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

Data code: EC

Government type: republic

Capital: Quito

Administrative divisions: 21 provinces (provincias, singular—provincia); Azuay, Bolivar, Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Galapagos, Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Manabi, Morona-Santiago, Napo, Pastaza, Pichincha, Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Zamora-Chinchipe
note: a new province, Orellana, was reported to have been formed in 1998

Independence: 24 May 1822 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 10 August (1809) (independence of Quito)

Constitution: 10 August 1998

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

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

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jamil MAHUAD (since 10 August 1998); Vice President Gustavo NOBOA (since 10 August 1998); note—the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Jamil MAHUAD (since 10 August 1998); Vice President Gustavo NOBOA (since 10 August 1998); 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 terms; election last held 31 May 1998; runoff election held 12 July 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: Jamil MAHUAD elected president; percent of vote—51%

Legislative branch: 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 May 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

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), new justices are elected by the full Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
Center-Right parties: Social Christian Party or PSC [Jaime NEBOT Saadi, president]; Ecuadorian Conservative Party or PCE [Freddy BRAVO]
Center-Left parties: Democratic Left or ID [Rodrigo BORJA Cevallos]; Popular Democracy or DP [Jamil MAHUAD]; Radical Alfarista Front or FRA [Fabian ALARCON, director]
Populist-Left parties: Roldosist Party or PRE [Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz, director]
Populist parties: Concentration of Popular Forces or CFP [Averroes BUCARAM]; Pachakutik-New Country or P-NP [Nina PACARI and Freddy EHLERS]
Far-Left parties: Popular Democratic Movement or MPD [Jaime HURTADO Gonzalez]

International organization participation: 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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ivonne A-BAKI
chancery: 2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 234-7200
FAX: [1] (202) 667-3482
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Leslie M. ALEXANDER
embassy: Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida Patria, Quito
mailing address: APO AA 34039
telephone: [593] (2) 562-890
FAX: [593] (2) 502-052
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; similar to the flag of Colombia that is shorter and does not bear a coat of arms