Ecuador

Ecuador is a republic located in northern South America . It is a small country sandwiched between Colombia and Peru . However, it was not originally a small country with a small territory , and after becoming an independent country from Spanish colonial rule, it became an independent country with neighboring countries in South America such as Peru and Colombia.[5] Alternatively, it was a country with a fairly large border/territorial area in South America, although not as large as Brazil , Argentina , and Chile , the three major regional powers in South America . However, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the territory and cities north of the Andes, including Pasto, Cauca, and Ipiales, were lost to Colombia, and the inland territories in the eastern Amazon region were lost to Peru, resulting in the loss of more than half of the country and the current small territory and borders.

The capital is Quito . It is not the largest city in terms of population. Ecuador's largest city in terms of population is Guayaquil , the largest port city , and Quito is the next largest city. Quito's altitude is 2,850m, which is higher than Baekdu Mountain (2,744m).

Because the equator runs through this country , the Spanish word for equator , 'Ecuador' ( Equator in English ), was taken from the name.[6] During the time of Gran Colombia, the predecessor of Ecuador, an administrative district called the Equatorial Department (departamento de Ecuador) was established in Ecuador. After the dissolution of Gran Colombia, Ecuador became an independent country, and the name of the administrative district was used as is. In Ecuador, there is an Equator Memorial where the equator passes.

It has no historical connection with the African country Equatorial Guinea, which was also a Spanish colony .

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The national anthem is “Hail, Fatherland!” (¡Salve, Oh Patria!). This national anthem was written by poet León Mera in 1865 at the request of the Ecuadorian Senate, and composed in 1870 by composer and pianist Antonio Neumane at the request of the Senate after the lyrics were approved by the Senate.

The original song has 6 verses, but generally only 2 verses are called the national anthem.

In ancient times , because it was adjacent to Peru or south-central Colombia , which were developed areas in South America, the Andean civilization developed from BC, and quite developed countries existed from the 8th century AD to the mid -16th century, and relics have been excavated. However, since there are no historical records from this time,[7] What the history of this time was like depends on oral tradition, tales, legends, and archaeological excavations.

There was no pottery yet at this time , and stone and obsidian tools were discovered in places such as El Inga, Chobsi, and Kubilan. The Las Vegas culture on the Santa Elena Peninsula began farming in the early days while living a life of hunting, fishing, and gathering, and left behind the remains of the famous "Lovers of Sumpa" burials. During the formative period, agriculture, settlement, and pottery production were in full swing, and the Valdivia culture is considered to be the oldest pottery culture in the Americas and is famous for the 'Venus of Valdivia' tow. The Machalilla culture was known for long-distance trade and early metal use, while the Chorera culture had a widespread influence throughout Ecuador. The Mayo-Chinchipe-Maranon culture in the Amazon region is considered the first culture to cultivate cacao .

However, according to documents that record oral information, it is possible to roughly infer what has happened since at least the 11th century . Before the Inca Empire , founded in what is now Peru, conquered Ecuador, eight kingdoms existed, and among them, the Kingdom of Quito was the most powerful and took the lead.

Even after conquering the Chimu Kingdom in the 15th century, the Inca Empire was unable to completely control the powerful tribal confederations of the present-day Ecuadorian highlands and the Cajamarca and Chachapoyas regions. After ascending to the throne, Sapa Inca Huayna Capac pursued the conquest of the northern region and led an army of approximately 40,000 to 50,000 men to reconquer the islands of Piura , Tumbes , and Puna, and harshly suppressed the rebel tribes. Afterwards, he continued his northern expedition based in Quito and suppressed the Chachapoyas rebellion, but at the behest of a female leader, he chose an amnesty instead of a large-scale massacre to secure their loyalty.

