Editing Armed Forces of Ecuador (section)

==Mission==
[[File:Ecuadorian Army soldier participates at a UN exercise.jpg|thumb|Ecuadorian Army soldier participates at a UN exercise]]
The armed forces are part of the public forces and have the stated mission of the preservation of the integrity and [[national sovereignty]] of the national territory. It also involves participation in the social and [[economic development]] of the country and the provision of assistance in the maintenance of internal order. Tasks include fighting [[organised crime]], anti-narcotic operations and illegal [[immigration]].<ref name="janes.com"/> One social development programme applies the provision of teachers for rural schools through an accord with the Ministry of Education.{{Citation needed|date=April 2012}} Environmental protection is also a priority, several programmes were implemented: National Forestation and Ornamentation, Lonely Tree, Green Surveillance, Fire Plan, Ecuador Forest, and Arenillas Military Reserve.{{Citation needed|date=April 2012}} The Ecuadorian territory is divided into five Joint Task Force Zones or ''Fuerzas de Tarea Conjunta'', four on mainland [[Ecuador]], the fifth being the Naval Zone (including the [[Galápagos Islands]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hoy.com.ec/noticias-ecuador/noticias-ecuador/se-divide-al-pais-en-cinco-areas-332825.html |title=Se divide al paĂs en cinco ĂĄreas - Diario HOY - Noticias del Ecuador y del Mundo - Hoy Online |publisher=Hoy.com.ec |access-date=28 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927101451/https://www.hoy.com.ec/noticias-ecuador/noticias-ecuador/se-divide-al-pais-en-cinco-areas-332825.html |archive-date=27 September 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hoy.com.ec/noticias-ecuador/ffaa-presentan-nuevo-plan-de-defensa-interna-332767.html |title=FFAA presentan nuevo plan de defensa interna - Diario HOY - Noticias del Ecuador y del Mundo - Hoy Online |publisher=Hoy.com.ec |access-date=28 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516160310/http://www.hoy.com.ec/noticias-ecuador/ffaa-presentan-nuevo-plan-de-defensa-interna-332767.html |archive-date=16 May 2010}}</ref> Overseas territories include also the [[Pedro Vicente Maldonado]] Naval Biological Research Station in the [[Antarctic]].