The Language of Ecuador

The official language is Spanish. Quechua, a combination of many different dialects, is acknowledged in the Ecuadorian constitution as a very important part of the country’s culture. It is spoken by only a small part of the general population, but by almost all descendents of the Indian population. Many words from Quechua have been taken into everyday language and replace Spanish expressions, or serve as expressions for which there are no Spanish equivalents.

Religion:

After the conquest of Peru and Ecuador by the Spanish, many Indians converted to the Roman Catholic faith. In 1863, Catholicism was declared the state religion. In 1889, a liberalisation movement led to the partial separation of church and state. In 1904, the church was put under the control of the state. All church property was confiscated, and the law guaranteed religious freedom. Today about 95 %of the population are Roman Catholic. The Indians of the Oriente area still follow their traditional religions. Less than 1% of the population belongs to the Protestant churches.