The Enchanted Isles

The Galapagos islands lie in the eastern Pacific Ocean and straddle the equator. Volcanic in origin, the main islands are actually the tips of vast submarine volcanoes and have never been attached to the mainland. The nearest mainland to these isolated isles belongs to Ecuador, which has sovereignty over them and lies 1000km to the east. The archipelago includes thirteen islands of notable size but also countless small islands. Despite its relatively pristine state, much of the wildlife on the islands is under threat from human impacts.