 After the collapse of Gran Colombia, the Republic of Ecuador was created in 1830. Since them political conflict has characterized life in the Republic. The new State was unable to integrate the different regions. The mountain region and the coast developed in different ways. Also, autonomous local bodies formed which entered into conflict with the state and which, in addition, administered their own resources. Neither was there a unified currency, which seriously affected the existence of a central power. Actually the presindent Correa is in his first year of power.
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Early History
Common archeological wisdom has it that South America's first inhabitants arrived in South America about 14,000 years ago, after their ancestors came across what we now call the Bering Strait. (Recently, this view has been disputed.)
Stone-age tools dated to 9000 BC have been discovered in the Quito area. The earliest known sign of a developed culture dates to 3200 BC. Examples of these cultures can be seen in museums in Quito and Guayaquil.
Pre-Inca tribes existed, but most of their history is lost to time and legend. The earliest details, dated about 11th century AD, are of two dominant tribes: the Caras in the coastal areas and the Quitus in the sierra highlands. The ambitious Caras, led by Shyri, conquered the Quitus, although some historians believe this to have been peaceful.
These tribes became known as the Shyri nation, and were dominant in the highlands until about 1300 AD. Meanwhile, the Puruhá of the southern highlands grew stronger. Conflict between the groups was avoided by marriage of a Shyri princess to Duchicela, the eldest son of the Puruhá king. This alliance garnared peace for about 150 years.
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The Inca Empire
The Incas expanded from the south, from the area today called Peru. At the time of their move northward, Ecuador's northern highlands were dominated by the descendants of Duchicela, and the south by the Cañari people.
The Cañaris defended themselves bitterly against the Incas. It took several years for them, led by Tupac-Yupanqui, were able to finally defeat the Cañari. Meanwhile, he fathered a son, Huayana Capac, by a Cañari princess.
 The defeat of the northern tribe took many years, and Huayana Capac grew up in Ecuador. After succeeding his father to the throne, he spend many years traveling throughout his empire dealing with various uprisings. He often strengthened his position by marriages. One of them, to the daughter of the defeated Cacha Duchicela, produced a son, Atahualpa.
In 1526 Huayana Capac died. Instead of leaving his empire to one son, as was traditional, he split it between two sons, dividing the empire for the first time. The same year, on September 21, the first Spaniards landed near the Esmeraldas area of Ecuador, led by Bartolomé Ruiz de Andrade. He was on an exploratory mission for Francisco Pizarro, who did not arrive for several years.
As the two sons grew, so did their rivalry. The Incas of Cuzco (in today's Peru), led by Huascar, went to war against the Ecuadorian Inca led by Atahualpa. Several years of fighting eventually produced a victory by Atahualpa near Ambato, in central Ecuador, but his empire was still divided and weakened. Pizarro arrived in 1532, planning to conquer the Incas, who were very vulnerable.
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The Spanish Conquest
As has been famously documented, Pizarro easily defeated an army far greater in numbers and strength. His soldiers rode horses, wore armor and fired cannons. They terrorized the Indians. Defeat came quickly. Late in 1532 a summit was arranged between Pizarro and Atahualpa.
Atahualpa was prepared to negotiate, but Pizarro prepared a double-cross. When Atahualpa showed up for the meeting his poorly armed bodyguards were overcome and he was imprisoned and held for ransom. Huge quantities of gold, silver and other valuables were sent to Cajamarca (in Peru), the site of the capture.
Pizarro's next double-cross led to Atahualpa's death. Despite the ransom payment, Atahualpa was charged with crimes of incest (marrying one's sister was traditional), polygamy, worship of false gods, and crimes against the Spanish king. He was executed on August 29, 1535. This effectively ended the Inca empire.
Despite his leader's death, Atahualpa's general, Rumiñahui fought against the Spaniards in Ecuador for two years. Pizarro's lieutenant, Sebastián de Benalcázar, fought into the Indian stronghold of Quito in late 1534. The city had been razed to the ground by Rumiñahui rather than have it left to the Spaniards.
