11 interesting facts to know about Ecuador as Nigeria signs visa-free agreement with the country
Nigeria and Ecuador have agreed to sign a visa-free agreement to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.
Before the agreement is finally signed, Legit.ng highlights 11 interesting facts you should know about Ecuador.
1. Quinine, the first drug used to prevent and treat malaria, is produced by the national tree of Ecuador.
2. Ecuador is one of only two countries in South America that does not share a border with Brazil.
3. In 2008, Ecuador became the first country to officially recognise the rights of nature. The country recognises that nature has constitutional "right to exist, persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycles".
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4. WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, who is under investigation by the United States government and facing extradition to Sweden, has been living in Ecuador since 2012 after he sought refuge at the Embassy of Ecuador in London.
5. Ecuador is the closest country to space. The summit of Mount Chimborazo, Ecuador’s highest mountain, is the point on earth closest to the sun. Due to the mountain’s location along the equatorial bulge, its summit is the farthest point from the Earth’s core.
6. Ecuador is one of 17 megadiverse countries in the world and has the most biodiversity per square kilometre of any nation.
7. 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”.
8. At least, fourteen recognised languages are spoken in Ecuador. Spanish is the official language while 13 indigenous languages are also recognised including Quichua and Shuar
9. Guinea pig, known as ‘cuy’, is considered a delicacy in Ecuador, its consumption is seen as an ancient tradition.
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10. Ecuador has the highest official capital city in the world, which is Quito. La Paz in Bolivia is higher but it is not the constitutional capital (it is Sucre), only the seat of government.
11. Ecuador's Galápagos Islands were visited by Charles Darwin in 1835. Darwin based his theory of evolution on the discoveries he made there.
Recall that Legit.ng previously reported that Ecuador's ambassador to Nigeria, Deopoldo Rovayo, disclosed that his country and Nigeria had agreed to sign a visa-free agreement to strengthen bilateral relations.
The development was made public on Wednesday, June 20, during a courtesy visit to the permanent secretary, ministry of foreign Affairs, Amb Olukunle Bamgbose.
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Source: Legit.ng
