History and Demographics of Ecuador

Ecuador is a country full of many different people, with a rich but complicated history. The main ethnic groups of Ecuador include: indigenous language speakers,often referred to as indigenous peoples or amerindians, Mestizos,people of mixed indigenous and European descent, and Europeans. In Ecuador, people often choose their own ethnicity (most consider themselves mestizo), and tend to identify with their region of birth, as mestizo culture is regionalized. There are about a million Indigenous-language speakers around Ecuador, most of whom live in the Sierra and speak Quichua, a dialect of Quechua. Religion in Ecuador is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, as the country was colonized by Spain. Protestantism is growing fast among the disadvantaged, and there is a sizable Mormon population, along with a small Jewish population (mostly in Quito).

 

As for history, before the late 1400’s, Ecuador was divided up into large indigenous groups that were supported by raised-field cultivation systems. There were advanced trade networks that spanned what is now the entire country and more. In the late 15th century, the Incan king, Topa Inca Yupanqui, began a conquest into modern day Ecuador. This conquest was extended by his son, Huayna Capac. After Huayna Capac’s death, civil war erupted between his two sons, Atahualpa and Huascar. In 1534, the Spanish conquistador Fransisco Pizarro and his lieutenant Sebastian de Benalcázar conquered Ecuador. The Spanish were welcomed as liberators by some (who opposed Inca rule) and were met with resistance from others. After 300 years, the first real uprising against Spanish rule happened in Quito in 1809. In 1822, two liberators, Simón Boliívar and Antonio Jose de Sucre, invaded Ecuador from Colombia. On May 24, Sucre won the battle of Pichincha, which assured independence for Ecuador. Ecuador then became a part of the nation of Gran Colombia, which was an early Southern-American union. It consisted of what is now Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. In 1830 There is currently concern about safety in Ecuador, because of gang violence and drug trade. Overall, Ecuador has had a somewhat turbulent history and the country has overcome a lot.

 

Homero Pozo Vélez, and Murdo J MacLeod. “Ecuador | History, Flag, Capital, Map, Currency, Population, Language, & Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 July 1999, www.britannica.com/place/Ecuador/Agriculture-forestry-and-fishing. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

‌