed in its first Davis Cup in 1961.

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List of birds of Ecuador

This is a list of the bird species recorded in Ecuador. The avifauna of Ecuador includes a total of 1663 species, of which 16 are endemic, 2 have been introduced by humans, and 19 are rare or accidental. 77 species are globally threatened.

This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families, and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follows the conventions of Clements's 5th edition. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account. Introduced and accidental species are included in the total counts for Ecuador.


Non-passerines: Tinamous . Penguins . Grebes . Albatrosses . Shearwaters and Petrels . Storm-Petrels . Tropicbirds . Pelicans . Boobies and Gannets . Cormorants . Darters . Frigatebirds . Bitterns, Herons and Egrets . Storks . Ibises and Spoonbills . Flamingos . Screamers . Ducks, Geese and Swans . New World vultures . Osprey . Hawks, Kites and Eagles . Caracaras and Falcons . Guans, Chachalacas and allies . New World quails . Hoatzin . Limpkins . Trumpeters . Rails, Crakes, Gallinules, and Coots . Sungrebe and Finfoots . Sunbittern . Jacanas . Oystercatchers . Avocets and Stilts . Thick-knees . Plovers and Lapwings . Sandpipers and allies . Seedsnipes . Skuas and Jaegers . Gulls . Terns . Skimmers . Pigeons and Doves . Parrots, Macaws and allies . Cuckoos and Anis . Barn owls . Typical owls . Oilbird . Potoos . Nightjars . Swifts . Hummingbirds . Trogons and Quetzals . Kingfishers . Motmots . Jacamars . Puffbirds . Barbets . Toucans . Woodpeckers and allies .

Passerines: Ovenbirds . Woodcreepers . Typical antbirds . Antthrushes and Antpittas . Gnateaters . Tapaculos . Cotingas . Manakins . Tyrant flycatchers . Swallows and Martins . Wagtails and Pipits . Waxwings . Dippers . Wrens . Mockingbirds and Thrashers . Thrushes and allies . Gnatcatchers . Crows, Jays, Ravens and Magpies . Vireos . New World warblers . Bananaquit . Tanagers . Buntings, Sparrows, Seedeaters and allies . Saltators, Cardinals and allies . Troupials and allies . Siskins, Crossbills and allies . Sparrows .

The tinamous are one of the most ancient groups of bird. Although they look similar to other ground-dwelling birds like quail and grouse, they have no close relatives and are classified as a single family Tinamidae within their own order, the Tinamiformes. They are distantly related to the ratites (order Struthioniformes), that includes the rheas, emu, and kiwi. There are 47 species worldwide and 16 species which occur in Ecuador.

The penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid, and other forms of sealife caught while swimming underwater. There are 17 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ecuador.


The albatrosses are among the largest of flying birds, and the great albatrosses from the genus Diomedea have the largest wingspans of any extant birds. There are 21 species worldwide and 5 species which occur in Ecuador.

The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized 'true petrels', characterised by united nostrils with a medium septum, and a long outer functional primary. There are 75 species worldwide and 17 species which occur in Ecuador.




The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups comprise medium-to-large coastal sea-birds that plunge-dive for fish. There are 9 species worldwide and 6 species which occur in Ecuador.








The screamers are a small family of birds related to the ducks. They are large, bulky birds, with a small downy head, long legs and large feet which are only partially webbed. They have large spurs on their wings which are used in fights over mates and territorial disputes. There are 3 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ecuador.


The New World vultures are not closely related to Old World vultures, but superficially resemble them because of convergent evolution. Like the Old World vultures, they are scavengers. However, unlike Old World vultures, which find carcasses by sight, New World vultures have a good sense of smell with which they locate carrion. There are 7 species worldwide, all of which are found only in the Americas, and 5 species which occur in Ecuador.



Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their feet. There are 62 species worldwide and 19 species which occur in Ecuador.

The Cracidae are large birds, similar in general appearance to turkeys. The guans and curassows live in trees, but the smaller chachalacas are found in more open scrubby habitats. They are generally dull-plumaged, but the curassows and some guans have colourful facial ornaments. There are 50 species worldwide and 15 species which occur in Ecuador.

