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Galapagos Islands Fact Sheet

Location and Fast Facts

The Galapagos Islands, officially known as the Archipielago de Colon, are located 600

miles west of the nation of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. They are on the equator at 1 degree

south latitude, 91 degrees west longitude. They are a province of the country of Ecuador, and

consist of 13 main islands, 6 small islands, and 107 islets. Only five of the islands are

inhabited, with a population of around 30,000 people.

Approximately 97% of the land is part of the Ecuadorean National Park system. The

other 3% is used for human settlement and farming. The ocean surrounding them was

declared a Marine Reserve in 1986. UNESCO has also made them a World Heritage Site.

In 1992, many of the islands were given Spanish names to honor Columbus’s first

voyage to the New World. Hence, the islands have both English and Spanish names. For

example, Santa Cruz is also known as Indefatigable. Most go by their Spanish names on

maps.

History

The islands were accidently discovered by the Bishop of Panama on his way to Peru in

1535. In his report to Spain, he said they were a miserable and worthless place. They

remained uninhabited until the early 1800’s as a result. They were, however, used by whalers

and pirates as a base of operations, food and water source, and a hideout.

In 1832, Ecuador annexed the islands and created a prison colony there. Settlers were

slow in coming as the land was not well-suited to farming. Salt processing and ranching also

proved short lived ventures. Sadly, settlers introduced many invasive species to the islands,

such as goats, pigs, dogs, cats, and rats, which destroyed much of the plant and animal life.

In 1959, the Charles Darwin Research Station was established to study and preserve native

species and help remove introduced ones. One of their most successful preservation

programs brought the Galapagos tortoise back from near extinction, and another successful

program removed all the feral goats from Santiago Island.

Today, the islands are slowly returning to the state that Charles Darwin found them in

in 1835. However, new threats have arisen from illegal fishing, tourism, and a growing

population. In 2007, UNESCO placed the islands on their World Heritage Site in Danger List.

Today, programs are in place to restrict tourism, prevent new immigration to the islands, and

teach the residents occupations that will have less impact on the environment.

Geology

The Galapagos Islands are volcanic islands that began forming 5 million years ago.

Each island was formed by a volcano as it passed over a hot spot in the Earth’s crust. A hot

spot is a weak area in the crust where magma breaks through to form a volcano. Isabela

Island is unique in that it was formed by a string of six volcanoes, making it the largest island.

In fact, Isabela and Fernandina Islands are the youngest of the islands with the last eruption

on Fernandina occurring in 2005. Espanola Island is the oldest.

The islands are on the Nazca Plate which moves about 3 inches per year to the

southeast. They say that at that rate, in a million years, the Galapagos Islands will be off the

coast of Peru rather than Ecuador.

Climate

Being on the Equator, you would expect the Galapagos Islands to be tropical, but they

are not. They are actually considered desert islands. There are two distinct seasons, and

temperatures and precipitation are determined by location. The dry and misty (Garua) season

is from May to December, while the wet season is from December to May. Temperatures

range from seventy to ninety degrees year round and rainfall is from five inches to twenty-four

inches. Higher elevations are cooler and wetter while coastal areas are warmer and drier.

This, too, depends on the wind patterns and which side of the island you are on.

Perhaps the biggest factor on the Galapagos climate is the ocean currents that

converge here. Three main currents influence both the climate and marine food supply.

Coming up from the south and Antarctica is the Humboldt Current. It is a cold current that

brings in nutrients and keep the air above it cooler. The Cromwell Current comes in from the

west along the Equator and is also a cold, nutrient rich current. These two currents cause the

Garua, or dry, misty season. The Panama Current comes from the northeast and is a warm,

but nutrient poor current. Its warming effect causes the west season.

The most devastating effect on the climate of the islands is an El Nino event. When

this happens, the cold currents fail to arrive and the warm Panama Current dominates. The

result is massive rainfall and nutrient poor ocean waters. Land animals flourish on the

increased plants, but marine animals suffer due to lack of food. This happens every 4-7

years. The last happened in 1997-98 and resulted in up to a 50% drop in marine animal

populations. Of course, when things return to normal, land animals suffer from the reduced

vegetation and their populations are reduced.

Name_______________ Galapagos Islands Fact Quiz

Directions: Circle the correct answer to each question.

1. Which country in South America are the Galapagos Islands a province of?

a. Peru c. Brazil

b. Columbia d. Ecuador

2. What is the distance, in miles, from the mainland of South America to the Galapagos

Islands?

a. 400 c. 600

b. 500 d. 700

3. What geologic activity built the islands?

a. volcanic c. earthquake

b. glacial d. tidal

4. What makes the marine iguana unique?

a. clings to rocks c. eats plants

b. feeds in the sea d. all of the above

5. Which geographic term best describes the Galapagos Islands?

a. isthmus c. continent

b. barrier island d. archipelago

6. Which bird is known for it brightly colored feet?

a. blue-footed booby c. albatross

b. Nazca booby d. masked booby

7. Which crop do the islands export?

a. apples c. coffee

b. corn d. mangos

8. Which of these animals has the longest life span?

a. sea lion c. iguana

c. Darwin finch d. tortoise

Galapagos Islands Fact Quiz Answer Key

1. D

2. C

3. A

4. B

5. D

6. A

7. C

8. D

Galapagos Animal Sort Answer Key

1. Mola-mola

2. Spotted Ray

3. Blue-footed Booby

4. Pilot Whales

5. Great Frigate Bird

6. Penguin

7. Lava Lizard

8. Galapagos Sea Lion

9. Sally Light-foot Crab

10. Nazca Booby

11. Albatross

12. Finch

13. Galapagos Tortoise

14. Flamingo

15. Marine Iguana

Short Answer:

1. protective coloration, mating (refer to questions for other answers)

2. mating rituals and coloring, ability to find food in the ocean, protective coloration

(refer to questions for other answers)

3. Answers will vary.

Galapagos Islands Assessment Answer Key

1. C

2. D

3. A

4. B

5. D

6. A

7. C

8. B

9. C

10. D

Name_________________________ Galapagos Animal Sort

Directions: Match the description of the animal below with a picture of it. Write the name of

the animal in the space provided.

1. I am a huge tropical fish with a rather odd appearance: flat, small tail, and two huge

fins.