Historical Overview of the Ecuadorian Economy and Geography
Author(s)
Clark, A. Kim
Abstract
The main project of Ecuadorian governments after the 1895 Liberal Revolution was expressed in terms of movement and connection. The coastal area, centered around Guayaquil, was already more integrated internally than the highlands, which was centered around Quito. The coastal region was at the center of trade with the international market, through its exports of cocoa and other products. The highlands were seen as disconnected and much less dynamic. The Guayaquil-Quito Railway, despite being one of the most expensive railways in the world, became the principal means of national integration in Ecuador. It permitted the economic integration of the national territory and also provided a political area in which Ecuadorian elites were able to build consensus about their national project.
