Gail Smothery, age 9, of Burlington, N.C., for her question;

How did Ecuador get its name?

The Spanish word for the equator is Ecuador. The equator, of course, is exactly halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole. Find it on your gift globe, and follow it around the wide waist of the world. It crosses South America, where most of the people speak Spanish.

This is where you would expect to find the country named Ecuador. And there it is, just where the equator meets the vast Pacific Ocean. The beautiful capital of Ecuador is Quito, 15 miles south of the equator. It stands almost two miles above sea leyel among the lofty peaks Of the Arider mountains.