Ecuador

The city of Quito, now the capital of Ecuador, is believed to have been founded in the year 485 by the Quitu people. Quito later became part of the Inca Empire before being conquered by the Spanish in the 16th century. The city is renowned for its well-preserved historical center, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978 for its beauty and historical importance.

The city of San Francisco de Quito was officially founded on December 6, 1534, by Spanish conquistadors led by Sebastián de Belalcázar. This foundation came after the defeat of the indigenous Inca forces in the region. The Spanish established Quito as an important administrative and economic center in the colonial era of the Spanish Empire.

The Battle of Pichincha took place on May 24, 1822, on the slopes of the Pichincha volcano near Quito, Ecuador. This key battle was fought between the Spanish royalists and the forces of independence under the leadership of Antonio José de Sucre. The victory of Sucre led to the liberation of Quito and was a crucial step in Ecuador's path to independence from Spanish rule.

The Republic of Ecuador was officially established on August 13, 1830, following its secession from Gran Colombia. The country's first president was Juan José Flores. The establishment of Ecuador marked the beginning of a new national identity and government, separate from its neighbors Colombia and Venezuela, although the early years were fraught with political instability and territorial disputes.

The Ecuadorian–Peruvian War started in July 1941, as a territorial conflict between Ecuador and Peru. The war was sparked by long-standing territorial disputes in the Amazon Basin. The Peruvian military quickly gained the upper hand, leading to a ceasefire agreement and triggering the signing of the Rio Protocol in 1942, which temporarily resolved the disputes but left lasting tensions.

On June 1, 1963, a military coup d'état overthrew the democratically-elected President Carlos Julio Arosemena Monroy. The coup was led by the Ecuadorian military, motivated by allegations of communist sympathies in the government and policies. A military junta took control, leading to a period of authoritarian rule and political repression in Ecuador that lasted until the return to civilian rule in 1966.

The Ecuador-Peru Peace Treaty was signed on October 26, 1998, marking the end of the longest-standing border dispute in the Western Hemisphere. The treaty delineated the border between Ecuador and Peru, resolving conflicts that had persisted since the 19th century, including armed confrontations in 1941 and 1995. The peace agreement was a significant milestone in relations between the two nations.

In 1999, Ecuador faced a severe economic crisis characterized by hyperinflation, banking failures, and a massive devaluation of its currency, the sucre. On March 8, the government declared a bank holiday to prevent a run on the banks. The crisis led to widespread poverty and social unrest, eventually forcing the adoption of the US dollar as the official currency in 2000 to stabilize the economy.

On January 21, 2000, Ecuador officially adopted the US dollar as its national currency, replacing the sucre. This move, known as dollarization, was aimed at stabilizing the country's economy after a severe financial crisis that led to rampant inflation and widespread banking system failures in 1999. Dollarization has since significantly influenced Ecuador's economic policies and financial stability.

On September 28, 2008, Ecuadorians voted to approve a new constitution, becoming the 20th such document in the country's history. The new constitution, championed by then-President Rafael Correa, aimed to increase state control over key sectors of the economy, expand social programs, and recognize nature as having rights, reflecting a shift towards a more progressive political framework in Ecuador.