The New World quails are small, plump terrestrial birds only distantly related to the quails of the Old World, but named for their similar appearance and habits. There are 32 species worldwide, all found only in the Americas, and 6 species which occur in Ecuador.

The Hoatzin is pheasant-sized - but much slimmer - long-tailed, long-necked and has a small head. It has an unfeathered blue face with red eyes, and its head is topped by spiky crest. It is a weak flier which is found in the swamps of the Amazon and Orinoco rivers.


The trumpeters are dumpy birds with long necks and legs, and chicken-like bills. They are named for the trumpeting call of the males. There are 3 species worldwide, restricted to the Amazon basin, and 1 species which occurs in Ecuador.










The seedsnipes are a small family of birds that superficially resemble sparrows. They have short legs and long wings and are herbivorous waders. There are 4 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ecuador.





Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere. There are 308 species worldwide and 28 species which occur in Ecuador.





The Oilbird is a slim, long-winged bird related to the nightjars. It is nocturnal and a specialist feeder on the fruit of the Oil palm.

The potoos (sometimes called Poor-Me-Ones) are large near passerine birds related to the nightjars and frogmouths. They are nocturnal insectivores which lack the bristles around the mouth found in the true nightjars. There are 5 species, all of which are from the South American tropical region, and 5 species which occur in Ecuador.



Hummingbirds are small birds capable of hovering in mid-air due to the rapid flapping of their wings. They are the only birds that can fly backwards. There are 337 species worldwide and 135 species which occur in Ecuador.


Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. There are 93 species worldwide and 6 species which occur in Ecuador.

The motmots have colorful plumage and long, graduated tails, which they display by waggling back and forth. In most of the species, the barbs near the ends of the two longest (central) tail feathers are weak and fall off, leaving a length of bare shaft, and creating a racket-shaped tail. There are 10 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in Ecuador.

The jacamars are near passerine birds from tropical South America, with a range that extends up to Mexico. They are glossy elegant birds with long bills and tails, which feed on insects caught on the wing. In appearance and behaviour they show resemblances to the Old World bee-eaters, although they are more closely related to woodpeckers. There are 18 species and 9 species that occur in Ecuador.

The puffbirds are related to the jacamars, and have the same range, but lack the iridescent colours of that family. They are mainly brown, rufous or grey, with large heads and flattened bills with a hooked tip. The loose abundant plumage and short tails makes them look stout and puffy, giving rise to the English common name of the family. There are 34 species and 20 species which occur in Ecuador.

The barbets are plump birds, with short necks and large heads. They get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills. Most species are brightly coloured. There are 84 species worldwide and 7 species which occur in Ecuador.

Toucans are near passerine birds from the neotropics. They are brightly marked and have enormous, colourful bills which in some species may amount to half their body length. There are 40 species worldwide and 18 species which occur in Ecuador.


Ovenbirds comprise a large family of small sub-oscine passerine bird species found in Central and South America. They are a diverse group of insectivores which gets its name from the elaborate "oven-like" clay nests built by some species, although others build stick nests or nest in tunnels or clefts in rock. There are 243 species worldwide and 79 species which occur in Ecuador.

The Dendrocolaptidae are brownish birds and maintain an upright vertical posture, supported by their stiff tail vanes. They feed mainly on insects taken from tree trunks. There are 57 species worldwide and 28 species which occur in Ecuador.

The antbirds are a large family of small passerine birds of subtropical and tropical Central and South America. They are forest birds, and tend to feed on insects at or near the ground. A sizable minority of them specialize in following columns of army ants to eat the small invertebrates that leave hiding to flee the ants.Many species lack bright colour; brown, black and white being the dominant tones. There are about 212 species worldwide and 96 species which occur in Ecuador.

The ground antbirds are a family comprising the antthrushes and antpittas. Antthrushes resemble small rails while antpittas resemble the true pittas with longish strong legs, very short tails and stout bills. There are about 63 species worldwide and 30 species which occur in Ecuador.

