The Galapagos Islands were discovered on March 10, 1535. The archipelago located in the Pacific Ocean, 972 km off the coast of Ecuador, consists of thirteen major islands with an area greater than ten square kilometers, six medium islands, and other 215 small islets, in addition rocky headlands of a few square meters, all distributed around the line of terrestrial Ecuador.
480 years of its discovery, the Galapagos, located about a thousand kilometers off the coast of Ecuador, remain unique. A huge diversity prevails in each of the islands, with species of animals and plants that are found nowhere else on Earth. About forty percent are endemic wildlife species, including marine iguanas, Darwin's famous finches and, of course, those giant tortoises that showed such displeasure at the arrival of the young scientist.
The islands were declared a World Heritage Site in 1978 by UNESCO. The archipelago has the largest source of tourism income and receives about 200,000 tourists a year. It has also developed eco-tourism in order to preserve the species. The region was home to Lonesome George, the last specimen of Pinta giant tortoise species, extinct in June 24, 2012. The Galapagos are also habitat for species such as lizards, cormorants, albatrosses, sea lions and penguins.
The islands emerged from a volcanic cataclysm and were populated by animal and plant species over the centuries. There are no frogs, there are very few mammals, most of them introduced by man, and insects are scarce.
The population, about 25,000 people live by fishing, trade and tourism, generating many problems of conservation of natural heritage.
Today the National Government, through its responsible institutions of management of the Galapagos Islands, works cohesively to ensure the future of the islands and future generations, with the aim of ensuring the sustainability and preserve the Natural Heritage.