However, when a large-scale rebellion broke out despite the amnesty, Huayna Capac mobilized a large army of over 200,000 men to suppress the rebellion, devastated the Purua region, and moved north. The key battles of the war took place on the plains of Tiocajas and the area of ​​Fortress Atapo, where the Inca army and the allied forces of Quito fought fierce battles for several months. In the end, the Inca army defeated Calicuchima, the commander-in-chief of the Quito army, using internal betrayal and siege tactics. The rebels were gradually pushed north, and several tribal leaders, including Quillago, were defeated or captured. The Allied forces of Quito retreated and burned the city of Quito using scorched-earth tactics, but Huayna Capac rebuilt it and made Quito the center of northern rule for a long time.

The final battle took place near present-day Ibarra , and even after Cacha's death, the Calanque-Cayambe forces led by Nasacota de Puento resisted, but were ultimately defeated. Huayna Capac won by using the tactic of luring the retreating enemy, then surrounding and annihilating them, and after victory, he ordered a large-scale massacre. The lake where the battle took place was said to have been stained with the blood of countless fallen soldiers, and was given the name Yahuarcocha, meaning 'Lake of Blood.' Depending on the historical sources, the scale of the massacre is recorded variously from 2,000 to 20,000, or even 50,000, but the exact number is unknown. With this victory, the Inca completely subjugated the northern highlands of present-day Ecuador, and Quito later became a key base in the northern part of the empire, and later became the basis for Atahuallpa 's power. After the rebellion was suppressed, Ecuador rapidly assimilated into the Inca Empire. As Spain began to occupy the Inca Empire, Ecuador served as the last bastion of the Inca to the extent that the last capital of the Inca Empire was located. However, with the collapse of the Inca Empire in 1572 , Ecuador was also conquered by Spain and was under Spanish colonial rule for over 100 years. Of course, some local South American indigenous tribes, such as the Canary people, who were oppressed by the Inca Empire and were in awe of the Inca, supported the Spanish army and took the lead in destroying the Inca Empire or suppressing the resistance of the Inca remnants that arose after the fall of the Inca. Anyway, because of this historical background, it is said that Ecuador and Peru still do not have good relations.

At the time the Spaniards arrived, the Inca Empire was embroiled in civil war between Huascar and Atahualpa following the deaths of Huayna Capac and his successor Ninan Cuyochi . Atahuallpa was victorious and on his way to Cuzco, he met Francisco Pizarro in Cajamarca , but fell into a trap and was taken prisoner, and was executed even after paying a huge ransom of gold and silver. Spain's conquest of Ecuador began with the expedition of Bartolome Luis in 1526 , and Pizarro returned in 1531 to pursue a full-scale conquest. At the time, competition for conquest became fierce due to rumors that Atahualpa's treasure was in Quito, and Pedro de Alvarado and Sebastian de Benalcázar each led the expedition. Alvarado plundered the Manta region and executed the indigenous leaders, and Benalcázar virtually occupied the area of ​​present-day Ecuador in 1534.

During the colonial era, Ecuador prospered through mining and textile production, and the 'Quito School' of art, a fusion of Spanish and indigenous cultures, developed. However, taxes and trade regulations led to several rebellions, and a sense of independence grew under the influence of Enlightenment ideas, the American Revolutionary War , and the French Revolution . In 1809, a movement to establish South America's first self-governing government took place in Quito, but was soon suppressed. From 1810 to 1812, the state of Quito briefly declared independence, but was defeated by the Spanish army and disappeared.

In 1820 , as the whole of South America was swept up in the independence craze, this country was liberated and became a member of Gran Colombia . However, after liberation, internal strife broke out and the centrality disappeared with the death of Simon Bolivar , so each went its own way and became independent in 1830 along with Venezuela and Colombia . However, during the independence process, the Gran Colombia-Peru War broke out in 1828, and the Gran Colombia army led by Sucre won the Battle of Tarqui in 1829. The war ended with an agreement, but the border issue was not fully resolved, which later led to a long-term territorial dispute between Ecuador and Peru.

