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Here are a few facts about Ecuador that might surprise you.
- Although Ecuador is only the size of the state of Colorado in the U.S., there are 18 different languages spoken among native communities. Spanish is the primary language of the country, and most of the indigenous population also speaks Quichua.
- Although on the equator, Ecuador is not a hot country. Cities along the Andes Mountains, like Cuenca, Riobamba, and the capital Quito, have average high temperatures in the 60s Fahrenheit (16 to 21 C) year-round, only occasionally reaching 80 degrees (27 C). The coast is cooled by the Humboldt Current, and though humid, the temperature rarely reaches 95 degrees (35 C). Guayaquil is typically in the 80s (27-31 C). The high mountains have perpetual snow, and the Amazon Basin is the only area that is consistently hot and humid.
- Although 95% of the population is Catholic, the Mormon church also has a following in Ecuador.
- The official currency of Ecuador is the U.S. Dollar. In fact, Ecuador is the only country besides the U.S. that uses the U.S. Dollar as its only currency. You can use the same bills and coins as you use in the United States. There are some Ecuadorian coins that are used as well, with values of one cent, five cents, ten cents, twenty-five cents and fifty cents.
- Ecuador has the most biodiversity of any country in the world by area, with more than 9 species of plants and animals per square kilometer.
- By culture and environment, Ecuador is generally divided into four parts: the Galapagos Islands, the coastal area, the Andes Mountains area, and the Amazon rain forest.
- Ecuador has the closest place on the planet to the sun, the summit of Mount Chimborazo. Although at 20,702 feet above sea level it is considered lower than Mount Everest (29,031 feet), the Earth bulges at the equator. This makes the top of Chimborazo the furthest point from the center of the Earth, or to look at it the other way, the closest point on the planet to the sun.
- Ecuador has 14 bird species that are found nowhere else in the world. It is also one of the most diverse countries when it comes to birds. In fact, despite its small size, it is ranked third in the world in total number of bird species.
