Awesome Ecuador Facts

 Ecuador is officially known as the Republic of Ecuador. Ecuador is in northwest South America, bordered on the east and south by Peru, and on the north by Columbia. It also has a western boundary with the Pacific Ocean. Ecuador also includes the Galapagos Islands, which are situated about 620 miles west of the Ecuadorian mainland. Until the 1500s, when Spanish control started, Ecuador's area was home to numerous civilizations, including the Valdivia Culture, Machalilla Culture, Quitas and Canari, and Incas. Ecuador achieved independence from Spain on May 24, 1822, and became an independent republic in 1830.

Ecuador Facts to Consider:

The Spanish term for equator is Ecuador. Ecuador is bisected by the equator.

Ecuador has a total land area of 106,888 square miles.

Ecuador had a population of 15,223,680 people in 2012.

Quito is Ecuador's capital, while Guayaquil is the country's biggest city.

Ecuador's monetary unit is the US dollar.

The official language is Spanish. Ecuadorian people also speak Quechua and other Amerindian languages.

Every year on August 10th, Ecuador commemorates its independence.

Ecuador is a major banana exporter in the globe.

Bananas, coffee, cocoa, rice, potatoes, tapioca, plantains, sugarcane, and animals such as pigs, sheep, and cattle, as well as fish and shrimp, are all grown in Ecuador.

Petroleum, hydropower, wood, and fish are among natural resources of Ecuador.

Ecuador's income is mostly based on petroleum exports, which make for almost half of the country's total revenue.

In Ecuador, there are about 3.3 million internet users and 2.5 million TVs.

Many individuals from Columbia, to Ecuador's north, migrate to Ecuador to escape the violence that surrounds the drug trade in their own country.

Doctors will still conduct home visits in Ecuador.

Mestizos make up 72 percent of Ecuadorians, whereas indigenous people make up 15%, white people make up 6%, and Afro-Ecuadorians make up 7%.

There are 24 provinces in Ecuador.

Ecuador has 25,000 plant species, 1,600 bird species, 6,000 butterfly species, and 138 amphibian species that are widely distributed.

The Cotapaxi Volcano in Ecuador is the world's 26th tallest active volcano. It stands at a height of 19,357 feet.

One of Ecuador's favorite hobbies is soccer.

Cuarenta is Ecuador's national card game.

Ecuadorians commemorate the dead on a festival known as 'The Day of the Dead.'

Guayaquil, Quito, Cuenca, Santo Domingo, Machala, Manta, Portoviejo, Ambato, Riobamba, and Quevedo are the most populous cities in Ecuador.

In Ecuador, the guinea pig is considered a delicacy. It's said to have a rabbit flavor.

Ecuador is the smallest nation in the Andean Highlands.

Ecuador became the first nation in the world to proclaim that nature had constitutional rights in 2008.

The coastal lowlands, mountain highlands, eastern jungle lowlands, and Galapagos Islands are Ecuador's four geographical areas.

Because of the variety of animals on the Galapagos Islands, Charles Darwin started researching evolution there.

The Galapagos Islands are home to a wide range of wildlife, including gigantic turtles and land iguanas.

The Galapagos Islands do not allow visitors to bring anything that may harm the environment.

The gigantic tortoise is the world's rarest creature. Ecuador's national symbol was a gigantic tortoise called Lonesome George. There was a nationwide day of mourning when it died in 2012.