In May 1830, Juan José Flores convened representatives of the southern region and declared separation from Gran Colombia, and with Quito, Guayaquil, and Azuay joining, Ecuador was born as an independent nation. In the same year, the first constitution was enacted at the Riobamba Constituent Assembly, with Flores becoming the first president and José Joaquín de Olmedo as vice president. However, the Flores government was criticized for economic management failure, military mutiny, poor public works, increasing debt, and suppression of freedom, and in 1833, a revolt led by Vicente Rocafuerte and José Félix Valdivieso occurred. Afterwards, Flores and Rocafuerte worked together to suppress the rebellion, and in 1835, Rocafuerte became president and promoted liberal policies and the promotion of commerce. Flores returned to power in 1839, but his attempt to amend the constitution ('slave constitution') to ensure his long-term rule aroused opposition.

In 1832, the Galapagos Islands were officially incorporated into Ecuador. In 1845, the Marchista Revolution occurred in Guayaquil, overthrowing the Flores regime, and Vicente Ramon Roca became president, marking the beginning of the Marchista era. Afterwards, Diego Novoa, José Maria Urbina and others came to power, and Urbina abolished slavery . From 1858 to 1860, a dispute arose with Peru over a contract to provide land in the Amazon region to British creditors, and Peru occupied Guayaquil.

A civil war broke out in the country as several regional governments broke out, but Gabriel García Moreno and Flores worked together to defeat Guillermo Franco and reunify the country. García Moreno, who became president in 1860, changed the national flag to the current yellow, blue, and red tricolor and promoted road, education, and financial reforms while building a strong Catholic-centered state. He promoted modernization by establishing railroads, telegraphs, engineering colleges, astronomical observatories, and art schools, but he made many enemies through authoritarian rule and political oppression, and was assassinated in 1875. Antonio Borrero and Ignacio de Baintimilla later came to power, and Baintimilla's attempted dictatorship was overthrown by the civil war of 1882-1883 and the rebellion of Eloy Alfaro. After the establishment of the Restoration government, Jose Maria Placido Camano, Antonio Flores Gijon, and Luis Cordero Crespo became presidents one by one, and as anger against the government spread due to the flag sale incident in 1894, liberal forces grew significantly. Meanwhile, in 1884, the Camano government introduced the national currency 'Sucre', named after the independence war hero Antonio Sucre, and began using it as the official currency of Ecuador.

In the aftermath of the 1895 flag sale incident, President Luis Cordero resigned and was succeeded by Vice President Vicente Lucio Salasar. However, on June 5 of the same year, liberals occupied the military base in Guayaquil and declared Eloy Alfaro as supreme leader, marking the beginning of the liberal revolution. The progressive regime had weak public support and collapsed due to the flag sale incident, while the liberal government led by Alfaro promoted secularism and modernization, including completing the construction of the Guayaquil-Quito railway. However, Alfaro also restricted political freedom, came into conflict with the faction within the party led by Leonidas Plaza, and was eventually murdered in 1912. From 1912 to 1925, economic liberalism was strengthened, the influence of banks and financial elites increased, and inflation and social discontent increased. Accordingly, young soldiers started the Juliana Revolution in 1925, and the government of Isidro Ayora implemented economic reforms, including the establishment of a central bank, integration of currency issuance rights, and reform of the budget and tariff system. On November 15, 1922, a general workers' strike occurred in Guayaquil, and the government mobilized the military to suppress it, resulting in a 'worker massacre' in which dozens to hundreds of workers were killed.

After the 1930s, populist leader José María Velasco became a central figure in politics and served as president five times. In 1941, Peru invaded Ecuador, sparking the Ecuadorian-Peruvian War , and after its defeat, Ecuador was forced to acknowledge its territorial issues by signing the Rio Protocol . Velasco promoted road and education projects, but was repeatedly deposed and reinstated in coups. In 1949, the Great Ambato Earthquake occurred, killing approximately 6,000 people and destroying several cities, including Ambato and Pelileo.

