National Identity :

The ecuadorian flagis rather symbolic of ecuadorians feelings of national identity.

Ecuador is a funny place.It is an Andean country, but it rarely identifies culturally with its neighbors and often sees itself as overshadowed by the more powerful nations that suround it. In fact , Peru(to the southe) historically has been a very real threat to Ecuadorian national security ,while Colombia (to the north) is popularly seen as being “culturally” better developed than Ecuador. Elites in Ecuador often talk bout what they referred to as “Ecuador's national inferiority complex”. Wich plays out in many ways. For exemple, foreign consumer products from lollopops to appliances are invariably considered superior to Ecuadorian ones, and Ecuadorians professionals seeking legitimation often brag about receiving their training “abroad”.

Throughout most of its history Ecuador has been plagued with an ill-defined sense of national identity, contributing to political instability and pronounced social inequality.

The roots of Ecuador's national ambivalence go very deep .During the colonial period the region that is today Ecuador (then called Quito). Was periodically reassigned to two differents administrative districts, the Viceroyalty of Peru to the south and the Viceroyalty of Santa Fe de Bogota to the north.

Because of the ambiguity and elusiveness of Ecuador's borders, there is a certain irony in the name given to the country in 1830. The equator (for which Ecuador is ,of course,named)is not a real line bifurcating the globe but only an imagined one -much like the country of Ecuador itself.

We can call Ecuador a symbolic 'imagined community” ,because it is a nation struggling to imbue itself with a distinct national identity in the face of countless obstacles.