Galápagos Islands

evolution · island life · Ecuador · wildlife

Volcanic islands. The Galápagos Islands are a group of volcanic islands located in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, about 485 nautical miles west of South America. They sit right near the equator where the Earth is hottest.

Animals found nowhere else. Many of the animals living on these islands exist nowhere else in the world. Scientists call these endemic species, and they're what make the Galápagos so special and interesting to study.

Darwin's big discovery. In the 1830s, a scientist named Charles Darwin visited the Galápagos and studied all the unique animals there. What he learned inspired him to develop his famous theory of evolution, which explains how animals change and adapt over long periods of time.

Part of Ecuador. The Galápagos Islands belong to the South American country of Ecuador and are divided into provinces, with around 33,000 people living there as of 2020. The three most populated islands are San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, and Isabela.

Protected paradise. All of the Galápagos Islands are protected as part of Ecuador's National Park and Marine Reserve, which means people work hard to keep the islands and their animals safe for the future.