A country of northwest South America on the Pacific Ocean. Once part of the Incan Empire, it was conquered by the Spanish in 1534 and later became subject to Peru and New Granada. The area achieved independence from Spain in 1822 but formed a part of Greater Colombia until 1830, when it became a separate country. Quito is the capital and Guayaquil the largest city. Population: 13,800,000.
Ecuadorian Ec'ua·dor'i·an adj. & n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
