The Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos Islands Axia College of University of Phoenix SCI/230 Introduction to Life Science
Carly Davidson
The Galapagos Islands
The government of Ecuador needs your help to preserve the natural resources and beauty of the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos Islands were declared National Park by the government of Ecuador in the late 1950’s. More than eighty percent of the islands are protected and carefully managed (Galapagos). “The UNESCO declared Galapagos as a World Natural Heritage Site in 1978 and a World Biosphere Reserve in 1985”(Galapagos). “The Charles Darwin Station in Santa Cruz is leading and coordinating all activities and efforts to preserve the ecosystem of the area and developing educational and conservation projects” (Galapagos).
The Galapagos Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean 600 miles from the west coast of South America. Ecuador is the closet landmass to these islands. The coordinates for the islands are 1°40 'N-1°36 'S, 89°16 '-92°01 'W. The islands spread across both the north and south hemispheres. The Isla Isabela is located directly on the equator. The Galapagos Islands spans 4897 square miles of land over 28,000 square miles. Isabela is the largest island, which is 1771 square miles and accounts for over half of the Galapagos Islands total land area. The highest elevation point is also located on Isabella Volcano Wolf is 5,600 feet above sea level. There are seven principle islands in this region, they include: Isabella, Santa Cruz, Fernandina, Santiago, San Cristobal, Floreana, and Marchena. (The Galapagos, 2008)
The Galapagos Islands are roughly 4 million years old. Submarine volcanoes built up these islands over a period of time. There are a couple of theories as to how these islands were formed. The hot spot theory and the Tectonic plate theory. It is believed that plate tectonics are responsible for the formation of the Galapagos Islands.
Carly Davidson
The Galapagos Islands
The government of Ecuador needs your help to preserve the natural resources and beauty of the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos Islands were declared National Park by the government of Ecuador in the late 1950’s. More than eighty percent of the islands are protected and carefully managed (Galapagos). “The UNESCO declared Galapagos as a World Natural Heritage Site in 1978 and a World Biosphere Reserve in 1985”(Galapagos). “The Charles Darwin Station in Santa Cruz is leading and coordinating all activities and efforts to preserve the ecosystem of the area and developing educational and conservation projects” (Galapagos).
The Galapagos Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean 600 miles from the west coast of South America. Ecuador is the closet landmass to these islands. The coordinates for the islands are 1°40 'N-1°36 'S, 89°16 '-92°01 'W. The islands spread across both the north and south hemispheres. The Isla Isabela is located directly on the equator. The Galapagos Islands spans 4897 square miles of land over 28,000 square miles. Isabela is the largest island, which is 1771 square miles and accounts for over half of the Galapagos Islands total land area. The highest elevation point is also located on Isabella Volcano Wolf is 5,600 feet above sea level. There are seven principle islands in this region, they include: Isabella, Santa Cruz, Fernandina, Santiago, San Cristobal, Floreana, and Marchena. (The Galapagos, 2008)
The Galapagos Islands are roughly 4 million years old. Submarine volcanoes built up these islands over a period of time. There are a couple of theories as to how these islands were formed. The hot spot theory and the Tectonic plate theory. It is believed that plate tectonics are responsible for the formation of the Galapagos Islands.
References: Challenges to Galapagos, Retrieved on 12 Jan 2008, from http://www.darwinfoundation.org/en/galapagos/challenges Climate (2007) Retrieved on 11 Jan 2008, from; http://www.ecuatrips.com/climate.html Galapagos Islands, Retrieved on 12 Jan 2008, from http://www.exploringecuador.com/galapagos_ecuador.htm Mission 2008 Galapagos Islands, Retrieved on 12 Jan 2008, from http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2008/teams/lastortugas/p_unified.html Rothman, Robert Dr., (2002, Sept) Plate Tectonics and the Formation of the Galapagos, Retrieved on 11 Jan 2008, from http://www.rit.edu/~rhrsbi/GalapagosPages/Vulcanism2.html http://www.galapagosonline.com/index.htm(2008)