In the 1960s and 1970s, a pro-American military regime emerged during the Cold War. In 1963, a military government led by Ramon Castro Gijon came to power. In 1972, the military severed ties with President Velasco, and Guillermo Rodriguez became president. Oil development also began in earnest, promising land reform. However, even as oil revenues increased, land reform was sluggish. He stepped down in 1976, and the Supreme Council, chaired by Naval Commander Poveida, took power. Eventually, it became democratized in 1979 .

However, the first presidential president, Himetrollos, after democratization, began to show an ominous sign of an incident in 1981 , and in 1982, Ecuador was swept away during the Latin American Foreign Affairs crisis . In the end, he was forced to get bailouts from the IMF , and the low oil price, which was held since 1986 , the earthquake in 1987 , and the actual recession of about dozens of high inflation and wage levels, and the worst period of the economically. I sent it. In 1988, the Democratic left -handed Rodrigor Borha was elected, but the economic policy did not change, and the disappointment of the citizens deepened. In the mid -1990s , with some immunity in the continuous economic crisis, Ecuador's economy wanted to find a stability on the surface, but the gap between the rich and the poor became intensifying.

Meanwhile, Abdallah Bukaram, an Arab politician from Lebanon , was elected in the 1996 presidential election , but his frequent misbehavior[8] 1997 In February , he was dismissed due to incompetence and corruption, and the foreign exchange crisis of 1997 led to economic and political chaos, with four presidents, including Abdallah Bucaram, resigning mid-term and three interim presidents taking their place.[9] Lucio Gutierrez was elected in 2002, but he also threw away his promises and was impeached in 2005 due to complaints about corruption . Afterwards, Alfredo Palacio served as president. In the 2006 presidential election, he was a leftist (Rafael Correa) who advocated anti -Americanism and political stability.[10] ) The regime came to power. Although President Rafael Correa was diplomatically anti-American, stopping discussions on FTA negotiations with the United States and being friendly with Venezuela , he participated in the development of an education system improvement program under the support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) when he was young, and studied economics in the United States. economics I have experience in obtaining a doctoral degree. However, the University of Illinois/Urbana-Champaign campus where he studied The economics department itself has a stance that is almost completely opposite to that of neoliberalism , represented by the so-called Chicago School. He also has a connection with economist Jang Ha- jun. While studying abroad in the U.S., he was taught by Ha-Jun Jang, and there is even an episode where he says he was greatly impressed by reading his book, “ Kicking the Ladder, ” and thanks to this, his economic policies are surprisingly influenced by Korea. However, it does not receive much attention from the Korean media.[11]

Although Rafael Correa did not particularly try to borrow while serving in office, he eventually declared default on the grounds that he had borrowed debt, and his credit rating fell significantly. However, he was able to write off a significant amount of foreign debt, and as he regularly repaid other debts, the economic level recovered to the point where he was able to issue government bonds again in 2014 . In addition, it has achieved results in poverty relief, expansion of the middle class, education reform, improvement in employment quality, reduction of unemployment rate, suppression of inflation, improvement of the status of indigenous people, expansion of social infrastructure, and improvement of public security.[12] Although he receives a lot of support, he is also criticized for showing an authoritarian side, such as confiscating and nationalizing private broadcasting stations that are critical of him due to the corruption of their management, putting pressure on them by filing large-scale lawsuits against the media, and trying to redo development of the Amazon region, where development had been postponed for environmental preservation, on the grounds of oil development .

In any case, many reforms were implemented during the first term in power, which led to fierce opposition from the opposition and vested interests. 2010 On October 1 , police officers rioted, dissatisfied with a bill to reduce welfare benefits for civil servants. The police mob, including some soldiers, captured Ecuador's President Rafael Correa, detained him in a police hospital for more than 12 hours, and took over various government offices, creating chaos that was almost like a coup . The process of how the President was detained is a bit funny. When the President came to give a speech to them , tear gas was fired, and it exploded next to the President, so they had to take him to the hospital for treatment. However, he ended up being taken to the police hospital , where he was surrounded by excited police officers. In the end, a shootout broke out between the military and police who had been dispatched to rescue President Correa, resulting in two deaths and numerous casualties. The president was rescued, and military units were deployed to subdue the police forces.

