Ecuador
Language
While Spanish is the official language spoken, Quichua is spoken by many of the indigenous people. There are nine other indigenous languages that are spoken throughout Ecuador. English is the most spoken foreign language.
Slang terms:
- Achachay An exclamation for when you feel cold
- ¡Qué bestia! How crazy!
- Chévere Translates to "sweet" or "cool" and is used frequently
- De ley Absolutely
- Dios le paque Thank you, used with food
- ¿Mande? Use when you need someone to repeat themselves
- ¡Ojo! Watch out or pay attention
- ¡Sale! "Shoo" to dogs
- ¿Cachas? Do you understand?
- Tímbrame Call me
Attractions
Galapagos Islands
Charles Darwin developed the theory of evolution by natural selection while researching during the 1800s. 97% of the island is a national park and is also a marine and biosphere reserve.
City of Quito
This is the capital of Ecuador and is located atop the Andes Mountains. Quito was a historically important spot on the trade routes for the indigenous people long before the Spanish came. The Iglesia de la Compañía is a very famous church known for its Spanish Baroque architecture and its central nave is decorated with gold leaf.
Historic Centre of Santa Ana de los Rios de Cuenca
This inland colonial town has been a melting pot for immigrant and local populations. It is located in the south of Ecuador in a valley surrounded by the Andean mountains. It became a major exporter of straw hats, quinine, and other products during the 19th century.
Qhapaq Ñan (Andean Road System)
The Incas built this network of roads over several centuries. This network of roads serves as a way of communication, trade, and defense. It stretches up to 30,000 kilometers, equivalent to 18,641 miles.
Fun Facts
- Ecuador is one of seventeen megadiverse countries in the world! It has the highest level of biodiversity per square kilometer/mile of any nation.
- In the late 1730s an expedition from the French Academy of Sciences traveled to Ecuador with the goal of measuring the radius of the earth at the equator. These measurements were used to form the basis for the metric system which was adopted in 1799.
- The cinchona tree produced Quinine and is the national tree of Ecuador. Quinine was the first drug to prevent and treat malaria.
- The sun sets and rises every day at 6 o’clock all year round. This is because of the country’s location on the equator.
- Guinea pigs, known as “cuy”, are considered a local delicacy in many cities in the highlands.
- Mount Chimborazo is Ecuador’s highest peak, standing 1.5 miles or 2.4 kilometers higher than Mount Everest. This makes it the closest point on Earth to outer space.
- Studies have shown that Ecuador might be the original source of cacao, having been consumed for nearly 5,000 years.
- Panama hats, which are straw-brimmed hats woven from tequila palm plants actually originated in Ecuador where they were worn in Andean and coastal regions of Ecuador. They wore these as far back as the 1600s!
- There are around 300 types of bananas growing in Ecuador! They produce 25% of the world’s bananas.
- Quito is called the “Capital of Orchids” because it has over 450 species of orchids. In all of Ecuador, there are about 4,300 species of orchids that have been found.
Travel Guidelines
Prevention Medication for: Malaria
Vaccines:
- COVID-19
- Chickenpox (Varicella)
- Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (TDAP)
- Flu (influenza)
- Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)
- Polio
- Hepatitis A & B
- Rabies
- Typhoid
- Yellow Fever