Galapagos+Islands

Ariella [|Galapagos Islands.ppt] by.Tamara jones

Kayli:

Tomas de Berlanga discovered the Galapagos Islands while he was sailing to Peru in 1535. His ship stalled and the ocean's currents carried him towards the Galapagos Islands. The islands were considered useless to him because of the harsh lands and no fresh water supply. He soon left the islands after his discovery. The Galapagos Islands became a refuge for pirates when they were leaving their destructive habits. It was a hide-a-way, an easy place to hide from the people searching for them. In 1804, the islands received their first resident: Irishman Patrick Watkins. He lived on the island's vegetables for around two years and then left the island on a long boat he stole from many of the ships that passed. The first governor of the Islands was Jose Villamil. The islands were visited by Charles Darwin in 1835. He made many scientific discoveries on the islands that were important then and remain important today. The main theory he came up with was: //Natural Selection.//
 * History**



The islands are 600 miles west of Ecuador in South America. The islands are also very close to the Equator, so the environment is very humid and hot. The Galapagos Islands consist of 13 large islands, 6 smaller islands, and 107 associated islets. It's oldest islands are around 4 million years old. The Galapagos Islands are one of the __most__ active volcano areas in the world because of the newly forming islands. ====**The names of the islands are as follows:** **Baltra, Darwin, Española,  Fernandina, Floreana, Genovesa Island, Isabela, Marchena, North Seymour, Pinta,  Pinzón,   Rábida,   San Cristóbal,   Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago, South Plaza, Wolf.**==== The Islands consist of mountain ranges, valleys, peaks, and volcanoes. They are also home to many different creatures. Their are four main ecosystems of the Galapagos Islands. The first is made up of barren lowlands and forests of huge cacti; the second is made up of subtropical forests; the third consists of moist thick forests; and the fourth consists of upland areas covered with vast amounts of grass and shrubs.
 * Geography**



97% of the Galapagos Islands are owned by Ecuador. Ecuador uses the Islands as a feature in one of their conservation parks because of the fragility of some of the wonderful animal species. The conservation parks are used in hopes of saving the giant tortoises that are becoming scarce on the islands that they thrived on so long ago.
 * Impact on present-day South America**

The Galapagos Giant Tortoise

//Interesting Fact: The islands used to be considered enchanted because of the heavy mist that would appear and disappear around the islands.

By Sean: __Location and Geographical Features__// The location of the Galapagos Islands is off the coast of Equator by approximately 600 miles directly west. The islands are northwestern of South America and Eastern of the Pacific Ocean. The closet area of land to the islands is Ecuador. It is almost directly on the Equator giving it a tropical climate where a variety of species are abundant. The Galapagos Islands consist of 13 major islands and 115 small inlets. __History__ The Galapagos Islands were discoverd by Tomas de Berlanga, a Spanish bishop of Panama, in 1535. He was headed to Peru to settle a dispute between Francisco Pizarro and his lieutenants after the conquest of the incas. While he was headed to Peru the wind was taking him some where diffrently and he was headed to the Galapagos islands, altough he did not know. When he found the islands he quickly left because of the unforgiving terrain with little or no fresh water. However, he reported that there were strange species wandering the Islands, such as the Galapagos giant tortoise, to King Charles V. of Spain.

For the next three centuries, the islands were used by pirates, European sailors, and others as a source of food and fresh water. As well as a safe haven to hide from those that pursued them.

1835, a scientific exploration was sent out to explore the islands. Aboard this ship, The HMS Beagle, was Charles Darwin who founded the theory of Evolution by Natural Selection. He saw and observed many diffirent variations of species which was the basis of his theory (ex:finches). __Impact on Present-Day South America__ Today, the Islands are declared as wildlife sanctuarys, and Ecuador's first national park also resides on one of the islands (Also Ecudor owns 97% of the Galapagos). Most of the tourism revenues for Ecudor is brought in from the islands. The islands also remain a place in which most scientists study evolution of species for research. __Impact on the World Today__ The Galapgos holds many thousands of unique and native plant and animal species alike. However, these species are currently being threatend by unnative animals and people settling into the islands. Measures to protect the islands are being considered for other wildlife sanctuaries and wildlife habitats in general. Hopefully the steps will be carried out to conserve dying species against the huge growth of humans.

The islands also serve as a place of scientific research for the world. For Charles Darwin, a famous naturalist, based many of his theories on what he observed and recorded of the Galapagos on his stay on the HMS Beagle. To this day, scientists more clearly understand much of the world due to Darwin's theories.