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Compare Ecuador (2008) - Samoa (2003)

Compare Ecuador (2008) z Samoa (2003)

 Ecuador (2008)Samoa (2003)
 EcuadorSamoa
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 11 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga, Gaga'emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga, Va'a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano
Age structure 0-14 years: 32.6% (male 2,282,319/female 2,196,685)


15-64 years: 62.3% (male 4,271,848/female 4,301,149)


65 years and over: 5.1% (male 330,302/female 373,377) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 29.4% (male 26,613; female 25,715)


15-64 years: 64.6% (male 72,135; female 42,903)


65 years and over: 6.1% (male 4,980; female 5,827) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products bananas, coffee, cocoa, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca), plantains, sugarcane; cattle, sheep, pigs, beef, pork, dairy products; balsa wood; fish, shrimp coconuts, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, cocoa
Airports 406 (2007) 4 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 104


over 3,047 m: 4


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 17


914 to 1,523 m: 26


under 914 m: 54 (2007)
total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


under 914 m: 2 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 302


914 to 1,523 m: 34


under 914 m: 268 (2007)
total: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Area total: 283,560 sq km


land: 276,840 sq km


water: 6,720 sq km


note: includes Galapagos Islands
total: 2,944 sq km


land: 2,934 sq km


water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Nevada slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Background What is now Ecuador formed part of the northern Inca Empire until the Spanish conquest in 1533. Quito became a seat of Spanish colonial government in 1563 and part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717. The territories of the Viceroyalty - New Granada (Colombia), Venezuela, and Quito - gained their independence between 1819 and 1822 and formed a federation known as Gran Colombia. When Quito withdrew in 1830, the traditional name was changed in favor of the "Republic of the Equator." Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border war with Peru that flared in 1995 was resolved in 1999. Although Ecuador marked 25 years of civilian governance in 2004, the period has been marred by political instability. Protests in Quito have contributed to the mid-term ouster of Ecuador's last three democratically elected Presidents. New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western" from its name in 1997.
Birth rate 21.91 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 15.41 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $13.1 billion


expenditures: planned $11.3 billion (2007 est.)
revenues: $105 million


expenditures: $119 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001/2002)
Capital name: Quito


geographic coordinates: 0 13 S, 78 30 W


time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Apia
Climate tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to October)
Coastline 2,237 km 403 km
Constitution 10 August 1998 1 January 1962
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador


conventional short form: Ecuador


local long form: Republica del Ecuador


local short form: Ecuador
conventional long form: Independent State of Samoa


conventional short form: Samoa


former: Western Samoa
Currency - tala (SAT)
Death rate 4.21 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 6.41 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $17.56 billion (31 October 2007) $197 million (2000)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Linda L. JEWELL


embassy: Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida Patria, Quito


mailing address: APO AA 34039


telephone: [593] (2) 256-2890


FAX: [593] (2) 250-2052


consulate(s) general: Guayaquil
chief of mission: the Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Samoa


embassy: Vailima


mailing address: P. O. Box 3430, Apia


telephone: [685] 21631/22696


FAX: [685] 22030
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Luis Benigno GALLEGOS Chiriboga


chancery: 2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009


telephone: [1] (202) 234-7200


FAX: [1] (202) 667-3482


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Jersey City (New Jersey), Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Washington, DC
chief of mission: Ambassador Feturi ELISAIA


chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017


telephone: [1] (212) 599-6196, 6197


FAX: [1] (212) 599-0797
Disputes - international organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia penetrate across Ecuador's shared border, which thousands of Colombians also cross to escape the violence in their home country none; note - some EEZ demarcations, including the one with American Samoa, are undefined
Economic aid - recipient $209.5 million (2005) $42.9 million (1995)
Economy - overview Ecuador is substantially dependent on its petroleum resources, which have accounted for more than half of the country's export earnings and one-fourth of public sector revenues in recent years. In 1999/2000, Ecuador suffered a severe economic crisis, with GDP contracted by more than 6%, with a significant increase in poverty. The banking system also collapsed, and Ecuador defaulted on its external debt later that year. In March 2000, Congress approved a series of structural reforms that also provided for the adoption of the US dollar as legal tender. Dollarization stabilized the economy, and positive growth returned in the years that followed, helped by high oil prices, remittances, and increased non-traditional exports. From 2002-2006 the economy grew 5.5%, the highest five-year average in 25 years. The poverty rate declined but remained high at 38% in 2006. In 2006 the government of Alfredo PALACIO (2005-07) seized the assets of Occidental Petroleum for alleged contract violations and imposed a windfall revenue tax on foreign oil companies, leading to the suspension of free trade negotiations with the US. These measures, combined with chronic underinvestment in the state oil company, Petroecuador, led to a drop in petroleum production in 2007. PALACIO's successor, Rafael CORREA, raised the specter of debt default - but Ecuador has paid its debt on time. He also decreed a higher windfall revenue tax on private oil companies, then sought to renegotiate their contracts to overcome the debilitating effect of the tax. This generated economic uncertainty; private investment has dropped and economic growth has slowed significantly. The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, family remittances from overseas, and agriculture and fishing. The country is vulnerable to devastating storms. Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force, and furnishes 90% of exports, featuring coconut cream, coconut oil, and copra. The manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. The decline of fish stocks in the area is a continuing problem. Tourism is an expanding sector, accounting for 25% of GDP; about 88,000 tourists visited the islands in 2001. The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline, meantime protecting the environment. Observers point to the flexibility of the labor market as a basic strength for future economic advances. Foreign reserves are in a relatively healthy state, the external debt is stable, and inflation is low.
Electricity - consumption 8.855 billion kWh (2005) 97.74 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 16 million kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 1.723 billion kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 12.94 billion kWh (2005) 105.1 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 58%


hydro: 42%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Chimborazo 6,267 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mauga Silisili 1,857 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution; pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas of the Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands soil erosion, deforestation, invasive species, overfishing
Environment - international agreements party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish and others 7%, black 3% Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7% (persons of European and Polynesian blood), Europeans 0.4%
Exchange rates 1 the US dollar is used; the sucre was eliminated in 2000 tala per US dollar - 3.37 (2002), 3.48 (2001), 3.29 (2000), 3.01 (1999), 2.95 (1998)
Executive branch chief of state: President Rafael CORREA Delgado (since 15 January 2007); Vice President Lenin MORENO Garces (since 15 January 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Rafael CORREA Delgado (since 15 January 2007); Vice President Lenin MORENO Garces (since 15 January 2007)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president


elections: the president and vice president are elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a four-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 15 October 2006 with a runoff election on 26 November 2006 (next to be held in October 2010)


election results: Rafael CORREA Delgado elected president; percent of vote - Rafael CORREA Delgado 56.7%; Alvaro NOBOA 43.3%
chief of state: Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA (cochief of state from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole chief of state 5 April 1963)


head of government: Prime Minister Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA (since 1996); note - TUILA'EPA served as deputy prime minister from 1992 until he assumed the prime ministership in 1996, when former Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana resigned in poor health; TUILA'EPA was confirmed as prime minister after TOFILAU died; the post of deputy prime minister is currently vacant


cabinet: Cabinet consists of 12 members, appointed by the chief of state with the prime minister's advice


elections: upon the death of Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA, a new chief of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the chief of state with the approval of the Legislative Assembly
Exports 420,600 bbl/day (2004 est.) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities petroleum, bananas, cut flowers, shrimp, cacao, coffee, hemp, wood, fish fish, coconut oil and cream, copra, taro, automotive parts, garments, beer
Exports - partners US 53.6%, Peru 8.2%, Colombia 5.6%, Chile 4.4% (2006) Australia 66.1%, US 10%, Japan 3.7% (2002)
Fiscal year calendar year June 1 - May 31
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, which is shorter and does not bear a coat of arms red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation
GDP - purchasing power parity - $1 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 10%


