Ecuador: Government#
| Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador conventional short form: Ecuador local long form: Republica del Ecuador local short form: Ecuador etymology: the country's position on the globe, straddling the Equator, accounts for its Spanish name |
|---|---|
| Government type | presidential republic |
| Capital | Quito
Quito
geographic coordinates: 0 13 S, 78 30 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions | 24 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, Santa Elena, Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Zamora-Chinchipe |
| Independence | 24 May 1822 (from Spain) |
| National holiday | Independence Day (independence of Quito), 10 August (1809) |
| Constitution | many previous; latest approved 20 October 2008; amended 2011; note - a 2015 constitutional amendment lifting presidential term limits becomes effective in 2021 (2016) |
| Legal system | civil law based on the Chilean civil code with modifications; traditional law in indigenous communities |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent: yes dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 3 years |
| Suffrage | 18-65 years of age, universal and compulsory; 16-18, over 65, and other eligible voters, voluntary |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Rafael CORREA Delgado (since 15 January 2007); Vice President Jorge GLAS Espinel (since 24 May 2013); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Rafael CORREA Delgado (since 15 January 2007); Vice President Jorge GLAS Espinel (since 24 May 2013) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections/appointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 17 February 2013 (next to be held in 2017) election results: President Rafael CORREA Delgado reelected president; percent of vote - Rafael CORREA Delgado (Alianza PAIS Movement) 57.2%, Guillermo LASSO (CREO) 22.7%, Lucio GUTIERREZ (PSP) 6.8%, Mauricio RODAS (SUMA) 3.9%, other 9.4% |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (137 seats; 116 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 15 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote, and 6 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies for Ecuadorians living abroad by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 17 February 2013 (next to be held in 2017) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAIS 100, CREO 11, PSC 6, AVANZA 5, MUPP 5, PSP 5, other 5; note - defections by members of National Assembly are commonplace, resulting in frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the various parties |
| Judicial branch | highest court(s): National Court of Justice or Corte Nacional de Justicia (consists of 21 judges including the chief justice and organized into 5 specialized chambers); Constitutional Court or Corte Constitucional (consists of 9 judges) judge selection and term of office: justices of National Court of Justice elected by the Judiciary Council, a 9-member independent body of law professionals; judges elected for 9-year, non-renewable terms, with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the executive, legislative, and Citizen Participation branches of government; judges appointed for 9-year non-renewable terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years subordinate courts: Fiscal Tribunal; Election Dispute Settlement Courts, provincial courts (one for each province); cantonal courts |
| Political parties and leaders | Alianza PAIS movement (Rafael Vicente CORREA Delgado) Avanza Party or AVANZA (Ramiro GONZALEZ) Creating Opportunities Movement or CREO (Guillermo LASSO) Institutional Renewal and National Action Party or PRIAN (Alvaro NOBOA) Pachakutik Plurinational Unity Movement or MUPP (Rafael ANTUNI) Patriotic Society Party or PSP (Lucio GUTIERREZ Borbua) Popular Democracy Movement or MPD (Luis VILLACIS) Roldosist Party or PRE Social Christian Party or PSC (Pascual DEL CIOPPO) Socialist Party (Fabian SOLANO) Society United for More Action or SUMA (Mauricio RODAS) Warrior's Spirit Movement (Jaime NEBOT) |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or CONAIE (Humberto CHOLANGO) Federation of Indigenous Evangelists of Ecuador or FEINE (Manuel CHUGCHILAN, president) National Federation of Indigenous Afro-Ecuatorianos and Peasants or FENOCIN National Teacher's Union or UNE (Mariana PALLASCO) |
| International organization participation | CAN, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Francisco BORJA Cevallos (since 18 May 2015) chancery: 2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: (1) (202) 234-7200 FAX: (1) (202) 667-3482 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New Haven (CT), New Orleans, New York, Newark (NJ), Phoenix, San Francisco |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Todd CHAPMAN (since 14 April 2016) embassy: Avenida Avigiras E12-170 y Avenida Eloy Alfaro, Quito mailing address: Avenida Guayacanes N52-205 y Avenida Avigiras telephone: (593) (2) 398-5000 FAX: (593) (2) 398-5100 consulate(s) general: Guayaquil |
| Flag description | three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double width), blue, and red with the coat of arms superimposed at the center of the flag; the flag retains the three main colors of the banner of Gran Colombia, the South American republic that broke up in 1830; the yellow color represents sunshine, grain, and mineral wealth, blue the sky, sea, and rivers, and red the blood of patriots spilled in the struggle for freedom and justice note: similar to the flag of Colombia, which is shorter and does not bear a coat of arms |
| National symbol(s) | Andean condor; national colors: yellow, blue, red |
| National anthem | name: "Salve, Oh Patria!" (We Salute You, Our Homeland) lyrics/music: Juan Leon MERA/Antonio NEUMANE note: adopted 1948; Juan Leon MERA wrote the lyrics in 1865; only the chorus and second verse are sung |