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Looking for a number of enjoyable info about Ecuador? After I traveled to Ecuador three years in the past, it was an eye-opening expertise. I arrived in Quito at evening with no data of the town or the nation, for that matter. It will be a nice shock because the charming metropolis is the world’s first UNESCO Cultural Heritage Metropolis. There was a lot to delve into! So many attention-grabbing Ecuador info – the tradition, the historical past, and the meals!
In case you’re in search of some info about Ecuador, you’ve come to the correct place. Ecuador is a nation that must be seen and heard about. Listed below are some attention-grabbing Ecuador info to find out about earlier than visiting.
1. Ecuador was the primary nation on the planet to acknowledge the rights of nature
One of many first Ecuador info I wish to point out is maybe a very powerful one. The nation acknowledged that you recognize, nature has a proper to develop and flourish. It additionally acknowledged the correct of precise people to petition or protest on nature’s behalf. And it additionally highlighted the duty of the federal government to step in to guard nature. This occurred in 2008.
2. Ecuador was a part of the Inca Empire
One other a type of well-known Ecuador info. Although centered in Cusco, with their dwelling base primarily in Peru, the Inca Empire stretched lengthy. Ecuador was a type of locations.
It turned a part of the Inca Empire in 1463, however the space’s indigenous folks didn’t submit and not using a battle. The tribes right here have been already moderately developed and weren’t inquisitive about outsiders ruling them. Cue years of preventing.
3. The Spanish captured the Incan Emperor in Ecuador
That was in 1533. The brand new emperor Atahualpa (victor, by the use of killing lots of his household, of the Inca Civil Conflict) was ransomed; a “Ransom Room” was stacked with silver and gold, however he wasn’t launched. The Spanish held a mock trial after which executed him. Then the remainder of the Inca Empire fell. Ecuador gained independence in 1822 after a two-year warfare.
4. Amazonian and Cayapas folks resisted each Inca and Spanish rule
In consequence, they might hold their language and tradition intact properly into the twenty first century. You could have heard of Amazonian, however Cayapas? They’re primarily based in and across the rainforests on the northern coast of Ecuador.
5. The equator runs by way of Ecuador
One other a type of enjoyable info about Ecuador that most individuals know. It’s a fairly apparent reality about Ecuador, however yeah – in case you didn’t know, the equator virtually splits the nation in two. Its official identify is “Republica del Ecuador” – the Republic of the Equator.
6. Due to that, the daylight are fairly common
Being mainly on the equator, Ecuador’s dawn and sundown stay nearly the identical all year long. The solar rises at 6 am and units at 6 pm. Twelve hours of sunshine, twelve hours of the evening. Tremendous equal.
7. From 1972 to 1979, Ecuador had a succession of army dictatorships
There was a army coup in 1972, led by Basic Guillermo Rodriguez, overthrowing five-time president Velasco Ibarra. Then there was a army junta in 1976, led by Admiral Alfredo Poveda, that removed the earlier army junta.
Earlier than the following junta got here alongside, a colonel proposed democratic elections. Jaime Roldos Aguilera gained probably the most votes of any Ecuadorian election ever.
8. Ecuador is extra biodiverse per sq. kilometer than every other nation
It is a cool, enjoyable reality about Ecuador. There are such a lot of species represented right here. It’s one of many world’s 17 most biodiverse nations, although it tops the world for the density of its biodiversity. We’re speaking tens of 1000’s of fowl species alone (15% of the world’s fowl species)!
There are lots of endemic species right here, too; the Galapagos alone has 38, however there are additionally 106 reptiles and 138 amphibians endemic to Ecuador.
9. Ecuador is the place you’ll discover the Galapagos Islands
Yep. The Galapagos. They sit round 1,000 kilometers west of Ecuador’s mainland within the Pacific Ocean. These biodiverse islands are tremendous well-known for his or her endemic species, such because the Galapagos land iguana, the Galapagos penguin, and the most important residing tortoise (the Galapagos tortoise, in fact), to call just some.
10. Charles Darwin got here up together with his Concept of Evolution within the Galapagos
Some of the attention-grabbing info about Ecuador is that this one. all of the completely different sorts of finches that lived within the Galapagos Islands, Darwin had a eureka second when he observed their beaks have been all specialised to what the birds have been consuming or what explicit island they lived on. Skip a number of years on, and Darwin had his concept right down to a T.
