Fascinating Facts About Ecuador

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Christina María Aguilera, who is a famous American singer, has Ecuadorian origin.His father was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador.Only 26 years, she has already made a place for herself in the world of American music. Over the last eight years, Christina Aguilera has produced six albums, including “Christina Aguilera” (1999), “Mi Reflejo” (2000), “My Kind of Christmas” (2000), “Just Be Free” (2001), and “Back to Basics” (2006).

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Ecuador has many famous people:Oswaldo Guayasamín (painter), Jorge Icaza Coronel (writer), Jefferson Leonardo Perez Quesada ( olympic sportsperson), Betty Pino (journalist), José Ayala Lasso (ambassador), Diego Cordovez (ambassador), and Galo Plaza Lasso (former secretary of the Organization of American States (O.A.S.).

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Surprisingly,the small country of Ecuador has produced two of the best tennis players in the past century.Pancho Segura was one of the best tennis player in the 1940s and 1950s.Francisco Olegario Segura, best known as “Pancho Sgura”, was born on June 20, 1921, in Guayaquil, Ecuador.Like Guillermo Vilas or José Luis Clerc (Argentina), Raúl Ramírez (Mexico) and Alejandro Olmedo (Peru),Andrés Gómez was also one of the best tennis players in Latin America. Losing only set in four rounds of play, Andrés Gómez eased into the 1990 French Open final against Andre Agassi (United States).He was one of the Third World´s most famous athletes in the 1980s and early 1990s.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Different from Cuba (communist dictatorship) and Venezuela (military dictatorship), Ecuador is a democratic state based on a representative government and the three branches of national power…

DID YOU KNOW THAT…In 1972, Jorge Delgado Panchana, who was born in Guayaquil (Ecuador), became the first Ecuadorian to classify in the finals at the Olympic Games, where he ended fourth in the world in the 200-meter butterfly style competition in Munich, West Germany (currently Germany). Jorge Delgado was one of the best athletes of Latin America in the 20th century.At the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico City, Mexico, he won the gold medal in the 200-meter freestyle swimming competition. In the 1970s, Jorge Delgado Panchana was coached by Jack Nelson, who was born in the United States.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…The South American country is a popular travel destination.It possesses an exceptionally rich and diverse plant life…Ecuador lends itself to mysticism.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Ecuador has had many famous sportsmen and women in the 20th century: Andres Gómez (tennis), Francisco Segura (tennis), Rolando Vera (track and field), Jorge Delgado Panchana (swimming), José Cedeño (taekwondo), Duvan Langa (taekwondo), Jacinta Sandinford (track and field),Nancy Vallecilla (track and field), Nicolas Lapentti Gómez(tennis), Boris Burov (weightlifting),Galo Legarda (billiards), Mariuxi Febres (swimming) and Alberto Spencer Herrera (soccer).

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Like Volcans National Park (Rwanda), Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (Indonesia), Ha Long Bay (Vietnam)and Iguazu Waterfalls (Argentina and Brazil), Galapagos National Park is one of the nature wonders of the world.It is the most important natural monument of Ecuador.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Ecuador is famous in Latin America as the birthplace of Oswaldo Guayasamín, one of the best painters in the 20th century.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…The biodiversity of Ecuador is one of its greatest riches.Bird life is prolific… Ecuador ranks fifth in the world for the number of species it hosts.In Ecuador we can find more than 1.445 species of birds (compared to only 600 in the United States).

DID YOU KNOW THAT…The 5th Taekwondo World Championship was held in Guayaquil, Ecuador,in February 1982.National teams from 36 countries came to Guayaquil for the competition.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Ecuador was a founding member of the United Nations in 1945…

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Ecuador is rich in resources such as shrimps, bananas, flowers,coffee and petroleum.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Rosalía Arteaga Serrano de Fernández de Cordova was elected president of Ecuador for 3 days (February 9,1997-February 11, 1997).She was Ecuador´s first female president.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Without a doubt, the most famous sportsperson in Ecuadorian history is Jefferson Leonardo Pérez Quesada.Surprisingly, he won the gold medal in 20-kilometer walk at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…With a total area of nearly 109,500 sq.km, Ecuador is bigger than the United Kingdom, Israel, Luxembourg, Singapur, Bahrein and Hong Kong combined.More than 13 million people live there.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…American first lady Eleanor Rosalynn Smith Carter visited Ecuador in 1978.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Jorge Icaza (1906-1978) is Ecuador´s most famous contemporary writer.He wrote the widely acclaimed “Huasipungo” (1934).

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Ecuador is one of the oldest republics in the Third World.Ecuador became independent country in 1822,

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Betty Pino, a distinguished journalist, was born in Ecuador.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Ecuadorian culture reflects an admixture of Spanish, African and native Indian influences, similar in many respects to the traditions of Peru and Colombia.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…At least thirty percent of the country´s natural land resources were dedicated to conservation with laws prohibiting hunting,exploitation and trapping in park areas.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…María Soledad Diab Aguilar is one of the most beautiful Ecuadorian woman of all time.She was named Miss Ecuador-Universe in 1992. Miss Ecuador won Miss Photogenic during the Miss Universe 1992 Beauty Pageant held in Bangkok, Thailand.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Between July 13 and July 29,2007,Ecuadorian delegation participated in the Pan American Games held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, winning 5 gold, 4 silver, and 10 bronze medals. Overall the Ecuadorian team ranked eleventh…

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Frederick Ashton, a world-famous dancer and choreographer, was born on September 17, 1904, in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Galapagos tortoise is a national symbol of Ecuador.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…2004 was the second time the Miss Universe pageant was held in South America. The site was mystical Quito, the capital city of Ecuador.For the second time, Australia (Jennifer Hawkins) won the universal crown.There were a number of big favorites among Ecuadorian journalists, including Miss Ukraine (Okelsandra Nikolayenko), Miss USA (Shandi Ren Finnessey) and Miss Venezuela (Ana Karina Añez Delgado)….Maria Susana Rivadeniera Simball became the second Ecuadorian woman to reach the semi-finals in Miss Universe. Miss Ecuador 2004 impressed judges with her personality, beauty and intelligence. One of the judges was Jefferson Pérez (gold olympic medalist).

DID YOU KNOW THAT…In 1996 Quito, the capital of Ecuador, had a population of only 1,487,523.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…The national sport in Ecuador is soccer, called “fútbol”…Ecuador qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup…Edson Arantes do Nascimento,best known as “Pele”, once said, “They play the most modern and surprising soccer in all Latin America”.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Pope John Paul II visited Ecuador in 1985.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Mike Judge, who is a famous American animator and producer, was born in Guayaquil,Ecuador.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Naturalist Charles Darwin visited Ecuador (1835) and was delighted by the botanical and entomological diversity, collecting plants and animals from the Galapagos islands…

DID YOU KNOW THAT…The first largest city in Ecuador is Guayaquil.This city hosted the 4th Swimming World Championship in August 1982.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…first lady Martha Bucaram de Roldós (1979-1981) led the Ecuadorian delegation to the United Nations Denmark Conference on Women in 1980.She was a woman that always worked with love for Ecuador.