ISLANDS

Galapagos

A volcanic archipelago in the eastern Pacific famous for the unique wildlife that shaped Darwin's theory of evolution.

Geography

The Galapagos consist of 18 main islands and dozens of smaller islets, all of volcanic origin, scattered around the equator some 900 km west of mainland Ecuador. Isabela, shaped like a seahorse, is the largest island and contains the highest peak, Volcan Wolf at 1,707 m.

Wildlife

The islands’ isolation has produced many endemic species, including the Galapagos giant tortoise, marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, and 13 species of Darwin’s finches. Charles Darwin’s 1835 visit on HMS Beagle informed his theory of natural selection.

Conservation

Roughly 97 percent of the archipelago is protected as a national park. UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 1978.

Find more islands by letter

Galapagos starts with G and ends with S. Browse other islands along the same letter.

Islands that contain a letter from "Galapagos":