Afterwards, things quieted down, and Ecuador's internal affairs became stable after President Rafael Correa's third term. In particular, there is significant support from the poor, working class, and some middle classes. The reason is that after stabilizing his base, he put all his effort into expanding internal infrastructure and alleviating the poor, building and expanding roads, expanding telephone and internet networks, and strengthening public security. Additionally, the middle class increased significantly through relief for the poor.[13] There are a lot of wealthy people, so overall security is good, except for the Guayaquil region, where President Correa's power is weak. Anyway, perhaps thanks to this, it was ranked 2nd in the 2016 Xpart Insider Report as the best country for foreigners to live in. However, since the survey itself was conducted before the earthquake occurred, it may be slightly different now.

2019 On October 4, protests broke out in Ecuador due to the abolition of fuel subsidies, and 230 people were arrested as chaos erupted for two days. # And although extreme political chaos is occurring, the Ecuadorian government claims that it is a coup attempt. # The president is refusing to step down. # Additionally, as indigenous people also participate in the protests, the protests are growing and putting pressure on the Moreno government. # It is said that in order to control the chaos, a curfew was imposed on the capital Quito and surrounding areas, and military control was ordered. #

In the end , the government of Lenin Moreno accepted the demands of the protesters and put an end to it. #

2021 On February 7 , the presidential election was held. # In the first round of voting, Andres Araus, supported by Correa, received 32.7% of the votes, Guillermo Lasso , a right-wing candidate , received 19.7%, and other left-wing candidates Yaku Perez and Javier Ervas received 19.4% and 15.4% of the votes. In the first round of voting, the left had the upper hand, but Correa's relationship with other left-wing candidates was very bad, and in the end, Candidate Lasso won in the runoff election, resulting in a change of government between the ruling and opposition parties. #

2022 On February 17 , the Ecuadorian National Assembly passed a bill allowing early pregnancy abortions in cases of pregnancy resulting from sexual assault, with 75 votes in favor to 41 against, with 14 abstentions. #

2023 On May 17 , when the National Assembly pushed for the impeachment of the President on corruption charges, President Lasso voluntarily resigned from his position and dissolved the National Assembly in accordance with Article 148 of the Constitution. This is called accompanying death, and the presidential and general elections will be held again within the year, and the elected president and National Assembly members will serve the remainder of their terms (in 2025). May ) is filled. #

Ahead of the presidential election, an incident occurred in which Fernando Villavicencio, a candidate from the opposition 'Construction Movement', was attacked by a gunman and died . #

In April 2024, when former Vice President Jorge Glass, who was suspected of embezzlement, took refuge in the Mexican embassy, ​​armed forces were sent to the Mexican embassy and arrested, ignoring extraterritoriality. Due to this, Mexico announced the severance of diplomatic ties, and neighboring countries also began to criticize. #

The Andes Mountains run through this country from north to south. When you hear that the rugged Andes Mountains run across it, at first glance you might think that the country is divided into east and west and the population is distributed, but since it is a country located on the equator, the high mountain areas have a more suitable climate for living, so the middle slopes of the Andes Mountains have a high population density.[14] The capital, Quito (2850m above sea level), is also located halfway up this mountain range. As you go higher above sea level, there are snowy mountains on the highest peaks that are covered in snow all year round, and there are also quite a few active volcanoes . The highest peak, Mount Chimborazo (6263m above sea level), is the furthest point from the center of the Earth . The reason why it is here and not Everest is because this country is near the equator, and the Earth is not a perfect sphere but an oval shape with the equator slightly bulging .

