Ecuador is one of the small countries of South America. It is about the size of the state of Arizona and has a population of 1 1/2 million. It is the only country in the world named after an imaginary line. The Equator cuts the country into two parts, and it is from this word that the name of the country comes. It is the last country southward in the western tier of countries in South America that is well supplied with rain. Its capital is Quito (ke' to), but its chief city is Guayaquil (gwi' a-kel). Guayaquil is situated on the gulf of the same name. This gulf is the outlet of the Guayas River, the largest river on the western coast of South America. It is a city with a population of 80,000, making it about the size of Des Moines. Guayaquil imports annually from the United States and Europe over $10,000,000 worth of products. It exports an equal amount of goods,

consisting of coffee, rubber, hides, and cocoa. Guayaquil is one of the wettest and most unhealthful cities in the world. The country surrounding it is flooded during the rainy season each year. Many of its streets are dirty and many of the houses are built of bamboo laths so that they will not be toppled over by the frequent earthquakes. THis is one of the most beautiful sections of the city. The white houses with their red tiled roofs, taken together with the spires of the churches, make a pleasing picture against the background of hills. The little Spanish maiden is posing for her picture. The country is naturally very rich in its forests, its soil, and in its minerals. None of these are worked properly, so that the whole country does not produce as much as a small New England city.