11. Quito is the second-highest capital metropolis on the planet
That is certainly one of my favourite enjoyable info about Ecuador. That’s proper – it is a enjoyable Ecuador reality to know earlier than you go! At 9,350 toes above sea degree, it’s fairly excessive. Not solely is it the Ecuadorian capital, but it surely’s additionally the nation’s largest. The best capital on the planet is La Paz. However what Quito has that La Paz doesn’t is one other distinction: being the closest capital metropolis to the equator. Increase.
12. Quito’s historic heart is among the best-preserved within the Americas
Not simply in Ecuador, not simply in South America, however in all the Americas. The historic heart right here has hardly been modified. The truth is, it’s so spectacular that – together with Krakow, Poland – it was one of many first “previous cities” to be declared a World Heritage Website by UNESCO.
13. And simply close by the capital is a really tall volcano
Cotopaxi might solely be the second-highest peak in Ecuador, but it surely’s one of many tallest volcanoes on the planet, at 19,347 ft. It appears cool, too, like an Ecuadorian Fuji. Within the final 50 years, it’s erupted greater than 50 instances. For math followers, that’s multiple eruption per yr.
14. Mount Chimborazo is the tallest mountain in Ecuador
Its summit is 20,560 toes above sea degree. However due to the planet’s form (not a sphere however an oblate spheroid) and being mainly on the widest a part of the Earth – due to being on the equator and all – the summit of Chimborazo is the furthest you possibly can probably get from the middle of the Earth. Now that could be a wild reality about Ecuador.
15. Ecuador is bananas for bananas (my favourite Ecuador reality)
One in all my favourite Ecuador info is that this one! Nicely, it’s extra like Ecuador is bananas for exporting bananas, truly; it’s the world’s highest exporter of bananas. Likelihood is the banana you’re consuming proper now’s from Ecuador. It may not be, but it surely additionally has a excessive likelihood of being from the Republic of the Equator. Bananas account for 12.1% of the nation’s exports.
16. However 40% of its exports encompass crude oil
And Ecuador has lots of it. Oil is a major a part of the nation’s economic system; they produce 520,000 barrels a day. A variety of it goes to the USA. It was partly the actions and influence of the oil trade that made Ecuador acknowledge the rights of nature
17. The official language of Ecuador is Spanish
Yep, not a lot of a shocking reality about Ecuador, however round 93% of the inhabitants speaks Spanish. Nevertheless, many individuals additionally communicate Amerindian languages, comparable to Quechua (the language of the Quecha folks), or different native languages such Awapit, Paicoca, Cayapa, A’ingae, Tsa’fiki, and Wao Tededeo.
18. The “nationwide style of music” in Ecuador is Pasillo
It’s a mix of indigenous and Latin musical traditions, with European flavors blended in; Pasillo has a broken-hearted, nostalgic feeling, typically describing the fantastic thing about the nation. Nonetheless standard to this present day, cities and villages throughout Ecuador have their very own tackle Pasillo – in addition to dances to go along with it.
19. Some of the standard avenue meals in Ecuador is hornado
A foodie enjoyable reality about Ecuador for you now: Hornado is pork. Nicely, it’s a pig cooked entire on a spit, served with llapingacho (fried potato pancakes) and corn, with greens on the facet too. There are a great deal of different sorts of avenue meals, comparable to patacones (refried plantains) and seco de chivo (goat stew).
20. One of many earliest examples of Ecuadorian literature was the work of Jacinto Collahuazo
The 1600s – a time during which the native “language” of speaking by way of knots referred to as quipu was banned by the Spanish. Jacinto Collahuazo, chief of a village in Ibarra, taught himself to put in writing and determined to file Inca tales – however within the Quechua language.
His work was discovered, burned, and he was imprisoned. Centuries later, masons discovered a manuscript written by Collahuazo hidden within the partitions of a church in Quito; it was a story of the unhappiness Inca folks felt dropping their emperor, Atahualpa.
