Mainland Ecuador operates on Ecuador Time (ECT) year-round, which is 5 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC-5). Ecuador does not observe daylight saving time, so the time remains consistent throughout the year.
Major cities including Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, and Manta all follow ECT. The Galápagos Islands use a separate timezone (GALT), which is UTC-6, one hour behind the mainland. Ecuador shares the same timezone as Colombia, Peru, and Panama.
Ecuador is named after the equator, which runs through the country. The "Middle of the World" monument (Mitad del Mundo) near Quito marks the equatorial line. Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth and includes the famous Galápagos Islands, which inspired Darwin's theory of evolution.