Ecuador

Ecuador means "equator" in English.

The capital of Ecuador is Quito.

World Record

The summit of of Mount Chimborazo, Ecuador's highest mountain, is the point on Earth closest to the sun. Due to the mountain's location along the equator, its summit is the farthest point from the Earth's core. This also means that Ecuador is the closest country to space.

Quito, the capital, is officially the highest capital city in the world. La Paz, Bolivia, is actually higher, but it is not the constitutional capital (that's in Sucre).

Ecuador is the only country to be named after a geograpical feature (the equator).

Other Interesting Facts

The Galápagos Islands belong to Ecuador.

Charles Darwin visited Ecuador's Galápagos Islands in 1835 and largely based his theory of evolution on the discoveries he made there.

Galápagos penguins live in the Galápagos Islands.

Guinea pig, known as cuy, is considered a delicious dish in Ecuador.

Ecuador has 21 volcanoes.

Cotopaxi Volcano is a famous active volcano in Ecuador. There is also an outdoor brand named after Cotopaxi.

The Andes Mountains pass through Ecuador.