Ecuador was long inhabited by local tribes for thousands of years when the Inca Empire arrived. They fought off the Incas for some years, but eventually the Inca Empire took control of the area in the 1400s. A century later in 1534, Spanish conquistadors arrived. They defeated the Inca and took control of the land. For many years the area was part of the Spanish Empire. The natives suffered greatly from disease brought by the Europeans and were often forced to work for the Spanish colonists. The city of Quito was a major city of the time and is today identified as a World Cultural Heritage Site.
In 1822, the area gained independence from Spain when Simon Bolivar and his armies defeated the Spanish. At first the land was part of the larger group of countries called Gran Columbia, but in 1830 Ecuador became a separate independent country.
Ecuador and Peru have long had battles and disputes over their borders. This lasted until 1999, when some agreement was come to on the current borders. Ecuador went through a period of internal unrest during the 1970s when the country was under direct military rule.
