Brief History
Ecuador’s culture is an interesting one. They have many rules, religions and languages which have been put in place over time and established as the culture norm. Much of the population is Mestizo which is a mix of European (mostly Castillian and Andalusian Spaniards) and Amerindian peoples. The other part is comprised of people with ancestry from Spain, Germany, France, Lebanon, and Italy. There is also a small population that has an African influence. About 95% of Ecuadorians are Roman Catholic; although, the indigenous populations mix Catholicism with their ancestral customs as well.
Ecuador is divided into four regions; The most famous Galápagos Islands, the Costa (coast), El Oriente (the east) which includes part of the Amazon region, and the Sierra (highlands area). Tension can be seen between the people that live in Quito and those that live in Guayaquil. Due to the large differences in the mountainous and coastal areas, the culture between these two peoples seem to collide. This tends to bring dislike with each other.
This regionalism has created segregation in towns and has created individual regional pride. Ordinarily it may be okay, however, in this instance it has continued to propel dissention and barriers among the population. Because of this, the economy has suffered due to people not so willing to work with each other for the better good.
Cuisine, Language, Media
The Ecuadorians love to eat meat, fish, beans and rice. The beans and rice are usually combined to make a rather filling meal with little expense.
Spanish is the most common language throughout Ecuador. You will often see Ecuadorians speaking to one another in this type of language. In Ecuador, whistling or yelling at an individual in order to gain their attention is considered impolite. This type of attention-grabbing behavior is often frowned upon within the Ecuadorian culture.
A majority of Ecuadorian television and media comes from outside of Ecuador. Some of the films, television shows, documentaries and movies the Ecuadorians receive are most likely developed in the United States of America.
Family Life
Women participate just as much as men in terms of financially providing for their families. This is something which has changed over time. In the past, a woman would likely take care of the house work and raise the children. The man would go to work and provide the necessary living capital. It is common place now for both men and women to contribute to the household finances, in addition to raising the children and doing housework.
Great importance is placed on the quality of family life throughout Ecuador. When the elderly become sick, they will usually move into their children’s homes rather than into a nursing home of some sort. A strong family in the Ecuadorian culture is one who will stay together regardless of the situation at hand. It is very rare to see a child leave his or her family in search of a better life in some other far away region as the culture strives to keep the family together.
Music and Sports
Pasillo is Latin music which is highly featured in the Ecuadorian culture. Ecuador’s love of music and dance is prevalent in most of the regions. Often times, fiestas are held where food, music and dancing are the focal point.
Soccer or football are extremely popular sports in Ecuador. Baseball has also increased in popularity over the years, but has yet to reach the type of popularity as soccer. Cricket is another popular sport enjoyed by the Ecuadorian people on a rather consistent basis.
