The Middle of the World, or the Equator, is the line equidistant from the North and South Poles. Ecuador is also the name of a country, representing a nation, a millennia-long history, and the cultural identity of a society.

The region of the Equatorial Andes is also known as "The Middle of the World", where evidence has been found that proves that in the past of the region there was a deep astronomical awareness and there is the possibility that the Quitu-Caranqui indigenous people, before the conquest of the Incas, were able to reach the exact positioning of the equatorial line in the archaeological site of Catequilla (watch video), which was possibly used as an astronomical observatory. This archaeological site is located exactly on the Equinoctial line, easily verifiable with satellite technology, GPS or Google Earth.

Monuments of the Middle of the World

There are several monuments built in honor of the Middle of the World, and they are found in many countries along the equator. They exist in Brazil, Sao Tome and Principe, Gabon, Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, and Indonesia. However, the most striking and best-known are found in the Republic of Ecuador, better known as the Middle of the World. However, there are some monuments that are, and others that are not. There is a great deal of confusion surrounding this controversy. To explain the truth about the origin and true meaning of these sites, we will explain them one by one, starting with the most recommended.

Ecuador Sundial

Exactly at latitude 0°0´0´´, with an accuracy of one millimeter, the Ecuador Sundial is the first monument in the Middle of the World in the history of the Republic of Ecuador. It consists of a circular platform 54 meters in diameter, which forms a large mosaic of river stones, in light and dark tones that draw the eight-pointed star also known as the compass rose. In the center of this platform is a ten-meter-high cylindrical post that serves as a gnomon or shadow marker, which will indicate the corresponding hours and months according to the apparent transit of the Sun.

Quitsato Sundial

The Ecuador Sun Clock was designed to serve different purposes, both in terms of its operation and applicability. In terms of its operation, the Sun Clock not only marks the true hours, that is, the hours marked by the shadows cast by the gnomon and the apparent position of the Sun during daylight hours, but also marks the months of the year. Explanations of the shadow's position are always accompanied by verbal explanations provided by the Clock's guides to the daily visitors to this monument.
The design, based on light and dark tones, makes this Sundial the first monument in the world designed to be observed and replicated from satellites, since the temperature radiated by the platform renders the light-toned stone lines cooler than the mosaic background, which is made of dark-colored stones. The purpose of this interplay of temperatures is not only to allow it to be replicated using thermal satellite images, but also to create a narrative that will help Quitsato exhibitors raise awareness of the importance of sunlight for life and the absorption power of the different tones displayed on the Earth's surface and their reflectance, as well as how satellite technology works.

World March for Peace

The angles that make up the geometric design of the eight-pointed star are determined by the Earth's inclination relative to the ecliptic, or the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun. Therefore, the platform itself also presents a reading of celestial mechanics. The positions of the solstices and equinoxes are detailed, as are their respective axes, such as the poles and the axes of the ecliptic.

Regarding the applicability of this construction, its objective is not only to provide the Ecuadorian nation with a monument that solidly represents the foundation of its cultural identity, but also to offer national and international visitors the opportunity to learn about and understand the reason for the existence of the Middle of the World and to accurately locate themselves on the equator. Another purpose of this project is to provide a recreational space where we offer the opportunity to learn about basic astronomy, equatorial geography, geometry, trigonometry, satellite technology, local history, and culture.

Exhibitions, Sundial

The Sundial's most important objective is to rescue, renew, and dignify the concept of the Middle of the World, the very foundation of Ecuadorian cultural identity and history. It aims to offer a site where visitors are treated with respect, provided with reliable and up-to-date information. The renewal of the concept of the Middle of the World aims to present a perspective of our planet with balance and unity.
This monument is promoted by the Quitsato Project, a non-profit project that allocates funds for research on the Equator. This large sundial is located at kilometer 47 of the Quito-Cayambe highway, in the Guachalá sector, Pichincha Province.

“Middle of the World City” Monument

Monument in honor of the French Geodetic Missions.

One of the things that needs to be clarified regarding the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo monument, which was built in 1982 to replace another that was located on the same site and is now located in the town of Cala Calí, is that they were never built as monuments to the Mitad del Mundo, but rather in commemoration of the two hundredth anniversary of the visit of the French Geodetic Missions. This is what is even written on the plaques on the sides of these two monuments. This monument is also not displaced on the equinoctial line, according to the geodetic datums applicable to the region, such as WGS84. Therefore, this monument does not represent the boundary between the North and South hemispheres, nor was it generated by the Geodetic Studies carried out with Astronomical measurements by the French Academy of Sciences in 1736. The French Geodetic Mission was never at this site; they stayed in the town of Cala Calí and at Hacienda Tanlahua, to carry out the respective triangulations from Mount Casitahua and Tanlahua. One of the members located reference markers of the Equinoctial Line at Punta Gallinazo at the mouth of the Coaque River on the coast of what is now Manabí Province, and the other in the Tambo sector, at Hacienda Guachalá, near Cayambe, located in the inter-Andean valley of the Equatorial Andes.

Guachalá Estate, aerial photo. Photo: Santiago Pallares

French geodesists never visited the site of the misnamed Middle of the World Monument, a "tourist" site of the Pichincha Provincial Council, the "Middle of the World City" in San Antonio de Pichincha. The first monument built in honor of the French Geodetic Missions was geodetically positioned by the Director of the Quito Astronomical Observatory, Engineer Luis Tufiño, in 1935, taking into account the measurements developed by French geodesists on the Yaruquí Plain, which were the base measurements for the geodetic triangulations they were to perform; the landmarks corresponded to Caraburo and Oyacachi.

Map of geodetic triangulations. 18th century. The vertices in the mountains can be seen.

If we want to consider these monuments important, we must first recognize them as they were historically built: as monuments in honor of the French Geodetic Missions, not as the Middle of the World. Whether or not they are located on the Equator becomes irrelevant, since the original concept of the monuments was of a different nature; therefore, they should be called Monuments commemorating the French Geodetic Missions.
According to coordinate positions taken with geodetic GPS, the Monument in Honor of the French Geodetic Missions is located 7.7 seconds south of the zero parallel, approximately 240 meters. This indicates that, with the most up-to-date technology available, this monument is supposedly not located on the Equator. This can be verified with great accuracy, anywhere in the world and by anyone, by visiting Google Earth online. We will easily see all these positions, including the archaeological site of Catequilla and the new monument in the Middle of the World, the Ecuadorian Sundial.
The “Middle of the World City” Monument is important to our history, as long as it is recognized as the Monument in Honor of the French Geodesic Missions, but not as the Middle of the World. It never was, it is not, and it never will be.
In the following video, you can learn some background about La Mitad del Mundo: