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Galapagos fact
 The
Galapagos Islands
are found 1000 kilometres (600 miles) off the west coast of Ecuador, South
America. The archipelago is made up of 13 large islands, 6 smaller islands
and 107 rocks and islets.
The very first island is thought to have formed between 5 and 10 million
years ago, as a result of tectonic activity. The
youngest islands,
Isabela and
Fernandina, are still being formed, with the most recent volcanic
eruption in 1998.
Climate
 The
climate of the Galapagos Islands is unique because the islands lie
across the equator and they are a long distance from another land mass.
This means that the climate is affected by the ocean currents around the
islands. Some of the larger islands have trees, while others are barren
areas of lava. The Galapagos Islands have two main seasons: a cool dry
season between July and December, and a warm wet season between January
and June.
Conservation laws
The Galapagos Islands contain many endemic (only found in
Galapagos) animals, plants, and insects. To protect these species, the first
laws were passed in 1934 by the Ecuadorian Government. In 1959 the
Galapagos National Park
was created.
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The park covers 97% of the area of the islands. In 1978, the
Galapagos Islands were one of the earliest natural areas in the world to be
called a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization).
Threats to the Wildlife
There are many threats to the
plants and
animals of the
Galapagos Islands:
* Illegal or excessive fishing.
* Introduced plants and animals (species that are not native to Galapagos)
such as goats
and pigs that compete for food with native species such as the
giant tortoise.
* The growing human population on the islands (now about
16,000) and the increasing).
numbers of tourists (about 60,000 people per year visit the islands
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