
The territory was colonized by Spain during the 16th century, achieving independence in 1820 as part of Gran Colombia, from which it emerged as its own sovereign state in 1830. The territories of modern-day Ecuador were once home to a variety of Amerindian groups that were gradually incorporated into the Inca Empire during the 15th century.

Ecuador also includes the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific, about 1,000 kilometers (621 mi) west of the mainland. Sucre until 2000, replaced by the US$ and Ecuadorian centavo coins.Įcuador ( / ˈ ɛ k w ə d ɔːr/ ( listen) EK-wə-dor Spanish pronunciation: ( listen) Quechua: Ikwayur Shuar: Ecuador or Ekuatur), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( Spanish: República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator" Quechua: Ikwadur Ripuwlika Shuar: Ekuatur Nunka), is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west.
