Ecuador's population is ethnically diverse. Mestizos (those of mixed Spanish and Amerindian ancestry) are by far the largest of all ethnic groups and constitute over 65 per cent of the current population. Amerindians are second in numbers and account for approximately a quarter of the people, around 25%. Whites/Caucasians are mainly criollos, unmixed descendants of Spanish colonist, and account for 7% of the Ecuadorian population. A small minority of Afro-Ecuadorians, including Mulattos and zambos, constitute the remainder. Many migrants especially from Peru, Bolivia and Colombia have moved here since there are better pay for them in Ecuador. Mestizo (Portuguese, Mestiço; French, Métis: from Late Latin mixticius, from Latin mixtus, past participle of miscere, to mix) is a term of Spanish origin used to designate the people of mixed European and indigenous non-European ancestry. ... Native Americans (also Indians, Aboriginal Peoples, American Indians, First Nations, Alaskan Natives, or Indigenous Peoples of America) are the indigenous inhabitants of The Americas prior to the European colonization, and their modern descendants. ... In the Spanish colonial caste system (castas), a criollo was a person of unmixed Spanish ancestry born in the colonies. ... The Afro-Ecuadorian culture is found in the northwest coastal region of Ecuador. ... Dame Kelly Holmes is half Black (Jamaican) and half White (English). ... A representation of Zambos in Pintura de Castas during the Latin American colonial period. ...

Nearly 500,000 Ecuadorians live in Spain and Italy each while several hundred thousand (estimates at 250,000) Ecuadorians live in the US (Ecuadorian Americans). One famous American of Ecuadorian descent is pop music vocalist Christina Aguilera. Other Ecuadorians migrated across Latin America, some tens of thousands went to Japan and a thousand in Australia. There is increased immigration from the Middle East, Asia (esp. being Chinese and Japanese), North America and Europe. 15,000 American expatriatess lived in Ecuador, while 10,000 from the European union states migrated to Ecuador. ^{[citation needed]} Christina María Aguilera (born December 18, 1980) is a four-time Grammy Award-winning American pop singer and songwriter. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ...

There is a small Jewish minority living in Ecuador over 1,000 people, mostly German and Italian descent. 32,000 German speakers in Ecuador, mainly are descendants of late 1800's immigration. An extremely small minority of Greeks lived there. A few hundred Arabs, mostly of Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian origin have a presence, most of them in Guayaquil, also home to South Asian groups (Indians and Pakistanis), which adds to Ecuador's colorful diversity. The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ... Map of South Asia (see note on Kashmir) South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is a southern geopolitical region of the Asian continent comprising territories on and in proximity to the Indian subcontinent. ...

Although Ecuadorians were most heavily concentrated in the mountainous Sierra (central highlands) region only a century ago, today's population is divided about equally between that area and the Costa (coastal lowlands) region. Migration toward cities -- particularly larger cities -- in all regions has increased the urban population to about 55%. Both Quito (the nation's capital)and Guayaquil are home to each over 1 million inhabitants, and where the majority of Ecuador's small but vibrant upper-and middle-class population.

The Oriente (amazonian jungle) region to the east of the mountains, and covering about half the country's land area, remains sparsely populated. It includes the headwaters of the Amazon River. It contains only about 3% of the population, many of whom are uninfluenced and unassimilated amazonian Native Americans who maintain their distance and caution from the recent mestizos and White settlers. There are nine indigenous peoples present: Quichua, Shuar, Achuar, Huaorani, Siona, Siona, Shiwiar, Záparo, and Cofan, all represented politically by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon, CONFENIAE. Quechua (also Runasimi language of people) is a Native American language of South America. ... Shuar, in the Shuar language, means people. ... Shuar, in the Shuar language, means people. ... The Huaorani, also known as Waorani, Waodani, or Auca (Quechua for savage), are an indigenous tribe of the Ecuadorian Oriente (in the Amazon region). ... The Siona people (also known as Sioni, Pioje, or Pioche-Sioni) are an indigenous ethnic group living in the Ecuadorian Amazon or Oriente (est. ... The Secoya people (also known as Angotero, Encabellao) are an indigenous ethnic group living in the Ecuadorian Amazon or Oriente (est. ... Zaparoan (also Sáparoan, Záparo, Zaparoano, Zaparoana) is a endangered language family of Peru and Ecuador with less than 700 speakers. ... The Cofán (also called Kofan, Kofane, or A’i) people are an indigenous people native to Napo Province northeast Ecuador and southern Colombia, between the Guamués River (a tributary of the Putumayo River) and the Aguaricó River (a tributary of the Napo River). ... CONFENAE (Confederacion de Nacionalidades de la Amazonia Ecuatoriana) or CONAIE: The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador. ...

The recent settlers are a result of the small immigration experienced here (mainly mestizo migrants from the Sierra) which occurred during and after the 1970s when government sponsored multinationals began to exploit petroleum reserves in the region. The industrial expansion, and subsequent settlement resulted in the boom of the town of Lago Agrio as well as substantial deforestation, indigenous population loss and the final disappearance of the Tetete people. Teteté is an endangered Tucanoan language spoken in Ecuador close to the Ecuador-Colombia border. ...

The public education system formerly was tuition-free but now people have to pay for education, and attendance is mandatory from ages 6 to 14. In practice, however, many children drop out before age 15, and, in rural areas only about one-third complete sixth grade. The government is striving to create better programs for the rural and urban poor, especially in technical and occupational training. In recent years, it also has been successful in reducing illiteracy. Enrollment in primary schools has been increasing at an annual rate of 4.4%--faster than the population growth rate. According to the 1979 constitution, the central government must allocate at least 30% of its revenue to education; in practice, however, it allots a much smaller percentage. Public universities have an open admissions policy. In recent years, however, large increases in the student population, budget difficulties, and extreme politicization of the university system have led to a decline in academic standards.

Population: 13,710,234 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.9% (male 2,430,303; female 2,351,166)
15-64 years: 60.6% (male 4,116,289; female 4,198,667)
65 years and over: 4.5% (male 284,082; female 329,727) (2003 est.)

Median Age:
Total: 22.5 years
Male: 22 years
Female: 23 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 1.91% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 24.94 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 5.29 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
Total: 31.97 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 26.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 37.28 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.89 years
male: 69.06 years
female: 74.86 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.99 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 20,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 232 (2001)

Nationality:
noun: Ecuadorian(s)
adjective: Ecuadorian

Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and Spanish) 65%, Amerindian 25%, white/Spanish and others (Chinese and Japanese) 7%, black/Afro-Ecuadorian 3%.

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant 4%, Jewish under 1%, Eastern Orthodox under 1%, Moslem (Islam) under 1%.

Languages: Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quichua).

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.5%
male: 94%
female: 91% (2003 est.)

See also : Ecuador