Search This Blog

Sunday 30 November 2014

Ecuador

The city of Quito in Ecuador was founded by 204 Spanish settlers led by Sebastián de Belalcázar on December 6, 1534. 29 years later, Quito became the seat of a Real Audiencia (administrative district) of Spain and became part of the Viceroyalty of Peru.

View of Quito from El Panecillo.

In 1819, Ecuador, together with Colombia, Venezuela and Panama declared independence from Spain, and formed a federation called "Gran Colombia". Ecuador separated from Gran Columbia on May 13, 1830.

The national flag of Ecuador, which consists of horizontal bands of yellow (double width), blue and red, was first adopted by law on 1835 and later on September 26, 1860. The design of the current flag was finalized in 1900 with the addition of the coat of arms in the center of the flag.


Ecuador and Peru went to war between themselves in 1941. Neither country was part of Axis or Allies. So, this was an international conflict that happened during World War II but which was entirely separate to any of it.

At its peak in the mid-1950s, Ecuador was the largest banana-producing nation in the world.

At high noon on October 1, 2004, Ecuadorians synchronized their watches simultaneously to combat the chronic lateness that was costing their economy $2.5 Billion per year. The signal was also transmitted to public clocks and other timekeeping devices. The campaign also included educational materials and public service announcements to promote the importance of punctuality. The campaign was a success, and it helped to reduce chronic lateness in Ecuador. A study by the World Bank found that the campaign saved the Ecuadorian economy $1 billion per year.

The 2008 Constitution of Ecuador recognized nature as an entity with legally enforceable rights, making it the first country in the world to do so.

On April 2, 2017, Lenin Moreno was elected President of Ecuador defeating banker Guillermo Lasso in the Ecuadorian presidential round-off with 51% of the vote to Lasso's 49%. As a paraplegic, Moreno became the world’s only head of state in a wheelchair.

Ecuador is the only country in the world officially named after a geographical feature. Ecuador is named after the equator which runs through the country. The official name, República del Ecuador, translates as “The Republic of the Equator”.

In Guayaquil, Ecuador, there is a statue in honour of the Ecuadorian poet, Jose Olemedo. It is really a statue of Lord Byron purchased because it would have cost too much to commission a statue of the poet himself.


The highest point on the Earth is Mt. Chimborazo in Ecuador in the Andes mountain chain. It’s about 2.4 kilometers higher than Mt. Everest.

The "Mitad del Mundo" monument a 100-foot statue about 15 miles outside Quito was built in 1979 to mark the equator. It has a bold yellow line marking the line of zero degrees latitude.

Ecuador introduced compulsory voting for all citizens aged 18 to 65 years old in 1936. Only the illiterate are excused.

All countries in South America use their own currency, except Ecuador.

As of 2018, 17,084,358 people live in Ecuador.

Source Cnn.com, Naija

No comments:

Post a Comment