Transportation in Ecuador can be summarized in the following areas: aviation, highways, pipelines, ports and harbors, railways, and waterways. Apart from transporting passengers, the country is a relatively small exporter of, alongside fruits and vegetables such as Banana's, Papaya's and Pineapples.
Aviation
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National airlines
- Avianca
- LATAM Airlines
Airports
359 (2006 est.)
Airports (paved)
- total: 98
- over 3,047 m: 3
- 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
- 1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
- 914 to 1,523 m: 29
- under 914 m: 43
Airports (unpaved)
- total: 261
- 914 to 1,523 m:33
- under 914 m:228
Heliports
- 2 (2010)
Highways
- total: 43,197 kilometres (26,841 mi)
- paved: 6,467 kilometres (4,018 mi)
- unpaved: 36,730 kilometres (22,820 mi) (2004 est.)
The Sierra Region still plays an important role in transportation throughout the country. The Pan-American Highway crosses it from north to south. Ecuador has managed to update some roads into four-lane freeways:
- Quito – Alpichacas. Length: 33 km.
- Guayaquil ring-road. Length: 46 km.
- Guayaquil – Taura. Length: 30 km.
- Guayaquil – Cerro Blanco. Length: 27 km.
- Machala – Pasaje. Length: 23 km.
Bus transport
- Bus transport in Ecuador
Pipelines
- crude oil 800 km
- petroleum products 1,358 km
Ports and harbors
Pacific Ocean
- Esmeraldas
- Guayaquil, La Libertad
- Manta
- Puerto Bolívar
- San Lorenzo
Merchant marine
total: 31 ships (1,000 gross tonnage (GT) or over) totaling 184,819 GT/300,339 tonnes deadweight (DWT)
ships by type: (2006 est.)
- Chemical tanker 1
- gas carrying tanker 1
- Passenger ships 7
- Petroleum tankers 21
- Specialized tanker 1
Foreign-owned: 2
- Norway 1,
- Paraguay 1
Registered in other countries 1
- Georgia 1
Railways
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━━━ Routes with passenger traffic
━━━ Routes in usable state
·········· Unusable or dismantled routes
total: 812 km (single track)
narrow gauge: 812 km 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge
There is a proposed rail connection with Colombia. On 5 July 2008 a meeting took place between Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador regarding a railway for freight and passengers to link the three countries, and linking the Pacific with the Atlantic also. There is no railway service to Peru.
In 2020, the Cuenca tram, the first modern rail transit line in Ecuador opened to public.
Waterways
1,500 kilometres (930 mi)
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook website https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/.