The Galapagos Islands are a small chain of islands found 1,000km from the West coast of South America. They are Ecuadorian, and are home to an incredible array of animals and plants. The Galapagos Islands are most famous because many of the plants and animals found there are not found anywhere else in the world. This is because the islands are isolated or cut off from the rest of the World’s land mass by the Pacific Ocean, allowing the plants and animals to EVOLVE in their own way for hundreds of . thousands of years.
The Government of Ecuador has been helpful in protecting the Galapagos Islands. In recent years, though they have reduce the finances and proper planning. A ‘Special Law for the Galapagos’ has been created to protect the environment.
Approximately 90% of the Islands are designated as National parks and there are only 20,000 permanent human residents (although this has risen from 9,000 only 20 years ago), allowing for a high degree of protection of the environment. The area became the first UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979 and they are also a biosphere reserve.