industry: 35%


services: 54% (2007 est.)
agriculture: 14%


industry: 23%


services: 63% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $5,600 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 2.6% (2007 est.) 5% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 2 00 S, 77 30 W 13 35 S, 172 20 W
Geography - note Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world occupies an almost central position within Polynesia
Heliports 1 (2007) -
Highways - total: 790 km


paved: 332 km


unpaved: 458 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2%


highest 10%: 35%


note: data for urban households only (October 2006)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs significant transit country for cocaine originating in Colombia and Peru, with over half of the US-bound cocaine passing through Ecuadorian Pacific waters; importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics; attractive location for cash-placement by drug traffickers laundering money because of dollarization and weak anti-money-laundering regime; increased activity on the northern frontier by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents -
Imports 44,680 bbl/day (2004) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities industrial materials, fuels and lubricants, nondurable consumer goods machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs
Imports - partners US 23.1%, Colombia 13.3%, Brazil 7.3%, Panama 4% (2006) New Zealand 23.3%, Fiji 20.2%, Australia 15.7%, Japan 13.1%, Taiwan 6.4%, US 4.2% (2002)
Independence 24 May 1822 (from Spain) 1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)
Industrial production growth rate 1.4% (2007 est.) 2.8% (2000)
Industries petroleum, food processing, textiles, wood products, chemicals food processing, building materials, auto parts
Infant mortality rate total: 22.1 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 26.5 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 17.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 29.73 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 34.98 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 24.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3.3% (2007 est.) 4% (2001 est.)
International organization participation CAN, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 2 (2000)
Irrigated land 8,650 sq km (2003) NA sq km
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (according to the Constitution, new justices are elected by the full Supreme Court; in December 2004, however, Congress successfully replaced the entire court via a simple-majority resolution) Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Land and Titles Court
Labor force 4.55 million (urban) (2007 est.) 90,000 (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 8%


industry: 24%


services: 68% (2001)
NA
Land boundaries total: 2,010 km


border countries: Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 5.71%


permanent crops: 4.81%


other: 89.48% (2005)
arable land: 19.43%


permanent crops: 23.67%


other: 56.9% (1998 est.)
Languages Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua) Samoan (Polynesian), English
Legal system based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on English common law and local customs; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (100 seats; members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 15 October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRIAN 28; PSP 24; PSC 13; ID 7; PRE 6; MUPP-NP 6; RED 5; UDC 5; other 6; note - defections by members of National Congress are commonplace, resulting in frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the various parties; as of 29 November 2007, Congress is on indefinite recess
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (49 seats - 47 elected by voters affiliated with traditional village-based electoral districts, 2 elected by independent, mostly Eurasian, voters who cannot, (or choose not to) establish a village affiliation; only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to the Fono; members serve five-year terms)


elections: election last held 3 March 2001 (next election to be held not later than March 2006)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - HRPP 30, SNDP 13, independents 6
Life expectancy at birth total population: 76.62 years


male: 73.74 years


female: 79.63 years (2007 est.)
total population: 70.11 years


male: 67.35 years


female: 73 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 91%


male: 92.3%


female: 89.7% (2001 census)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99.7%


male: 99.6%


female: 99.7% (2003 est.)
Location Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Map references South America Oceania
Maritime claims territorial sea: 200 nm


continental shelf: 100 nm from 2,500 meter isobath
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine total: 33 ships (1000 GRT or over) 190,931 GRT/306,280 DWT


by type: chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger 8, petroleum tanker 22, specialized tanker 1


foreign-owned: 2 (Philippines 1, US 1)


registered in other countries: 3 (China 1, Panama 2) (2007)
total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) 7,091 GRT/8,127 DWT


