Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II Prime minister: Portia Simpson-Miller
President: Rafael Correa
Population
2,889,187
15,223,680
Life Expectancy
73.430 years
75.940 years
Capital City
Kingston
Quito
Largest city
Kingston (population: 937,700)
Guayaquil (population: 1,952,030)
Human Development Index
0.771
0.807
GDP per capita
$9,100 US
$8,600 US
Literacy Rate
87.9%
91%
Corruption Perception Index
3.1
2
Percentage of Women in Parliament
13.6%
25%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
12.700%
4.200%
Death Penalty
Legal
Abolished
Political System
constitutional parliamentary democracy
republic
Independence date
6 August 1962 (from UK)
24 May 1822 (from Spain)
Religions
Protestant 62.5% (Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, Pentecostal 9.5%, Other Church of God 8.3%, Baptist 7.2%, New Testament Church of God 6.3%, Church of God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of God of Prophecy 4.3%, Anglican 3.6%, other Christian 7.7%), Roman Catholic 2.6%, other or unspecified 14.2%, none 20.9%, (2001 census)
Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%
Languages
English, English patois
Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)