| The archipelago has been known by many different names, including the
"Enchanted Islands," because of the way in which the strong and swift
currents made navigation difficult and also because of the beautiful
geography and biodiversity. The first crude navigation chart of the
islands was done by the buccaneer Ambrose Cowley in 1684. He named the
islands after some of his fellow pirates or after the English noblemen
who helped the pirates' cause. More recently, the Ecuadorian government
gave most of the islands Spanish names. While the Spanish names are
official, many users (especially ecological researchers) continue to
use the older English names, particularly as those were the names used
when Charles Darwin visited.
"Galapago" is an old Spanish word, meaning saddle. The large
Galapagos Tortoises on some of the islands had a shell that resembled
an old Spanish saddle, thus the name. The tortoise is a unique animal
found only in the Galapagos Islands, yet there are no more than 200 in
the 13 main islands.
Physical Geography
Located in the eastern Pacific Ocean at 1.000 km off the west coast
of South America. The closest land mass is the mainland of Ecuador to
the east (the country to which they belong.
The group consists of 16 main islands, 6 smaller islands, and 10 rocks
and islets. The islands are located at the Galapagos Triple Junction.
It is also atop the Galapagos hotspot, a place where the earth's crust
is being melted from below by a mantle plume, creating volcanoes. The
oldest island is thought to have formed between 5 and 10 million years
ago. The youngest islands, Isabela and Fernandina, are still being
formed, with the most recent volcanic eruption in 2007.
More information about some of the most visited islands:
1. Baltra
2. Bartolome
3. Española
4. Fernandina
5. Floreana
6. Genovesa
7. Isabela
8. North Seymour
9. Rabida
10. San Cristobal
11. Santa Cruz
12. Santa Fé
13. Santiago
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