The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, 972 km (525 nmi) west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part. Wildlife is its most notable feature.
The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a biological marine reserve. The principal language on the islands is Spanish. The islands have a population of around 23,000.
These islands volcanic in origin and were never attached to any continent. Wildlife arrived here in one of three ways: flying, floating or swimming. Where in most environments larger mammals are are normally the predators at the top of the food chain these animals were unable to survive the journey. Thus the giant Galápagos tortoise became the largest land animal and due to the lack of natural predators, the wildlife in the Galápagos is known for being extremely tame.
The Galápagos Islands are noted as a home to a large number of endemic species. The stark rocky islands many with few plants made it necessary for many species need to adapt to survive here and by doing so evolving into new endemic species. It was after visiting the Galápagos and studying the endemic wildlife that inhabit the islands that a young Charles Darwin developed his Theory of Evolution.
A land iguana is seen carrying a lava lizard on it's back, at the Charles Darwin Foundation on Santa Cruz, in the Galapagos Archipelago, August 1, 2003. The Galapagos Islands are located 1,000 km off the coast of Ecuador. This year it is celebrating the 25th anniversary as a World Natural Heritage, as declared by UNESCO in 1978.REUTERS/Guillermo Granja GG/GNA flamingo feeds at a lake on Santa Cruz in Galapagos Archipielago, August 1, 2003. The Galapagos Archipielago is world famous for its wildlife.REUTERS/Guillermo Granja GGA seal with its lower body stained with petroleum rests on the rocks near the shore of San Cristobal island in the Galapagos Island chain, one week after the oil tanker "Jessica" ran aground, spilling diesel and bunker fuel into the sea, January 23, 2001. The Ecuadoran government declared a national emergency as the spill threatened one of the world's most unique ecosystems.RR/HBA seal wades in shallow water at San Cristobal in the Galapagos Island chain, January 24, 2001. Eight days after the Ecuadoran-registered tanker "Jessica" ran aground and spilled most of its cargo of diesel and bunker fuel, the spill continued to threaten animal species native only to the archipelago.RR/RCSA blue-footed boobie stands on a rock in San Cristobal Island, January 28, 2001. As efforts to clear away the stricken, semi-submerged tanker to blame for fouling the archipelago's cristalline waters foundered, Galapagos National Park teams scoured the coastline armed with nets and cleaning materials. Luckily however myriad exotic species including iguanas, flightless cormorants, sea lions and the famous Galapagos giant tortoises, a mix that inspired 19th century naturalist Darwin to devise his theory of evolution, have largely escaped contamination.GG/METhe lumbering giant Galapagos tortoise known as George, the last known of his sub-species, lifts his head up during a walk in his protected home in the island chain, February 5, 2001. George is the last of his line to escape the scourges of pirates, whale hunters and later goats introduced by farmers in the late 1950s. Just why George, nearly 3 feet long, some 200 pounds in weight and somewhere between 50 and 80 years old, has been unable to mate with the two female tortoise concubines closest to his sub-species remains a mystery.RR/RCSWith pelicans circled overhead and giant tortoises lumbered up volcanic peaks, the Galapagos islands was like going back in time for Charles Darwin. Now, less than two centuries after Darwin explored the exotic islands he called "enchanted," a near-disastrous oil spill has proved a cautionary tale for experts who fear the unique ecosystem he documented is in peril from man, the very animal it eluded for so long. A pelican not affected by the oil spill stands on a rock as the Ecuador-registered ship "Jessica" remains aground off San Cristobal in the Galapagos Island chain in this January 25, 2001 file photo.RR/JP
