THE 10 ETHNIC GROUPS IN ECUADOR WITH THE LARGEST POPULATION - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

There are around twelve distinctive ethnicities in Ecuador that were there before the Spanish colonization came. At present the Quechuas and the Montubios are the largest population.

Ethnic minorities in Ecuador have found a strong political and social voice in their country. There is great ethnic pride among these communities, even their ancient traditions remain despite the modernization of Ecuadorian society.

An example of this is that despite the fact that the official language is Spanish, Quechua and other indigenous languages ​​are widely spoken throughout the country.

It is estimated that around 40% of Ecuadorians are of Amerindian descent, which means that they have some component of these native ethnic groups.

However, Ecuadorian indigenous ethnic groups are declining as multiracial groups are on the rise.

List of the main ethnic groups of Ecuador

1- Quichuas

It is considered the most populated ethnic group in this country. They usually live in communities located in the valleys, and in the Páramo regions in the Andes mountains.

They live in family-oriented groups and speak their native language that is taught in rural schools: Quechua.

It is believed that the ancestors of the Quichuas were the first to migrate from Eurasia to the Americas via the Bering Strait. When the Spanish arrived in Ecuador for the first time, this territory was already taken by the Inca Empire.

The Quichuas are the descendants of this empire and are the main responsible for maintaining the pride of the Inca heritage of this country.

This ethnic group is generally dedicated to raising animals and farming corn and potatoes, which they have cultivated for centuries.

Some communities have developed textile and artisan industries, and their products are highly appreciated around the world. This has allowed the development of their communities to advance without sacrificing their traditions.

2- Montubio

They make up about 7.5% of the total population. The identity of the Montubios is complex; formally this group is made up of a variety of ethnic groups that resided on the coast of Ecuador for centuries. Like the mestizos, they are a group defined by their mixed origin.

The Montubios fought hard for formal recognition from the Ecuadorian government, finally gaining their own status in the census after 2001.

They are famous for their activities, which include cockfighting, horse riding, and their music.

3- Shuar

This ethnic group is made up of people from the Amazon. Although its language does not have an official status, it is the de facto official language for intercultural or ethnic relations within Ecuador.

They live in the eastern regions of the Andes mountains. They make a living from livestock, grow cassava as their main product, and produce high-quality textiles.

They have a habit of building houses where they live for six or seven years or until the family leader dies, then moving to new regions.

4- Salasacas

This group lives in the province of Tungurahua and they speak Quechua. Anciently, this culture was one of the strongest and most warrior groups in Ecuador. They originate from groups brought to Ecuador from Bolivia by the Incas.

Today, there are 18 communes with 12,000 inhabitants. They have kept their traditional dress. Their fabrics generally reflect their daily life and are made entirely by hand using ancient techniques inherited from their ancestors. They resort to oral tradition to maintain their history.

This ethnic group is rebellious and strong in character. They generally do not want to integrate with Euro-Americans, so they live culturally isolated while maintaining their traditions and customs.

5- Saraguros

They live in the province of Loja and also speak Quechua. Until 1962, the Saraguros were completely independent of Western civilization.

They dedicated themselves to the agriculture of corn, potatoes, grains and goose; the water in their fields came from the rain. Their main fuel was wood that they grew from their own forests and their clothing was wool from their sheep.

From that first contact with the missionaries, the process of their colonization began. Despite this, today this group maintains their traditional dress (black ruana with wide-brimmed hats), they produce handmade jewelry and clothes made of wool.

6- Canaris

This group has quite a long history. They inhabited the south of Ecuador before the Incas arrived from Peru; even the famous Ingapirca temple is actually of Cañaris origin.

They traded extensively on the coast; they had direct contact with the Incas and fought alongside them against the Spanish.

But today, only a few communities survive south of Ecuador, as they have been greatly affected by Western influences.

7- Tsáchilas

They live at the foot of the west side of the Andes mountain range, in the province of Pichincha. They are known as 'colorados' for their habit of painting their hair and body red.

This ethnic group gave its name to the main city located in the region where they live: Santo Domingo de los Colorados.

Although they were displaced after the conquest, they still retain their traditions.

8- Awa

This community lives towards the north of Ecuador, in the provinces of Carchi, Imbambura and Esmeraldas.

Today there are approximately 1600 Awas and they are constantly threatened by western civilization and timber companies who want their forests.

This group combines blowgun hunting and practices raising animals such as chickens and pigs to survive.

9- Cofan

They live in the upper part of the Aguarico River. Currently this community is in a period of transition because they have adapted many western customs; Your belief system has been destroyed by accepting Western rules.

The Cofan are severely affected by high mortality due to the introduction of foreign diseases to which they do not have antibodies.

Their language is classified as a totally separate language from the other native languages.

10- Huaroni

They live from hunting and agriculture; their cyclical migration always guarantees good soils for their crops.

Some members of this ethnic group have developed jobs in the oil fields, despite the fact that the road built for the exploration of the same divided their territory in two.

This group is aware of possible future displacements as a result of colonization, so they defend themselves with their tradition of war where they kill the enemy. They have always been considered as a violent group by Western civilization.

References

1. Ecuador ethnicity and culture. Recovered from goecuador.com
2. The four ethnic groups of Ecuador (2017). Recovered from lifepersona.com
3. Gain inisght into Ecuador demographics. Recovered from ecuador.com
4. Ecuador ethnic groups. Recovered from study.com
5. The Qichuas people of Ecuador. Recovered from ecuador.com
6. Ethnic groups of Ecuador. Recovered from worldatlas.com