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Colonization
Quito was refounded by the Spanish on December 6, 1534. Rumiñahui was captured and then executed in January 1535. There were no further uprisings of significance by the Ecuadorian Indians. Pizarro left his brother, Gonzalo, in charge as governor of Quito in 1540.
 Gonzalo wanted to find more gold, so he and a group of men left Quito in 1541, after putting Francisco de Orellana in charge of Quito. They took nearly a year to travel through the jungle and down the Amazon to the Atlantic – the first known to cross the continent. Thus, Ecuador considers this to support a claim for more of the Amazon than they now have.
Lima, Peru was the seat of Spanish colonial government in South America. Ecuador was at first a province, but in 1563 became the Audencia de Quito. Control of the audencia was moved to Colombia in 1739.
During these centuries, Ecuador was a peaceful colony and flourished. Products from Europe were introduced, such as bananas and cattle, which remain important today. Life was good for the ruling colonists. The Indians and the mestizos (mixed blood) were treated terribly under the rule of colonial authority. A system of forced labor existed, and they suffered. By the end of the 18th century there were several violent uprisings, and many deaths.
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Independence
The first serious independence battle was led by Juan Pío Montúfar on August 10, 1809. After taking Quito they formed a government, but this lasted a mere 24 days. Troops loyal to the king of Spain retook the city.
 Real independence was achieved by Simón Bolívar, the famous Venezuelan liberator. After he and his army marched south from Caracas and supported the people of Guayaquil's declaration of independence on October 9, 1820. However, the job was not done.
Final independence from Spain was achieved nearly two years later via the Battle of Pinchincha on May 24, 1822 in Quito. The independence army was led by one of Bolívar's best generals, Field Marshal Sucre, for whom the Ecuadorian currency is named.
Bolívar's dream was to unite all the Spanish colonies in South America. He began by creating Gran Colombia, comprising today's Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela. This lasted only 8 years, and Ecuador became fully independent in 1830.
At that time the border dividing Ecuador and Peru was drawn. This border appeared on Ecuadorian maps until very recently. A war between the countries resulted in a new border being drawn in Brazil, called the 1942 Rio de Janeiro Protocol. This later border appeared on all non-Ecuadorian maps. Border clashes between Ecuador and Peru have been frequent. The latest was in early 1995, which cost several hundred soldiers lives. In 1998, presidents Jamil Mahoud of Ecuador and Alberto Fujimori of Peru negotiated a final border agreement. Finally, after 168 years, the border problem has been solved and the maps will agree!
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The 20th Century and today
Ecuador's modern history has been typical of Latin America. Open battles have happened between the liberals and conservatives. Quito emerged as the cultural and conservative church-based capital, while Guayaquil became more liberal and socialist. Quiteños call Guayaquileños monos (monkeys), while the lively coastal people consider the serranos slow talking and boring.
 One example of this violence occurred in 1912. Liberal president García Moreno was shot and killed by a mob on the steps of the presidential palace in Quito, and then his body was carried off and burned. The military has been taken control of power many times, and have ruled Ecuador more years in this century than civilians.
Civilians have been in power since 1979. In August 1996 Abdalá "el Loco" Bucaram was elected, and then thrown out by a populist movement 6 months later. After several days where 3 people claimed the presidency, Fabian Alarcon became interim president. Elections in 1997 brought a respected and successful former Quito mayor, Jamil Mahoud, to power. In 1999 the interim ex-president Alarcon found himself in jail, charged with corruption.
Mahoud quickly negotiated the border agreement with Peru. However, his modernization reforms, which most observers agree are long overdue, have caused major strikes twice in 1999. Though there was inconvenience for travelers, there was absolutely no danger during these paros, or stoppages.Despite a history of political and military upheavals in the early part of the 20th century, Ecuador has remained peaceful in recent years. Today, Ecuador is one of the most interesting and safest countries to visit in South America.
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