The Republic of Ecuador is located in the northwestern part of South America. Until the beginning of the XIX century, this territory belonged to Spain.
In 1822, the Spaniards were expelled by the Colombian army from the province of Quito, where Ecuador is now located. Until 1830, this province was part of the Republic of Greater Colombia and then became an independent state. The name of the country comes from the Spanish “Ecuador”, which translates as “equator”. And the equator really passes through the territory of this state.
Interesting facts about Ecuador
Ecuador has land borders with only two neighboring countries – Colombia and Peru. Ecuador covers 283,500 square kilometers and is home to just over 16 million people. The capital is the city of Quito. But in terms of population (1 million 600 thousand people), Quito is inferior to the city of Guayaquil, which has more than two million inhabitants. Quito is one of the highest mountains in the world, it is located at an altitude of 2818 meters above sea level.
Despite the fact that Ecuador is on the Pacific coast, the country is not hit by hurricanes and typhoons. But earthquakes often occur, including very powerful ones. In April 2016, a state of emergency was declared in the country due to earthquakes, which killed more than 600 people and injured about 50,000. It was one of the most devastating earthquakes in Ecuador’s history.
Oil exports are the backbone of Ecuador’s economy. Oil production on an industrial scale began in the seventies of the last century. In addition, Ecuador has the world’s largest banana plantations, from where bananas are distributed around the world. Most recently, the country erupted volcano Sangay, lava destroyed about 83,000 hectares of plantations. Experts predict that banana exports could fall by about 30%.
Ecuador is often called a reserve country. A significant part of the territory of this state is occupied by reserves, national parks, and reserves. According to the diversity of fauna and flora, the country is one of the first places in the world. The Galapagos Islands, which belong to Ecuador, are home to the world’s largest turtles, which can weigh up to 300 kilograms. Currently, these turtles are threatened with extinction.
Ecuador produces the most expensive chocolate in the world. One 50-gram tile costs buyers $ 260. The fact is that this chocolate is made from cocoa beans Arriba, which is a very rare variety. In the middle of each tile is a cocoa bean. Only a few hundred tiles are produced annually.
As the equator crosses the territory of the country, and even the name of the state received in his honor, the attitude to this conditional line passing through the center of our planet is special. In the Ecuadorian capital, Quito, a monument called “Middle of the World” has been erected. Currently, it is a ball with a diameter of 4.5 meters, which is mounted on a 30-meter pyramid. This monument is one of the main attractions of Ecuador. A tourist who has visited the monument receives a certificate.
A foreigner who is in Ecuador during the election may take part in the voting. If, of course, he wants it. But for the citizens of Ecuador, voting is mandatory, “evaders” face a fine. The head of state is the president, who is elected for four years, with the opportunity to run for a second term.
Rosalia Arteaga became the only woman who was able to become the president of this country. This event took place on February 9, 1997. Arteaga, who served as vice president, became head of state after President Abdullah Bukaram was impeached. But in the chair of President Rosalia Arteaga lasted only two days, on February 11, Fabian Alarcon was approved for this position.
Football is the most popular sport in Ecuador. The national team of this country performed three times at the world championships, however, without much success. Since 2013, the Football Federation has decided that no one in the national team will go on the field in a T-shirt number 11, in memory of striker Christian Benitez, who died of sudden cardiac arrest at the age of 27. This number was returned only to participate in the 2014 World Cup, as the practice of “unused numbers” is not approved by FIFA.
Ecuador is the country with the evenest climate throughout the year. Due to the fact that the country is at the equator, there are no sharp seasonal fluctuations in temperature. For example, the average temperature in July (+25 degrees) is almost no different from the average temperature in January, which is +24 degrees Celsius. Therefore, tourists are willing to visit this country all year round.
