What Country Owns the Galapagos Islands?
What country owns the Galapagos Islands? Although they are a major distance from several countries on the the mainland of South America, the Galapagos Islands continue to be part of only one country.
The Galapagos Islands are owned by Ecuador, and they are a province of that country. The islands are located west of the mainland of Ecuador. Many of the islands were given Spanish names by the Ecuadorian government. However, in 1684 Ambrose Cowley, a pirate, navigated the islands and named them after the other pirates and some English noblemen who helped to finance his trip. Although the Galapagos Islands are owned by Ecuador, some people still refer to them by their old English names.
Geography
Even though Ecuador is the country that owns the Galapagos Islands, the islands are approximately 600 miles away from the continental part of the country. That is quite a distance! Therefore, despite the fact that they are part of that country, they have their own culture and history since they are so physically far removed from the mainland.
Other regions surround the island, but many of them are quite far away as well. To the north you will find Cocos Island, just under 450 miles away. Head to the south about 2000 miles and you will discover Easter Island and San Felix Island. As you can see the Galapagos Islands are rather isolated from the rest of the world.
The region is made up of 15 main islands, 3 smaller islands, and 107 rocks and islets.
The main islands of the Galapagos Islands are:
- Baltra Island
- Bartolome Island
- Darwin Island
- Espanola Island
- Fernandina Island
- Floreana Island
- Genovesa Island
- Isabela Island
- Marchena Island
- North Seymour Island
- Pinzon Island
- Pinta Island
- Rabida Island
- San Cristobal Island
- Santa Cruz Island
- Santa Fe Island
- Santiago Island
- Wolf Island
The three smaller islands of the chain are:
- Daphne Major
- South Plaza Island
- An unnamed island, used primarily for scuba diving ventures
Formation of the Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos Island chain is so large at least partially because of all the volanic activity. When a volcano erupts, sometimes the lava will break apart into regions or aid in the progression of new regions. The reason for all of the volcanic activity is because the islands rest upon the Galapagos hotspot, a region where the Earth's crust is being melted from below.
Scientists believe that the first parts of the Galapagos Islands were formed between five and ten million years ago. That is a large span of time, but it can be difficult to trace history from so long ago, especially when there is so much volcanic activity and matter is constantly being shifted around.
The formation of the islands has been an ongoing process. The newest islands in the region have been named Isabela and Fernandina, names which you may have noted also appear on the list of the largest islands of the Galapagos chain.
Even just from studying their geography and formation, you can already see that they differ considerably from the country of Ecuador to which they belong.