ships by type: cargo 1


note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 1 (2002 est.)
Military - note - Samoa has no formal defense structure or regular armed forces; informal defense ties exist with NZ, which is required to consider any Samoan request for assistance under the 1962 Treaty of Friendship
Military branches Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry, Naval Aviation, Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana, FAE) (2007) no regular armed services; Samoa Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.8% (2006) NA%
National holiday Independence Day (independence of Quito), 10 August (1809) Independence Day Celebration, 1 June (1962); note - 1 January 1962 is the date of independence from the New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship, 1 June 1962 is the date that independence is celebrated
Nationality noun: Ecuadorian(s)


adjective: Ecuadorian
noun: Samoan(s)


adjective: Samoan
Natural hazards frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts occasional typhoons; active volcanism
Natural resources petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower hardwood forests, fish, hydropower
Net migration rate -2.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -11.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines extra heavy crude oil 578 km; gas 71 km; oil 1,389 km; refined products 1,185 km (2007) -
Political parties and leaders Alianza PAIS Movement [Rafael Vicente CORREA Delgado]; Christian Democratic Union or UDC [Diego ORDONEZ Guerrero]; Concentration of Popular Forces or CFP; Democratic Left or ID [Andres PAEZ Benalcazar]; Ethical and Democratic Network or RED [Leon ROLDOS]; National Action Institutional Renewal Party or PRIAN [Alvaro NOBOA]; Pachakutik Plurinational Unity Movement - New Country or MUPP-NP [Gilberto TALAHUA]; Patriotic Society Party or PSP [Lucio GUTIERREZ Borbua]; Popular Democratic Movement or MPD [Ciro GUZMAN Aldaz]; Roldosist Party or PRE [Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz, director]; Social Christian Party or PSC [Pascual DEL CIOPPO]; Socialist Party - Broad Front or PS-FA [Gustavo AYALA Cruz] Christian Democratic Party [leader NA]; Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA, chairman]; Samoa All People's Party or SAPP [Matatumua MAIMOANA]; Samoan National Development Party or SNDP [LE MAMEA Ropati, chairman] (opposition); Samoa National Party [FETU Tiatia, party secretary]; Samoan Progressive Conservative Party [LEOTA Ituau Ale]; Samoan United Independents Party or SUIP [Dr. Saleimoa VAAI]
Political pressure groups and leaders Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or CONAIE [Luis MACAS, president]; Coordinator of Social Movements or CMS [F. Napoleon SANTOS]; Federation of Indigenous Evangelists of Ecuador or FEINE [Marco MURILLO, president]; National Federation of Indigenous Afro-Ecuatorianos and Peasants or FENOCIN [Pedro DE LA CRUZ, president] NA
Population 13,755,680 (July 2007 est.) 178,173 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 38.3% (2006) NA%
Population growth rate 1.554% (2007 est.) -0.27% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors - Apia, Asau, Mulifanua, Salelologa
Radio broadcast stations AM 392, FM 35, shortwave 29 (2001) AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways total: 966 km


narrow gauge: 966 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)
0 km
Religions Roman Catholic 95%, other 5% Christian 99.7% (about one-half of population associated with the London Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Latter-Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.039 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.993 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.885 male(s)/female


total population: 1.002 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.68 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female


total population: 1.39 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal, compulsory for literate persons ages 18-65, optional for other eligible voters 21 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: generally elementary but being expanded


domestic: fixed-line services provided by three state-owned enterprises; plans to transfer the state-owned operators to private ownership have repeatedly failed; fixed-line density stands at about 13 per 100 persons; mobile cellular use has surged and has a subscribership of nearly 65 per 100 persons


international: country code - 593; landing point for the PAN-AM submarine telecommunications cable that provides links to the west coast of South America, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, and extending onward to Aruba and the US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
general assessment: adequate


domestic: NA


international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 1.754 million (2006) 8,183 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular 8.485 million (2006) 1,545 (February 1998)
Television broadcast stations 7 (plus 14 repeaters) (2000) 2 (2002)
Terrain coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente) narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior
Total fertility rate 2.63 children born/woman (2007 est.) 3.21 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 9.8% (2007 est.) NA%; note - substantial underemployment
Waterways 1,500 km (most inaccessible) (2006) none
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