As its name implies, Ecuador was derived from the word “equator” because of its central position on the planet. A French mission came to Ecuador in 1736 to map the exact location of the equator. They calculated that it was located about 20 kilometers north of the center of the Ecuadorian capital of Quito. This monument called Mitad del Mundo – “The Middle of the World” - was erected to mark the “exact” location of the equator. Or so they thought…...