The Galápagos Islands, where Charles Darwin wrote the theory of evolution , are the territory of this country. However, it is not near the mainland of this country, and it is a little farther to the west from the mainland of this country.

It has a diverse natural environment, from the Andes Mountains to the jungle, the sea, and the Galapagos Islands, and is home to jaguars , pumas , ocelots , tapirs , anteaters , spectacled bears , and monkeys.[15] A variety of wild animals such as sloths , condors , hummingbirds , parrots , Andean foxes , iguanas , caiman crocodiles , turtles , seals , sharks , dolphins , and frigate birds are distributed and inhabit . Currently, national parks have been designated throughout Ecuador, including mainland Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, to preserve the habitats of these wild animals and plants. In particular, 97% of the entire island area of ​​the Galapagos Islands is a national park.

Due to their location across the equator, coastal cities have a tropical climate (Am/Aw) or warm semi-arid climate (BSh), while cities in the middle of the Andes Mountains have a tropical alpine climate (Cfb). The annual temperature difference is very small, and it should be assumed that the temperature remains the same throughout the year. The eastern part of the Andes Mountains, unlike the western part, has a tropical rainforest climate and is an area with dense jungle (part of Amazonia (Amazon rainforest)).

In the case of the Galápagos Islands, various climates are mixed, and it looks like an oily puddle .

The temperature is not very high for the equator to penetrate the center. This is the result of complex causes, such as the Chilean Wave, which is often visited, as well as the alpine climate in the middle of the Andes . The center of the Andes, where the Andes passes, seems to be boring when the temperature drops below freezing because of the altitude . #[16]

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There is no holiday in June , July , and September[17] In February , March , and April , public holidays have disappeared and disappeared. In addition, some public holidays, such as Labor Day , are covered by holidays, and weekdays are also rested on holidays. As an exception, Christmas does not apply a holiday carryover system. Ecuador is also a public holiday on October 9th .

Since 2018, December 31st is a public holiday in Ecuador .

Currently, it is considered one of the countries with the worst security in Central and South America, along with Honduras .

Clearly, security was relatively good in South America until 2024.[18] Because the income level is not very low and the natural environment is quite good, it is often ranked as a good place for retired immigrants to live.[19] However, starting in 2024, gangsters declared war on the government and public security deteriorated dramatically, making it a thing of the past to say that public security was at least good. Although it was once considered a safer and more travelable place than its neighbors Venezuela and Colombia , it now has a murder crime rate that exceeds both countries. # Ten people were killed in a gang attack, a bombing occurred in front of the Supreme Court Chief Justice's home, and gunmen broke into a TV station. In addition, Jose Adolfo Macias, the leader of the Los Choneros gang , the largest drug cartel in Ecuador, escaped from prison and President Novoa declared a national emergency. #

The fundamental reason is that Ecuador emerged as a drug transshipment hub, and drugs from Colombia or Peru began to pass through Ecuador and spread throughout the world. Drug cartels are exerting considerable power, and conflict between Ecuadorian gangs fighting over drug interests is also serious. # The fundamental cause of this division is former President Rafael Correa . During his time in office, Rafael Correa, who was an anti-American president, closed down U.S. military bases that were used to transport drugs, adopted a policy of tolerance for gangs, and signed a peace agreement, opening the foundation for them to grow into legitimate political forces and large cartels. As a result, from the latter half of his term, Ecuador was reduced to the largest drug trafficking base in South America, and the murder rate exploded thereafter. It led to a terrible collapse of security between 2023 and 2024.

Even the drug cartels were killed by the gang attacked by the prosecutor who investigated the invasion of TV stations with weapons. # The gang member carries the anti -tank rocket and sees the police car and shoots immediately. #

However, as time passed, the Ecuadorian government became more and more annoyed by the cartel's actions that had crossed the line, mobilizing all Ecuadorian armed police and regular troops, including explosion-proof armored vehicles, reconnaissance and attack helicopters, and began deploying large-scale regular warfare troops, including anti-terrorist special forces, for sweep operations. Prisons and broadcasting stations were recaptured, and extensive searches were being made of the gangsters' drug stashes, finding not only money but also facilities. In addition, the United States was originally a thorn in the side of South American drug cartels, but the Ecuadorian government was so annoyed that it took care of the eradication operation on its own, so the United States welcomed them and provided Ecuador with military equipment.

