History and Demographics of Ecuador

Ecuador has a population of 18,309,984 people, and it has a long and rich history. Ecuador was first settled in 2500 BCE by indigenous groups who made pottery and other ceramics. In the 1400s, Ecuador was separated into different civilizations that were usually at war with one another. The civilizations cultivated crops and built trade networks across the different terrains within Ecuador. Ecuador later was taken over by the Inca in the 1500s. The Incas built many road networks and established the first major towns and cities. Ecuador was later conquered and colonized by the Spanish and Spanish culture was spread by the Catholic Church and Spanish colonists. Much of the population died of diseases introduced by the Spanish, and the main industry was textile-making.

 

Simon Bolivar and his lieutenant Antonio Jose de Sucre helped liberate Ecuador from Spanish rule, winning key battles in Pichincha, a town outside of Quito, to gain independence in 1822. It was part of the union between the countries that Simon Bolivar had liberated called Gran Colombia, but in 1830, Ecuador left Gran Colombia because of its rivalries with other members of the alliance. Shortly after, Ecuador elected its first president, Juan Jose Flores.