On The Equator?

Not far from the city of Quito is a tourist attraction called “La Mitad del Mundo” (The Middle of the World).  It was orignally thought that the equator ran through this location.  This was due to a geographer named Luis Tufiño who in 1936 placed the equator’s location in that place.

However, with the invention of the GPS system it was discovered that the equator was 240 meters north of the current location.  About a 5 minute drive from Mitad del Mundo there is a little tourist attraction that is on the equator that has all sorts of fun things to do.  Such as how the coriolis effect is different when draining out of a basin water on the north side of the equator versus the south side of the equator versus directly over the equator.  Simple experiments to demonstrate the equatorial effects on us and the things around us.

So when you go to Ecuador be sure to check out the fake equator line and the real equator line as they are right around the corner from each other.