However, the Galapagos Islands, which are still a tourist destination far from the mainland, have very good security, but it is best to be careful because the security in Guayaquil, a city you must visit to get there, is currently ranked as one of the world's worst cities .

From the late 1990s to the mid -2000s , the economy was not good, so the security was not good, so it was not so good to be a reflection of everyday life to be pickpocketed in the city or by the guns in the daytime, but since the mid -2000s, the economic situation since the late 2000s This improved to some extent, and the security was improved. But basically, it's much poorer than East Asian countries, so even if there are few violent crimes, there are noble crimes such as pickpockets, so be careful.

In 2013 , a Japanese newly married couple who stopped by Guayakil to visit the Galapagos Islands were killed by a gang. #

24 people were killed in prison in Ecuador, causing a collision between gangs. #

As the government of Ecuador becomes unstable, the gap is becoming stronger, and the gang is becoming stronger and the shooting and murder are frequent. #

2023 On August 9, an incident occurred in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, where a leading opposition candidate running for early presidential elections was shot dead by an assailant at a campaign rally . 'Surprise second place' Ecuadorian presidential candidate killed by gunman during election campaign

On October 17, 2023, a disabled person in a wheelchair with a crime department in Portoby Eve was killed by a gun during a live talk. #

As for religion, most of the population (93.1%) is Christian , and Catholicism accounts for the absolute majority (80.4% of the total population). The number of Protestants (11.3%) is not negligible, as in other Central and South American countries, and there are also a small number of Jehovah's Witnesses. Like many places in South America, it is home to a significant number of German immigrants, with over 400,000 descendants living here. Like other South American countries, Italians also immigrate, so there are a significant number of Italian immigrants. Arab immigrants are also increasing day by day, with about 110,000 people living there (Abdallah Bukaram, above, is an Arab politician), and even a small Islamic city has been created. On the contrary , perhaps because the perception of Jews is not good, a 2008 survey showed that there were less than 600 Jews living there.

The official language is Spanish . Ecuador's Spanish, like other Latin American countries, has some differences from Spanish mainland, but it is still a Spanish -speaking Spanish in Latin America with Colombia and Peru. Ecuador is also speaking of some of the native languages, including Keua .

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Football is a popular sport. In the capital city of Quito, on international match days, people wear Ecuadorian jerseys everywhere on the streets and at schools (the street in front of Quicentro, the largest department store, is a yellow paradise), and restaurants and bars use all their TV screens to show football matches between Ecuador and other countries.

The level of soccer is also in the upper-middle world, so it is not easy. Although it is less noticeable due to the abundance of powerhouses such as Brazil and Argentina on the South American continent, excellent players often appear, including Alberto Spencer , one of the best players of the 1960s, Antonio Valencia , who played for Manchester United FC , and Moises Caicedo, who is recently evaluated as the top defensive midfielder in the EPL in the early and mid-2020s . For more details, refer to the Ecuador national soccer team section.

The famous football club is Barcelona SC . As you can see from the name, it is named after the founder's hometown, Barcelona. Among the cities in Spanish-speaking Central and South American countries, there are many cities in Spain that also have Latin American names. Valencia is one such case.

Referee Biron Moreno, who left a strong impression in the match between Korea and Italy during the 2002 World Cup, is from Ecuador.

This is also a country where people ride bicycles well. Ineos' Richard Carapaz is from this country. However, it is not very famous among the general public, so it is the opposite of Colombia where people ride bicycles as they have none.

He is also quite prominent in mixed martial arts , and representative athletes include Marlon Vera and Michael Morales .

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