History of Ecuador

Inca Empire, 1438–1533 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Inca Empire was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. From 1438 to 1533, the Incas incorporated a large portion of western South America, centered on the Andean Mountains, using conquest and peaceful assimilation, among other methods. At its largest, the empire joined modern-day Peru with what are now western Ecuador, western and south-central Bolivia, northwest Argentina, the southwesternmost tip of Colombia and a large portion of modern-day Chile. Later, in 1532, the Spanish began the conquest of the Inca Empire, and by 1572 the last Inca state was fully conquered.

Seat of power: Cusco

Rulers

• Pachacútec, Sapa Inca, 1438–1471
• Túpac Inca Yupanqui, Sapa Inca, 1471–1493
• Huayna Capac, Sapa Inca, 1493–1527
• Huascar, Sapa Inca, 1527–1532
• Atahualpa, Sapa Inca, 1532–1533

Real Audiencia de Quito, 1563–1822 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Real Audiencia of Quito was an administrative unit in the Spanish Empire which had political, military, and religious jurisdiction over territories that today include Ecuador, parts of northern Peru, parts of southern Colombia and parts of northern Brazil. It was created by Royal Decree on 29 August 1563 by Philip II of Spain in the city of Guadalajara. The Audiencia was effectively autonomous because the Viceroyal government (to which the Audiencia was technically subordinate in political matters) was too far away to administer its territories effectively. It ended in 1822 with the incorporation of the area into the Republic of Gran Colombia.

Seat of power: Quito

Gran Colombia, 1819–1831 Draft, not yet reviewed

Gran Colombia was the Colombian state that encompassed much of northern South America and parts of Central America from 1819 to 1831. The Audiencia of Quito was liberated again in 1822 and joined the territories of what is today Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia and Panama to form the Republic of Gran Colombia. On 13 May 1830 the departments of Ecuador, Guayaquil, and Azuay separated from La Gran Colombia to form a new nation called Ecuador with Juan José Flores as its first president, who tried to incorporate the Department of Cauca, but to no avail. Gran Colombia was dissolved in 1831 due to the political differences that existed between supporters of federalism and centralism, as well as regional tensions among the peoples that made up the republic.

Seat of power: Bogotá

Rulers

• Simón Bolívar, President of Colombia, 1819–1830
• Domingo Caycedo, President of Colombia, 1830–1831

Ecuador, 1830 to today Draft, not yet reviewed

The territory was colonized by the Spanish Empire during the 16th century, achieving independence in 1820 as part of Gran Colombia, from which it emerged as a sovereign state in 1830. The Liberal Revolution of 1895 under Eloy Alfaro reduced the power of the clergy and the conservative land owners. This liberal wing retained power until the military "Julian Revolution" of 1925. The country is a founding member of the United Nations, Organization of American States, Mercosur, PROSUR, and the Non-Aligned Movement.

Seat of power: Quito

Rulers

• Juan José Flores, President of Ecuador, 1830–1834
• Vicente Rocafuerte, President of Ecuador, 1834–1839
• Juan José Flores, President of Ecuador, 1839–1845
• Gabriel García Moreno, President of Ecuador, 1861–1865
• Gabriel García Moreno, President of Ecuador, 1869–1875
• Antonio Flores Jijón, President of Ecuador, 1888–1892
• Eloy Alfaro, President of Ecuador, 1895–1901
• Leónidas Plaza, President of Ecuador, 1901–1905
• Eloy Alfaro, President of Ecuador, 1906–1911
• Leónidas Plaza, President of Ecuador, 1912–1916
• Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno, President of Ecuador, 1916–1920
• Isidro Ayora, President of Ecuador, 1926–1931
• Carlos Arroyo, President of Ecuador, 1939–1944
• Rafael Correa, President of Ecuador, 2007–2017
• Daniel Noboa, President of Ecuador, 2023 to today