Galapagos Island

Why in news?

• According to a recent study, Cold ocean currents have sheltered the Galápagos Islands from global warming.

About Galapagos Island:

• Galapagos Islands is an archipelago of volcanic islands which is part of the Republic of Ecuador, distributed on either side of the Equator in the Pacific Ocean.
• These are located 1,000 km away from the South American continent.

Protection Status:

• Ecuador made a part of the Galapagos a wildlife sanctuary in 1935, and the sanctuary became the Galapagos National Park in 1959.
• In 1978, the islands became UNESCO’s first World Heritage Site.

Wildlife:

• It contains aquatic species such as manta rays and sharks which have been endangered by commercial fishing.
• It also hosts a wide array of aquatic wildlife, including marine iguanas, and waved albatrosses.

Significance:

• The island inspired Charles Darwin’s Theory of evolution and was his field of study.
• Darwin described the islands as a “world in itself”.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Galapagos Islands, sometimes seen in news, is located in:

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) Arctic Ocean

(b) Pacific Ocean

(b) Indian Ocean

(d) Atlantic Ocean

Answer