Five questions about Ecuador – Quick Quiz answers
We asked you five quick trivia questions about Ecuador. Here are the answers:
- What famous – but misnamed – style of hat originated in Ecuador in the 17th century?
The Panama hat. Lightweight and breathable, the hats were traditionally shipped to Panama before onward shipment to Europe, North America and Asia, which is how they got their name. A superfino Panama hat can pass through a wedding ring when rolled for storage. - The capital, Quito, is the second-largest city in Ecuador. What’s the largest?
Guayaquil, which is also the country’s main port. It had a population of 2.35 million in 2010, with a further 1.4 million in the broader metropolitan area. It was founded in 1538 by the Spanish with the full name “Most Noble and Most Loyal City of St. James of Guayaquil”! - The last sovereign Inca Emperor before the Spanish conquest in 1533 was born in Quito. What was his name?
Atahuallpa, variously Atahualpa, Atabalipa or Atawallpa. Captured by Francisco Pizarro, he offered to fill a room with gold for the Spanish, probably in return for his life rather than his liberty, but was convicted of murder, idolatry and revolt by a kangaroo court and was executed by garrotting. - Ecuador’s most valuable export is crude petroleum, but it’s possibly more famous for its second most valuable export. What?
Bananas. Ecuador is the world’s largest exporter of bananas (although it ranks only fifth in overall production), accounting for nearly 30% of all exported bananas; Chiquita, Del Monte, Dole and Fyffes all have plantations there. - Ecuador owns a famous group of islands some 500 nautical miles to the west in the Pacific Ocean. What is the archipelago’s name?
The Galapagos Islands. There are 21 islands and 107 rocks and islets. All the islands have Spanish and English names; the English names are commonly used by naturalists for convenience, a legacy of Charles Darwin’s visit on HMS Beagle in 1835.
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