The gnateaters are round, short-tailed, and long-legged birds, which are closely related to the antbirds. There are 8 species worldwide, all found in South America, and 3 species which occur in Ecuador.

The tapaculos are a group of small suboscine passeriform birds with numerous species, found in South America. They are terrestrial species that fly only poorly on their short wings. They have strong legs, well-suited to their habitat of grassland or forest undergrowth. The tail is cocked and pointed towards the head. There are 56 species worldwide and 17 species which occur in Ecuador.

The manakins are a family bird species of subtropical and tropical mainland Central and South America, and Trinidad and Tobago. They are compact forest birds, the males typically being brightly coloured, although the females of most species are duller and usually green-plumaged. Manakins feed on small fruits, berries and insects. There are 57 species worldwide and 21 species which occur in Ecuador.

Tyrant flycatchers are passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They superficially resemble the Old World flycatchers, but are more robust with stronger bills. They do not have the sophisticated vocal capabilities of the songbirds. Most, but not all, have plain colouring. As the name implies, most are insectivorous. There are 429 species worldwide, all found only in the Americas and 211 species which occur in Ecuador.




Dippers are a group of perching birds whose habitat includes aquatic environments in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. They are named for their bobbing or dipping movements. There are 5 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Ecuador.


The mimids are a family of passerine birds that includes thrashers, mockingbirds, tremblers, and the New World catbirds. These birds are notable for their vocalizations, especially their ability to mimic a wide variety of birds and other sounds heard outdoors. Their colouring tends towards dull greys and browns . There are 35 species worldwide and 6 species which occur in Ecuador.


These dainty birds resemble Old World warblers in their build and habits, moving restlessly through the foliage seeking insects. The gnatcatchers and gnatwrens are mainly soft bluish grey in colour, and have the typical insectivore's long sharp bill. They are birds of fairly open woodland or scrub, and nest in bushes or trees. There are 15 species worldwide and 5 species which occur in Ecuador.


The vireos are a group of small to medium sized passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are typically greenish in colour and resemble wood warblers apart from their heavier bills. There are 52 species worldwide and 13 species which occur in Ecuador.

The New World warblers are a group of small, often colourful, passerine birds restricted to the New World. Most are arboreal, but some are terrestrial. Most members of this family are insectivores. There are 119 species worldwide and 30 species which occur in Ecuador.


The tanagers are a large group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World, mainly in the tropics. Many species are brightly coloured. They are seed eaters, but their preference tends towards fruit and nectar. Most have short, rounded wings. There are 256 species worldwide and 135 species which occur in Ecuador.


The cardinals are a family of passerine birds that are robust, seed-eating birds, with strong bills. They are typically associated with open woodland. The sexes usually have distinct plumages. There are 43 species worldwide and 15 species which occur in Ecuador.

The icterids are a group of small to medium, often colourful, passerine birds restricted to the New World and include the grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles. Most species have black as the predominant plumage colour, often enlivened by yellow, orange or red. There are 98 species worldwide and 30 species which occur in Ecuador.



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Military of Ecuador

Map of the long lasting territorial dispute between Ecuador and Peru, settled only in 1998. (in Spanish)

The Ecuadorian Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas del Ecuador) are part of the public forces and responsible for the preservation of the integrity and national sovereignty of the national territory. It involves participation in the social and economic development of the country and the provision of assistance in the maintenance of internal order. Some mayor tasks include; fighting organised crime, anti-narcotic operations, illegal immigration and FARC insurgency from Colombia . Social development programmes apply the provision of teachers for rural schools through an accord with the Ministry of Education. Environmental protection is also a priority, several programmes were implemented: "National Forestation and Ornamentation", "Lonely Tree", "Green Surveillance", "Fire Plan", "Ecuador Forest" and "Arenillas Military Reserve". The Armed Forces are an essential part of the countries infrastructure and regarded as one of the most respected institutions in Ecuador. A high military presence is maintained along its troubled border with Colombia and Peru, overseas territories include the Galapagos Islands and the "Pedro Vicente Maldonado" Naval Biological Research Station in the Antarctic. Relations with its neighbour Peru have improved since the signing of a Peace Treaty in 1998, however, relations with Colombia have been strained due to a number of cross border raids by Colombian forces on FARC guerrillas . The diplomatic crisis which followed in 2008 continues to affect Ecuadors national defence policy. Since 2009 the new administration at the Defence Ministry launched a deep restructurisation within the forces.