21. There’s a neighborhood of African descent in Ecuador with a tremendous story
A Jesuit slave ship certain for Ecuador ran aground within the seventeenth century. These on board being transported for use as slaves swam ashore and escaped by way of the jungle, led by a chief named Anton. They maintained their freedom. Their descendants dwell within the Chota Valley, which spans the Carchi, Esmeraldas, and Imbabura provinces.
22. The official forex of Ecuador is the US Greenback
That’s proper; regardless that it’s not US territory, the official forex of Ecuador is definitely the US greenback. A invoice was signed in 2000, making the US greenback the principle forex. It changed the sucre, 25,000 of which have been price simply $1. That is a type of Ecuador info that’s tremendous essential for these touring there.
23. There’s an iguana park in Ecuador
For a bizarre little reality about Ecuador, we head to Parque Seminario in Guayaquil. Lots of of iguanas have, for some purpose, made this park dwelling. They wander round, sunbathe, and watch folks watching them. It’s not a zoo; it’s an precise metropolis park. There are distributors promoting lettuce you possibly can feed to the iguanas. In fact, this park is also called Parque de las Iguanas.
24. Ecuadorian rubbish vehicles play music
That is a type of enjoyable info about Ecuador I couldn’t miss. Sure, they play songs like old-school ice cream vehicles. So if you happen to’re woke up by that music field kinda sound at 6 am, you gained’t should surprise who’s getting a popsicle; it’s simply the rubbish man. Gasoline and water vehicles additionally play music, you recognize, simply in case you want extra. That’s life in Ecuador.
25. Ecuador has a nationwide fruit
It’s referred to as the guanabana, and it’s a spiky, inexperienced, bitter fruit referred to as a “soursop” in English. However being a firmly tropical nation, and with all that volcanic soil, Ecuador is fairly properly located to develop a complete load of tasty fruit.
Avocados, mangos, plums, pitahaya (like a dragon fruit however yellow), mora (like a blackberry), and extra identified and unknown fruits apart from.
26. A fifteenth birthday for women in Ecuador known as a quinceanera
Candy 16 could also be extra of a factor elsewhere, however in Ecuador, it’s one yr earlier. A part of Mesoamerican tradition, turning 15 is sort of a coming of age. In Ecuador, the daddy accompanies the daughter; there’s a waltz kind of like a primary dance, then there’s extra dancing, meals, much more dancing, a “shock” dance, toasts, cake-cutting, speeches… It’s a giant deal!
27. Panama hats originate in Ecuador
Enjoyable reality about Ecuador: these straw hats broadly referred to as “Panama hats” aren’t from Panama in any respect; they’re from Ecuador, they usually’re much less generally, referred to as “Ecuadorian hats.”
The artwork of weaving one out of toquilla palm has been acknowledged by UNESCO. Why the confusion? Roosevelt was pictured sporting one when he went to see the progress of the Panama Canal, so there you go.
28. Voting is obligatory in Ecuador
Yep. You don’t have any alternative in not having a alternative: you need to vote – which is an excellent attention-grabbing reality about Ecuador! That is due to a regulation handed all the best way again in 1936. Even after the Seventies dictatorships, this regulation got here again into place.
It’s obligatory between the ages of 18 and 65. However you possibly can truly vote from as younger as 16 if you wish to. Even if you happen to’re a foreigner, when you’ve registered to vote, it’s important to vote!
29. Ecuador is made up of 4 distinct areas
There’s La Costa – that’s straightforward; the coast. It’s filled with fertile land and is the place lots of bananas and rice are grown. Then there’s La Sierra; these are the highlands, comprising the Andes (dwelling to volcanoes, tall peaks, and lots of potato-growing).
La Amazonia – or El Oriente – consists of the Amazon, nationwide parks, and is dwelling to Amazonian tribes (and oil). Then there’s La Area Insular, i.e., the Galapagos, which wants no introduction.
30. Measuring the equator started in Ecuador
In 1736, French astronomers began to calculate the place the equator – the imaginary line halving the Earth – could be. They made a fairly correct measurement of the Earth, so correct that they might additionally show that the world was removed from an ideal sphere. (Clearly, fashionable strategies have refined this measurement).
I hope you loved these enjoyable Ecuador info! If you recognize any you suppose we should always add please depart a remark and tell us!
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