Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands, an archipelago of volcanic islands straddling the equator in the Pacific Ocean, are renowned for their unique and diverse wildlife. Considered one of the world's foremost destinations for wildlife-viewing, their isolation from the mainland has allowed an extraordinary number of species to evolve in relative seclusion. The islands are famously associated with Charles Darwin, whose observation of Galápagos species in 1835 contributed to the inception of his theory of evolution by natural selection. The name “Galápagos,” meaning “tortoises” in Spanish, reflects one of the archipelago’s most famous inhabitants. The islands are a province of Ecuador and a national park, emphasizing their ecological importance.