Ecuadors military history dates back to its first attempt to secure freedom from Spain in 1811. The rebel forces of the newly declared independent state of Quito attempted to extend their control to other parts of the territory but proved little match for the army dispatched by the Viceroy of Peru. In the Battle of Ibarra in December 1812, Spanish forces easily reasserted control over the contested area. When another independence movement began in 1820, Ecuadorian forces assembled in Guayaquil, combining with contingents of revolutionary soldiers from Colombia commanded by Antonio José de Sucre, a close collaborator of the Venezuelan liberator, Simón Bolívar Palacios . After a successful invasion in the Andean highlands, the rebels scored a decisive victory over the royalist army in 1822 at the Battle of Pichincha. In 1828, as a member along with Colombia and Venezuela of the Confederation of Gran Colombia, Ecuador fought against Peru to block the latter's attempt at annexation. Confederation forces, fewer than half of which were Ecuadorians, gloriously defeated the much larger Peruvian invasion force near Cuenca, at the Battle of Tarqui on 26 February and 27 February 1829.

At the dissolution of Gran Colombia in 1830, most of Ecuadors senior army officers and many of its troops were Venezuelans, as was the countries first president, Juan José Flores. The army of 2,000 men consisted of three infantry battalions and one cavalry regiment. Even as late as 1845, when Juan José Flores was forced from his second term of office, only four of fifteen general officers were Ecuadorian. Non-Ecuadorians comprised most of the officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) in the elite cavalry units as well. Upon taking office as president in 1851, General José María Urbina freed the black slaves and recruited many of them into the military; Gen. Azarye was the first African-Ecuadorian senior General.

In the 1860's, successive governments attempted to professionalize the Ecuadorian Armed Forces. Gabriel García Moreno, who dominated the political scene from 1860 until 1875, reduced the army in size and depoliticized it. Further improvements occurred during the relatively prosperous period of the 1880s and 1890s under the military dictator Gen. Ignacio de Veintemilla, and successor civilian governments. French officers arrived to provide training on a newly acquired arsenal of weapons. By 1900 the army was able to repel an attack from Colombia which was organised by Ecuadorian political opponents of the government in power.

In 1905 the government established military education and training institutions and divided the country into four defense zones. Immediately preceding World War I, the army had nine Infantry battalions, three Cavalry regiments, three Artillery regiments, and three Engineering battalions. It was in the years of 1913 to 1916 that all the work done since the beginning of the century was tested. Following the assassination of Gen. Eloy Alfaro, Crnl. Carlos Concha, a famed and revered field commander started a revolution in the northern province of Esmeraldas. The Civil War had started and the army was slowly destroyed by the insurgency forces. By the year of 1914 Gen. Leonidas Plaza who was the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and acting President had to take personal control of operations and it would take another two years to end the conflict. In these times both, the army and Navy started the development of joined tasks such as amphibious landing operations, earning a lot of experience in this field. By the mid-1920s, it had expanded to fifteen Infantry battalions. Later, under the influence of an Italian military mission, the Infantry was reduced to ten battalions, although each battalion now consisted of four rather than the previous two or three rifle companies. In 1930 the army had a total strength of about 5,500 men of all ranks.

