Country name:

Conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador

Conventional short form: Ecuador

Government type: Republic

Capital: Quito

Administrative divisions: 22 provinces

Independence: 24 May 1822 (from Spain)

Constitution: 10 August 1998

Legal system: based on civil law system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal, compulsory for literate persons ages 18-65, optional for other eligible voters