1. Ecuador gets its name from the word equator since the equator runs right through the country, so you can stand in the northern and southern hemisphere at the same time
2. The monument marking the equator in Ciudad Mitad del Munda isn’t quite in the right spot. Modern measurements have shown it’s actually 240 metres north
3. Mount Chimborazo is technically higher than Mt Everest due to the fact that the earth bulges at the equator. That means it is closer to the sun than any other point on earth
4. Ecuador is home to 4,250 species of orchids, the most of any country in the world
5. Some of the most colourful and sought after roses in the world are grown in Ecuador, thanks to favourable growing conditions in the Andes
6. Ecuador is the biggest exporter of bananas in the world
7. The Galapagos Islands, which are also in Ecuador, were the first ever UNESCO World Heritage-listed site
8. The capital city of Quito was the second UNESCO World Heritage-listed site, first getting its listing back in 1978
9. Quito is also the highest capital city in the world, at 2,850m above sea level
10. In Quito, water boils at 90 degrees due to the altitude
11. Despite the fact that Quito is the capital, Guyaquil has the biggest population
12. The Panama Hat actually comes from Ecuador
13. Ecuador is home to Chalupas Volcano, one of the world’s 7 megavolcanoes
14. There are more than 1,600 species of birds in Ecuador, which makes up 15% of known species worldwide
15. The national tree of Ecuador, the cinchona, produces quinine, the first drug used to prevent malaria
16. Ecuador is one of 17 megadiverse countries, and has the most biodiversity of any nation in the world
17. Cotopaxi Volcano is the highest active volcano in the world
18. Ecuador has four distinct geographical locations – the amazon jungle, the coastal region, the Andes (or sierra) and the Galapagos Islands
19. Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution is based on his findings in the Galapagos Islands back in 1835
20. Spanish is the official language of Ecuador, but 13 other indigenous languages are also recognised
21. Ecuador is the smallest Andean country
22. In Ecuador, nature has its own constitutional rights, recognising its “right to exist, persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycles”
23. Guinea pig, or cuy, is a regional delicacy which tastes similar to rabbit or duck
24. The olinguito, found in the cloud forests of Ecuador in 2013, is the most recently discovered mammal
25. Ecuador’s national currency is the US dollar
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