Continual political unrest made the forces become more deliberant regarding constitutional issues. Rebellions, uprisings and lack of loyalty of both senior Generals and medium ranking officers made the Ecuadorian forces weak and disorganized. In July 1941, Peru captured areas of the Amazon region which Ecuador claimed as their own, the Ecuadorian Army was ill-prepared for such an invasion. The much larger Peruvian Army of 13,000, supported by a battalion of Czech-manufactured tanks, with artillery and air power, moved quickly into the southern coastal province of El Oro, threatening Guayaquil. The fewer than 1,800 Ecuadorian troops in the area lacked air cover and could offer only limited resistance. Peruvian forces also moved into the Ecuadorian amazon territory without significant opposition. After a campaign lasting only three weeks, an armistice was forced upon Ecuador. The subsequent Rio Protocol in early 1942, which was imposed by the threat of total annihilation, forced the Ecuadorean government to accept Peruvian claims in the amazon region, in exchange for an end of the Peruvian occupation in the Ecuadorean coastal areas.

Ecuador declared war on Japan late during World War II and began to receive military aid from the United States in 1942. This aid consisted at first of light weapons, mortars, light tanks, and armored scout cars. Under a military assistance agreement with the United States in 1952, the Ecuadorian Armed Forces, which now totaled approximately 15,000 troops, received additional equipment, including howitzers, tanks, and armoured personnel carriers. Revenue coming from the oil discovered in the late 1960s financed the purchase of considerable additional ground forces weaponry as well as fighters for the small Air Force.

Occasional clashes with Peru occurred in the border area lost by Ecuador in the 1942 settlement of the Rio Protocol. These clashes flared into an outbreak of serious fighting in January 1981 called the Paquisha War. Peruvian forces attacked Ecuadorian outposts on disputed territory which caused the death of around 200 Ecuadorian soldiers who were attempting to stem the invasion. The Peruvians made effective use of helicopters, air strikes, and commando teams specially trained for jungle operations. The Ecuadorians were driven back to the summit of the Cordillera del Cóndor. In 1983 and again in 1984, shooting incidents occurred when patrols of both countries met yet again on disputed land.

The final major military operation was the Cenepa War in which Ecuadorian troops kept an outpost in disputed territory and against all odds managed to push the Peruvians back. Unlike the previous wars, Ecuador finally had air support superior to the Peruvian Air Force. However, forced by external influences the Ecuadorian government had to abort its intentions and sign a Peace Treaty which was based upon the previous Rio Protocol on the 26th October 1998. As a result Ecuador had to renounce the territories of Tumbes, Jaen and Maynas to the Peruvians as well as re-draw their official maps.

The Ecuadorian Army (Ejército Ecuatoriano) is well equipped with reasonably homogeneous material. Its 24,135 soldiers are sensibly deployed in relation to the threat from its neighbours. Ecuador cannot match the material resources of Colombia or Peru, but its military forces have performed well in previous conflicts since 1941. The contemporary Ecuadorian Army is qualitatively one of the best in the region, thanks to its jungle and special forces infantry units, only its capability to fight large armoured units in the coastal region is suspect, given that its armoured arsenal includes only light AMX 13 tanks and Armoured personnel carriers (APC)s. The Army tried to rectify this with large and efficient anti-tank forces which include HOT-equipped helicopters as well as a recent order of 30 Leopard 1 V Main Battle Tanks from Chile . In 2009 new doctrines regarding: border control, anti-narcotic, anti-smuggler and anti-illegal immigration were introduced, altogether with a 5th Military Defence Zone in the North.

The Ecuadorian territory is currently divided into four "Military Defence Zones", each zone represents an Army Division. Divisions are units with appropriate support to allow independent operations, therefore each "Military Defence Zone" consists of; Artillery, Army Aviation, Engineers and Logistic Support including; Signals, Medical and Military Police units. The Brigades itself, are not numbered consecutively and carry odd numbers in the series of 1 to 27.

The Ecuadorian Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana), was officially created on the 27 October 1920. However, like in many other countries, military flying activity started before the formal date of birth of the Air Force. The history of Ecuador is marked by many skirmishes with its neighbour Peru. As a direct result of the 1910 Ecuador-Peru crisis, members of Club de Tiro Guayaquil decided to expand their sporting activities into aviation as well. Renamed Club de Tiro y Aviación they started an aviation school. Cosme Renella, an Italian mechanic and practical pilot, was asked to fly the first aircraft that arrived in November 1912. Surviving a crash during this demonstration flight, Renella was given the rank of a "Capitán". He went later on to fight in Europe during the I World War. Renella became a true ace with as many as 17 combat victories and several distinctions. His efforts within the founding phase of Ecuadorian military aviation are still honoured today by naming the Superior School of Military Aviation (Escuela Superior Militar de Aviación) after him.

