Interesting Facts About Ecuador - Fun Facts About Ecuador

Ecuador is a very beautiful South American country, which has the equator passing through it. In the other words, it falls on both the sides of the equator. Located in the northwestern part of South America, it stands bordered by the Pacific Ocean in the west, Colombia in the north and Peru in the south and east. Forming a part of the landscape of the country are the Galápagos Islands, situated in the Pacific, which lie about 965 kilometers (600 miles) to the west of the mainland. Ecuador is one of three countries that were created in 1830, after the collapse of Gran Colombia. According to the Conservation International Ecuador sits among 17 of the mega-diverse countries in the world. At every square kilometer, the biodiversity of Ecuador has been found to be more than any other country in the world. In the following lines, we have provided more information on Ecuador.

Image: Rinaldo Wurglitsch@flickr

Fast Facts

Continent: South America

Capital: Quito

Area: 258,238 km²

Population: 14,483,499 (2010 census)

Currency: United States Dollar

Official Language: Spanish

Calling Code: +593

Type of Government: Constitutional Republic

Fun & Interesting Facts About Ecuador

Prior to the Incas settlement in Ecuador, Ecuador was inhabited by the Native American peoples.
After being a Spanish colony for several centuries, Ecuador gained independence in 1830 and became a presidential republic.
The official name of Ecuador is the ‘Republic of Ecuador’.
The official language of Ecuador is Spanish. However, Quechua and other indigenous languages are also widely spoken here.
Majority of the people in Ecuador are Roman Catholics.
The main ethnic groups in Ecuador include Mestizo, Amerindian, Spanish and Blacks.
The currency of Ecuador is US Dollar (US$), since January 2001.
The capital of Ecuador is Quito.
Ecuador follows the system of ‘Presidential Republic’.
Ecuador gained independence from Spain on 24th May 1822 and from Gran Colombia, on 13th May 1830.
Chimborazo Volcano, at 6310, forms the highest point in Ecuador, while the lowest point is formed by Pacific Ocean.
Ecuador has many active volcanoes and also, one of the greatest densities of volcanoes in the world.
Ecuador is divided into four geographical regions, namely The Coastal Area (Litoral), The Andean Highlands (Sierra), The Amazon (Oriente) and The Galapagos Islands.
The world famous Galapagos Islands became a part of Ecuador in 1832. They lie over 950 km west of Ecuador. They are famous for the unique wildlife and as the location where Charles Darwin formed his theory of evolution.
Ecuador is one of only two countries in South America that do not share a border with Brazil.
Guayaquil is the largest city in Ecuador, apart from being a major port and a leading commercial center.
Ecuador is the smallest country in the Andean highlands.
In Ecuador, about 10 percent of the population is of European descent, a quarter of indigenous cultures and the rest has mixed ethnicity.
Petroleum, food processing, textiles and metal work are the main industries of Ecuador.
The second highest point in Ecuador is Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanoes in the world.
The term Ecuador means equator in Spanish. In fact, the country has been named after equator, which passes through it.
Quito served as the capital of the northern half of the Inca Empire, in the early sixteenth century.
Ecuador was a part of the Inca Empire, before the arrival of the Spanish, in 1534.
Galapagos Islands make up the first National Park of Ecuador.
Majority of the balsa wood in the world comes from Ecuador.
Quinine, the first drug used to prevent and treat malaria, is obtained from the bark of the cinchona tree that grows in the Andes mountain range, in Ecuador and Peru.
Guinea pig is considered to be a delicacy in Ecuador.
Quito is said to have the most pleasant temperature in the world and has been given the name of the “Land of Eternal Spring”.
Ecuador is the home to 1,600 bird species which accounts for almost 15% of the total bird species known to exist in the world.
According to the survey of Ecuadorian National Institute of Statistics and Census, 91.95% of the citizens of Ecuador follow religion, 7.94% are atheists while 0.11% of the population are agnostics. Most of the people are Roman Catholics. Apart from that there is small Jewish population in Ecuador.

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