Galapagos << guh LAH puh `gohs` >> Islands lie in the Pacific Ocean about 600 miles (970 kilometers) west of Ecuador. The islands belong to Ecuador. They are known for their peculiar variety of animal and plant life. Many of these animals and plants exist nowhere else.
The Galapagos cover an area of 3,029 square miles (7,844 square kilometers). They are made up of volcanic peaks, some of which occasionally erupt. Much of the land area of the islands is covered with hardened lava.
The Galapagos are also called the Archipielago de Colón. There are 13 major islands, 6 smaller ones, and dozens of islets and rocks. They have Spanish and English names. The largest are Isabela (Albemarle), Santa Cruz (Indefatigable), San Cristobal (Chatham), Fernandina (Narborough), San Salvador (James), and Santa Maria or Floreana (Charles).
Many rare creatures live in the Galapagos. They include marine iguanas, which are the only lizards that feed in the sea, and giant tortoises that weigh more than 500 pounds (230 kilograms). The Spanish word for the tortoises, galapagos, gave the islands their name. Other peculiar animals include cormorants that cannot fly, the vampire finch, and the Galapagos penguin, which lives farther north than any other penguin.
The Galapagos became famous after the British naturalist Charles Darwin visited in 1835 and wrote about the unusual wildlife there. His observations helped him form his theory of evolution—that is, the idea that living things developed over millions of years. Today, scientists still study the animals and plants of the Galapagos.
The human population of the Galapagos has increased greatly since the 1980’s. Between the censuses of 1982 and 2022, the population grew from about 6,000 to nearly 30,000. Numerous tourists also visit the islands each year. Many people believe that human economic activities, such as fishing, construction, and tourism, are harming the environment of the islands. Human beings have also accidentally and intentionally brought new animals to the islands. These animals, which include cats, dogs, fire ants, goats, pigs, and rats, compete with native animals for food. In some cases, they even feed on the native animals. People also have introduced plants, such as elephant grass and the guava, that threaten the existence of native plants. See Invasive species.
In 1959, Ecuador created the Galapagos National Park to help protect the environment of the Galapagos. The park includes more than 95 percent of the islands’ land area. In 1978, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added the Galapagos Islands to its World Heritage List, an international registry of sites with great cultural or natural value. In 1998, Ecuador established the Galapagos Marine Reserve, an area of protected waters extending 40 miles (65 kilometers) out from the island group’s perimeter. The protected marine area later was expanded to include about 76,400 square miles (198,000 square kilometers). Laws limit fishing activity in the protected area.
See also Darwin, Charles R.; Evolution (Natural selection) (Geographic distribution of species); Iguana; Tortoise.
