South America

Ecuador

History of Ecuador.The coastal section and the high Andean basins situated in modern day Ecuador, were populated by Indian tribes when the first Europeans reached the area’s Pacific coast in 1526. The Incan Empire extended over the highland area to an area near to Quito. The first Spanish settlement in Ecuador was established in 1534 at Quito on the site of an important Incan town of the same name. Another settlement was established four years later near the river Guayas in Guayaquil. Expeditions initiated by Francisco Pizarro, who discovered and occupied Peru, founded the settlements and extended Spanish rule over the highland basins and coastal lowlands. Ecuador was part of the Viceroyalty of Peru until 1740, when it was transferred to the Viceroyalty of New Granada (together with Colombia and Venezuela). With hardly any gold or silver, Ecuador did not draw many Europeans settlers throughout the Spanish colonial period, which lasted until 1822.

The first rebellion against Spanish rule took place in 1809, but only in 1822 did Ecuador gain independence as part of the Federation of Gran Colombia, from which it withdrew in 1830. A long period of conflict and instability followed, caused mainly by struggles between conservative and liberal elements, clerical and anticlerical movements and large landowners and owners of small farms and plantations. The country was run by dictators and the army played an important role in internal politics. During the first century of its independence, Ecuador had changed its constitutions 13 times and only a small number of its presidents had managed to serve a full four-year term.

The economic development associated with the cocoa boom at the end of the 19th and the first quarter of the 20th century helped to perk up and stabilize the country’s administration despite the recurrent turnover in rulers – 18 presidents between 1897 and 1934 and 25 presidents between 1934 and 1988.1

Ecuador People Groups from The Joshua Project

Ecuador. Data from The Joshua Project (https://www.joshuaproject.net)

People Reached Language Population Bible Religion Adherents Evangelical
Jew Spanish-speaking Unreached Spanish

600

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

0.0

0.0

Achuar Jivaro Minimally Reached Achuar-Shiwiar

7,200

New Testament Ethnic Religions

14.0

1.0

Arab Minimally Reached Arabic-North Levantine Spoken

3,000

Portions Completed Islam

22.0

1.0

Chachi Minimally Reached Chachi

11,000

New Testament Ethnic Religions

8.0

1.2

Embera-Saija Minimally Reached Epena

600

New Testament Ethnic Religions

40.0

1.5

Media Lengua Minimally Reached Media Lengua

3,200

Unspecified Ethnic Religions

15.0

0.4

Shuar Minimally Reached Shuar

71,000

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

10.0

0.5

Tsachila Minimally Reached Tsafiki

3,300

New Testament Ethnic Religions

40.0

1.2

Afro-Ecuadorian Superficially Reached Spanish

432,000

Complete Bible Christianity

96.0

0.5

Deaf Superficially Reached Ecuadorian Sign Language

89,000

Translation Started Christianity

94.5

Quichua Canar Highland Superficially Reached Quichua-Canar Highland

169,000

Complete Bible Christianity

96.0

2.0

Quichua Imbabura Highland Superficially Reached Quichua-Imbabura Highland

191,000

Complete Bible Christianity

96.0

2.0

Quichua Loja Highland Superficially Reached Quichua-Loja Highland

44,000

Portions Completed Christianity

90.0

1.0

Quichua Northern Pastaza Superficially Reached Quichua-Northern Pastaza

10,000

New Testament Christianity

98.0

2.0

Quichua Salasaca Highland Superficially Reached Quichua-Salasaca Highland

21,000

New Testament Christianity

90.0

1.0

Quichua Tena Lowland Superficially Reached Quichua-Tena Lowland

29,000

New Testament Christianity

90.0

2.0

British Partially Reached English

3,200

Complete Bible Christianity

60.0

8.0

Epera Partially Reached Spanish

500

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

8.0

4.0

German Partially Reached German-Standard

44,000

Complete Bible Christianity

64.0

2.1

Han Chinese Mandarin Partially Reached Chinese-Mandarin

19,000

Complete Bible Non-Religious

8.0

5.7

Norwegian Partially Reached Norwegian

13,000

Complete Bible Christianity

91.0

8.4

Quaiquer Partially Reached Awa-Cuaiquer

2,200

New Testament Christianity

65.0

4.0

Quichua Calderon Highland Partially Reached Quichua-Calderon Highland

51,000

Unspecified Christianity

99.0

4.0

Quichua Chimborazo Highland Partially Reached Quichua-Chimborazo Highland

1,000,000

Complete Bible Christianity

98.0

8.0

Quichua Lowland Napo Partially Reached Quichua-Napo

17,000

New Testament Christianity

90.0

6.0

Secoya Partially Reached Paicoca

500

New Testament Ethnic Religions

20.0

7.0

Siona Partially Reached Siona

600

New Testament Christianity

60.0

6.0

Tagaeri Partially Reached Waorani

30

New Testament Ethnic Religions

20.0

10.0

Taromenane Partially Reached Waorani

200

New Testament Ethnic Religions

15.0

10.0

Zambo Mulatto Partially Reached Spanish

477,000

Complete Bible Christianity

98.0

5.0

Zaporo Partially Reached Quichua-Chimborazo Highland

200

Complete Bible Christianity

65.0

10.0

Americans U.S. Significantly Reached English

89,000

Complete Bible Christianity

81.0

28.9

Ecuadorian Mestizo Significantly Reached Spanish

13,272,000

Complete Bible Christianity

94.0

11.6

Ecuadorian White Significantly Reached Spanish

1,746,000

Complete Bible Christianity

94.0

11.6

Kofan Significantly Reached Cofan

1,400

New Testament Ethnic Religions

40.0

30.0

Waorani Significantly Reached Waorani

2,700

New Testament Ethnic Religions

40.0

15.0