Essay/Term paper: Ecuador

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Political Science

Ecuador


Ecuador is the small country in Latin America. The conditions in Ecuador
are not anywhere near what we expect and get everyday. There are numerous
active volcanoes and many earthquakes that cause much damage. The economic
situation is not good and health problems are many.

The per capita income for the year is only about $ 1,070. This is
caused in part by the government which tried to stimulate growth by imposing
strict budgets, devaluing the currency, and increasing taxation of the people.
The currency of Ecuador, the sucre, is not very valuable. It takes 2,146 of
them to equal one US dollar. The inflation rate is an alarming 49%, and the
economic growth is an even more astonishing number, 2.5%. Oil, Ecuador's main
export, is expected to be depleted by the early part of the 21st century. This
will make conditions even worse.

Although the literacy rate is currently rather high, there are no
schools in the rural areas, and school is only required until the age of 14.
Malnutrition is extremely common. Most children get about what we eat for lunch
for the entire day. The work rate among children is high. Cholera is a big
problem in Ecuador; Abourt 650 people died of it last year. The infant
mortality rate is also high, although it has lowered drastically in the past
three years. Only 16% of the roads are paved and many houses do not have
running water or electricity.

People are trying to improve these conditions in any way they can. The
man who started the clinic is trying to help the children. He will use the
money for medical supplies, food, clothes, or bedding. Trying to run a
hospital/clinic is hard in Ecuador and he and his helpers will surely appreciate
your money. Consider the conditions described in the report when you are asked
to give to this cause or a similar one.