| Study
Area |
| The Enchanted Islands are located 1000 km (600 miles) from the Ecuadorian mainland. Galapagos was recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage in 1978. Made up of a series of major Islands (13) and small islets (17), the archipelago has a total area of about 142,665 km2, of which 7,665 km2 is land, and 135,000 km2 belongs to the Marine Reserve. 97% of the Land Ecosystem and all the Marine Reserve are maintained and administered by the Galapagos National Park (GNP). Latitude: North 0.30°. South: 1.30°. Longitude: 98.5° - 91.5° West. The population of the Galapagos is approximately 30,000, and inhabitants have settled on 4 main islands: Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Isabela, and Floreana (additionally, on Baltra Island there is a military base with a small resident population). |