Ecuador - interesting facts

Ecuador - the smallest of the independent countries of South America, received its name due to a unique geographical location. What, in fact, is the country of Ecuador, interesting facts about which will be presented below? For a long time on the territory of Ecuador lived the tribes of the Indians, who formed military alliances and states. But even the most powerful of them, the state of the Incas, could not resist the invasion of the Spaniards. Since 1531, the European colonization of the country has begun, lasting about three hundred years. Nowadays Ecuador is a developing country that stably enters the top five of the largest exporters of bananas, coffee and roses, successfully promotes beach and excursion tourism.

Unique and interesting facts about Ecuador

Customs and traditions

1. Ecuador is the country that suffered the greatest territorial losses during the Second World War, after an unsuccessful confrontation with Peru. At the moment it is the smallest independent state in South America.
2. The inhabitants of this country are famous for their careful attitude to nature. In May 2015, during the Siembratón action, 13 million Ecuadorian people planted 650,000 trees. This result was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.
3. Remarkable national features of Ecuador: in it everyone smiles at each other. Say hello to everyone you meet is considered a rule of good taste, and ignoring the signs of attention can lead to condemnation.
4. Famous worldwide straw hat-panama was invented in Ecuador.
5. Local people do not like the word "Indian" addressed to them. In this case, purebred Spaniards and representatives of other European nationalities among the local population is not more than 7%.
6. In Ecuador on the ground accidents that entailed human casualties, blue hearts are drawn about a meter in diameter.

National cuisine

1. The Spanish period influenced the local cuisine much less than in other countries. The brightest part of the traditional cuisine of Ecuador - a variety of soups, including a hearty potato soup "lokro de papas" - one of the most delicious soups in the world.
2. Favorite meat dish - fried qui, cooked from guinea pig. Ecuador has long been breeding these animals for food.
3. Only in Ecuador you can try interesting fruit juice "naranilia", with the aromas of peach and citrus.
4. The most expensive chocolate in the world is produced in Ecuador. One dark chocolate bar To'ak. weighing only 45 grams is 169 euros.

sights

The unique nature and rich historical heritage of Ecuador make this South American country one of the most attractive for fans of cultural tourism.

1. The most popular tourist attraction of Ecuador is "Mid-World" , a monument to the equator in Mitad del Mundo. After you make a photo on the background of the equator, local mail employees will put a special stamp on the postcard, envelope or even in the passport about visiting this important place.
2. In the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites, there are two Ecuadorian cities - Quito and Cuenca . Perfectly preserved are the Old Cathedral of El Sagrario and Calderon Square in Cuenca, the Church of San Francisco in Quito - witnesses of the former greatness of the Spaniards. The Church of La Compagnie in Quito is considered the best example of Baroque architecture in the New World.
3. One of the most dangerous railways in the world is located between the cities of Alausi and Sibambe and is symbolically called "The Devil's Nose" . The composition moves along narrow cornices, which are at different levels over a steep precipice. But the fear of heights, which some tourists fear, is necessarily compensated by the stunning mountain scenery.
4. The largest Indian market of South America is in the town of Otavalo, north of Quito .
5. In the town of Tulkan there is the most unusual cemetery in the world, where green bushes are skillfully transformed into amazing "living" sculptures-topiary. Number of figures - more than three hundred.

Nature

1. In Ecuador there is the highest active volcano in the world. The last eruption of Cotopaxi (height 5897 m) was recorded in 1942. On the slopes of Cotopaxi is one of the smallest equatorial glaciers in the world.
2. The top of the volcano Chimborazo is the most remote point from the center of the earth on the planet.
3. The Galapagos Islands are a small archipelago, remote from the mainland of Ecuador by 1000 km. They have a unique ecosystem. They became known all over the world thanks to Charles Darwin, who, while in Galapagos, developed his famous theory of natural selection.