Aviation did not start in earnest until the early forties when an Ecuadorian mission to the United States resulted in the delivery of an assortment of aircrafts for the Aviation school at Salinas. Three PT-22 Recruit, six Curtiss-Wright CW-22, six Fairchild PT-19 and three North American AT-6A Harvard arrived in March 1942, considerably boosting the capacity of the Aviation School in Salinas, (Escuela de Aviación Salinas).

The fifties and sixties saw a further build up of the Air Force, gaining more units and aircrafts. Meanwhile efforts were made in enhancing the facilities at various airbases. In May 1961 the First Air Zone (I Zona Aérea) with its subordinate unit Ala de Transportes No.11 was founded. The Second Air Zone (II Zona Aérea) controled the units in the southern halve of Ecuador: Ala de Combate No.21 at Taura, Ala de Rescate No.22 at Guayaquil and Ala de Combate No.23 at Manta as well as the Escuela Superior Militar de Aviación at Salinas. The FAE has a personnel of 6,055 and includes their own Air Force Infantry (Infanteria Area) responsible for a variety of tasks; training of Air Force ground personnel, protection of VIPs and Air Force Bases as well as conduct of combat rescue operations. A Commando unit operates within its structure.

The Air force has a mixture of types on its inventory, mostly from Western origin. The prime fighters are twelve Mirage F.1 and nine Kfir C2, TC2, C7, C10, CE, all based at Taura with Ala 21, (Jaguar Mk.1 were withdrawn from service). For light attack missions, six Strikemaster Mk.89, 90, twelve A-37B are in use at Manta with Ala 23. These aircrafts do often operate from airfields within the Amazon rainforest.

The transport wing uses fiveCE 150L, four HS 748, three DHC-6, two types of the C-130 Hercules and two IAI 201. The rotary wing consists of; twenty three UH-1 Iroquois, seven newly acquired Hal Dhruv, four Fennecs and two Alouette helicopters. Ala 11 has its own 'commercial' branch, like in many other South American countries, the Transporte Aérea Militar Ecuatoriana TAME. Besides the military transport aircraft, they also use one Boeing 727 and Fokker F28 aircraft. Flying to locations off the beaten track, mostly lacking service by a commercial airline, TAME provides an additional service to the people of Ecuador. Presidential transport is the tasking of Ala 11; two Sabreliners and one Embraer Legacy 600. Pilot training is carried out on T-34 Mentor fixed wing trainers and on TH 57 Searanger helicopters .

The FAE saw action on several occasions. A history of border disputes with Peru saw escalation in 1981 and 1995. During the last conflict (Cenepa War, the FAE managed to down nine Peruvian aircrafts , among which were one A-37B , two Su-22 and several Mi-8. Besides the conflicts with Peru, believed being subdued by the 26 October 1998 Brasilia peace treaty, the FAE faces the war on drugs, guerilla insurgency as well as humanitarian missions into the amazon region of the country. Supporting such a relatively large airforce of different types must be a burden. Nevertheless, due to the perils of the past and present, the FAE is to maintain a high profile.

In 2008 the frequent border conflicts with Colombia escalated into a crisis. Ecuador responded with ordering twenty four Brazilian Super Tucano light combat aircrafts , seven HAL Dhruv helicoperts from India and acquired six modern Chinese JY 11 low altitude radars to reinforce its borders.

The Ecuadorian Armed Forces provide Military Observers and troops to the United Nations since 1948. In November 2003, an Ecuadorian United Nations Training Centre was established under the name of: (La Unidad Escuela de Misiones de Paz “Ecuador”). As of 2009, Ecuador is deploying over 90 peacekeepers around the globe.

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Source : Wikipedia