Which country gives the equator its name in Spanish?

Ecuador gives the equator its name in Spanish: “Ecuador” means “equator.” The country is officially called the Republic of Ecuador and lies on South America's northwestern Pacific coast.

The equator crosses Ecuador just north of Quito, the national capital. A popular monument and museum complex called Ciudad Mitad del Mundo marks the line, although modern GPS measurements place the actual equatorial line a short distance away from the monument.

Ecuador includes three major mainland regions—the Pacific Coast, the Andes, and the Amazon basin—as well as the Galápagos Islands. Its name was adopted when the country separated from Gran Colombia in 1830. The equator also crosses Colombia, Brazil, Indonesia, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, and several other countries, but Ecuador is the one named directly for it.