MOST INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT ECUADOR

Ecuador is a beautiful and amazing country in south america. Though a small country, Ecuador have lot to offer. There are world-famous beaches which are always warm due to Ecuador’s location straddling the equator. In fact, it is because Ecuador is straddling the equator that the Spanish gave the country its name ‘Ecuador ‘ meaning ‘Equator’ in Spanish. The country climbs quickly to the highlands, nestled in the breathtaking peaks of the snow-capped mountain range of the Andes. Active volcanoes and clear waterfalls are abundant in the country. Ruins of the ancient Inca lies hidden in remote spots. Ecuador is truly a beauty to behold.

Here are some interesting facts about Ecuador that will make you love the country even more.

1. ECUADOR WAS THE FIRST COUNTRY TO RECOGNIZE THE RIGHT OF NATURE.

In September 2008, Ecuador became the first country in the world to recognize the right of nature. This right means that nature is viewed as a living entity having its own rights. This law allows persons or corporation to protest or petition on behalf of nature. It also highlights the government’s responsibility to protect nature. Other countries such as Bolivia, India, United states, New Zealand and Colombia have made similar efforts.

2. FIRST WORLD HERITAGE SITE.

The Galapagos islands located just 1000 kilometers from continental Ecuador, is the first world heritage site ( the Galapagos islands belongs to Ecuador). It was in the Galapagos that Charles Darwin developed most of his theories. The Galapagos islands are known for their rich marine ecosystem. The Galapagos giant tortoise is also very famous.

3. QUITO IS THE SECOND HIGHEST CAPITAL IN THE WORLD.

At an altitude of 2850 m, the lively capital city of Ecuador _Quito, is the second highest capital city in the world. It is second only to La Paz, Bolivia. Because of its high altitude, some visitors to this city get altitude sickness or AMS (acute mountain sickness). Symptoms include; shortness of breath, headache, loss of appetite, headache, dizziness, tiredness, feeling and being sick. Don’t be worried, most times people get cured when they get to low grounds. Over all, Quito is a great place to be.

4. CLOSEST COUNTRY TO SPACE.

This one surprised me but it’s true. Straddling the equator, Ecuador is actually the closest country to space. The reason has to do with the fact that the Earth is not a perfect sphere. Because of its rotation, it bulges slightly at the equator. This means the equator is closer to space and farther from the center of the Earth than anywhere else. The bulge is big enough that Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador is actually 1.5 miles “higher” than Mount Everest.

5. THE NATIONAL TREE OF ECUADOR IS THE CINCHONA.

Known locally as ‘Quina’, the Cinchona is very medicinal tree. It produces quinine which was used as a remedy for malaria in times past.

6. ECUADOR IS ONE THE MOST BIODIVERSED NATION PER SQ KM IN THE WORLD.

Ecuador is one of the most 17 megadiverse nations in the world. This diversity is due to the location of the country in the neotropics, the presence of the Andes and the influence of the ocean’s currents on its coasts. Roughly 8% of amphibian species, 5% of reptile species, 8% of mammal species, and 16% of bird species in the world are found in this small country. With 140 species of hummingbirds alone, Ecuador is a bird watchers paradise. Reptiles are also abound and include large iguanas, colourful geckos, tortoises, lizards, the caiman and massive anacondas and inside the Amazon River are catfish, stingrays, piranhas and eels.

7. WORLD’S LARGEST EXPORTER OF BANANAS.

In 2020, Ecuador exported $3.83B in Bananas, making it the 1st largest exporter of Bananas in the world.

Bananas make up 10% of Ecuador’s exports in value terms, and representing over 6% of the world’s total banana production.

It has 5,000 growers, from small farmers to medium-sized and large-scale growers, and with some 200 exporting companies, including the big multinationals.

Ecuador is the only country in the world to impose a mandatory minimum official price to be paid to farmers.

7. 58% OF ECUADOR’S EXPORTS COMES FROM CRUDE OIL AND CRUDE RELATED PRODUCTS.

Though Ecuador has a lot of Bananas, it isn’t their most exported commodity. Ecuador produces 483,000 barrels of oil a day. Most of the country’s exports goes to the United States. Sadly, because of heavy mining of crude oil, rivers are being polluted and villages are losing their sources of clean water and food, wild life being destroyed and Climate changes is Ecuador is accelerating. The government are making efforts to remedy the situation.

8. THE OFFICIAL CURRENCY OF ECUADOR IS THE US DOLLAR.

You must be surprised about this fact. Ecuador is one of the 5 territories and 11 countries in the world using the US dollar as its official currency. This happened in the year 2000 when the Ecuadorian Sucre (it’s former currency) tool a nosedive to $1 equals to 25,000 Sucre. This caused great financial problems for Ecuador as banks went bankrupt. The country then decided to adopt the US dollar as its official currency. Though it haven’t solved all Ecuador’s financial problems, it has helped curbed financial instability and high inflation rates.

9. THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF ECUADOR IS SPANISH.

Spanish is the official language of Ecuador and it is being spoken by an approximately 93% of the population. The Spanish spoken in Ecuador has 3 distinct regional variations which are; Amazonic, Andean and Equatorial coastal. The second most commonly spoken languages in Ecuador are Kichwa (belongs to the Quenchuan language family) and Shuar, which are used for intercultural relations. Other indigenous languages includes; Záparo, Waorani, Tetete, Siona, Secoya, Emberá, Colorado, Cofán, Cha’palaachi, Awa-Cuaiquer, and Achwa-Shiriwa.

The Záparo language, with just 5 native speakers left in the world is considered almost extinct. In the last few years, language revival has begin. We hope it has effects.

10. CUY IS A LOCAL DELICACY.

Guinea pigs make great pets. With their big innocent eyes and soft fluffy fur, they are a great companion. Not in Ecuador. Guinea pig or Cuy ( pronounced kew-y) as it is called in South America is a local delicacy that’s unique to the highlands of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.  Cuy is most often eaten for special occasions, an indigenous tradition that dates back hundreds of years to the Incan empire. If you visit Ecuador, you might want to try it out if you can. If you have tasted it, you can tells how it tastes in the sent section.

There are more than just ten interesting facts about Ecuador. If you know more kindly drop them in the comment section. I am going to share more interesting things about this beautiful country in my future posts. Until then, tupananchikama (Goodbye in Quenchua).