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he archipelago is a little
world within itself, or rather a satellite
attached to America, whence it has
derived a few stray colonists, and
has received the general character of
its indigenous productions. Consider-
ing the small size of these islands,
we feel the more astonished at the
number of their aboriginal beings,
and at their confined range. Seeing
every height crowned with its crater,
and the boundaries of most of the
lava-streams still distinct, we are
led to believe that within a period,
geologically recent, the unbroken
ocean was here spread out. Hence,
in both space and time, we seem to
be brought somewhat nearer to that
great fact--that mystery of mysteries-
-the first appearance of new beings
on this earth
Charles Darwin, Voyage of the
Beagle
Location, Geography, Climate
Situated in the Pacific Ocean some
1,000 km from the South
American continent, these
19 islands and the
surrounding marine
reserve have been
called a unique
‘living museum
and showcase of
evolution’. Located at
the confluence of three
ocean currents, the Galapagos
are a ‘melting pot’ of marine spe-
cies. Ongoing seismic and volcanic
activity reflects the processes that
formed the islands. These processes,
together with the extreme isolation
of the islands, led to the develop-
ment of unusual animal life – such as
the land iguana, the giant tortoise
and the many types of finch – that
inspired Charles Darwin’s theory
of evolution
by
The place where the origin of species began
Galapagos Islands
T