The Galapagos (the Spanish for 'tortoises') is a group of thirteen islands of volcanic origin in the North Pacific Ocean, about 600 miles west of the coast of Ecuador, to which they belong. They have a total area of 2950 square miles. The most important islands are Albemarle, 60 miles long by 15 wide, and rising 4700 feet above the sea; Indefatigable, Chatham, Charles, James, and Narborough. Of these some were formerly used by the Republic of Ecuador as penal settlements. Many of the fauna and flora of the islands are peculiar to them, the most remarkable being a large lizard and the elephanttortoise. Research Galapagos
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Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Gazetteer
Research Galapagos
