See full version: The Galápagos
Since 2007, WWF has been awarding scholarships to outstanding Galápagos students to pursue training in environmental management, tourism and business administration. Training the next generation of conservation leaders is important for the long-term conservation of the Galápagos Islands. This scholarship project builds upon other WWF education-centered activities that improve the educational system in the Galápagos. here
The Galápagos Marine Reserve is one of the largest marine protected areas in the world, which makes monitoring and patrolling expensive and challenging. Its rich diversity of marine life also makes it attractive to illegal fishing interests. Overfishing and illegal industrial fishing are serious threats to the islands’ delicate marine ecosystem. They deplete commercial fish, destroy marine environments, and cripple local communities whose livelihoods and health depend on fish. Almost all of the Galápagos’ commercially important coastal species are being overfished. WWF addresses the root causes by supporting the Galápagos National Park to improve the control and surveillance system of the Galápagos Marine Reserve. We also promote an artisanal fishing culture that embraces sustainable fishing practices and maximizes catch while minimizing environmental impacts.
The sheer number and variety of wildlife both on land and in the water of the Galápagos is quite remarkable. Because of the islands’ isolation and remoteness, many of these species are found only in the Galápagos and have not changed much since prehistoric times. The Galápagos’ famous marine iguanas, albatross and giant tortoises continue to amaze scientists and delight tourists. Many unique species occur in great concentrations. For example, marine iguanas bask on the beaches by the hundreds, and on certain islands hundreds of birds may be seen at one time. more
Anti-water pollution sign on Isabela Island.
Tourists arriving by boat to visit Isabela Island. here
By Wacho Tapia, Director of the Giant Tortoise Restoration Initiative Alcedo. More >
By Lucas Bustamante, co-founder at Tropical Herping and Giant Tortoise Restoration. More > here
05.25.21 MAY 25, 2021 Urgent expeditions will be launched to find mate and save species. More > here
05.19.21 May 19, 2021 The Galapagos Islands have been the focus of perhaps the largest-scale. More >
08.27.21 AUGUST 27, 2021 Conservation action is urgently required with an estimated. More > [links]
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
The climate of the Galapagos Islands is characterized by low rainfall, low humidity, and relatively low air and water temperatures. The islands have thousands of plant and animal species, of which the vast majority are endemic. The archipelago’s arid lowlands are covered by an open cactus forest. A transition zone at higher elevations is covered with a forest in which pisonia (a four o’clock plant) and guava trees dominate, and the moist forest region above the transition zone is dominated by a Scalesia forest with dense underbrush. The treeless upland zone is covered with ferns and grasses. here
The Galapagos Islands were discovered in 1535 by the bishop of Panama, Tomás de Berlanga, whose ship had drifted off course while en route to Peru. He named them Las Encantadas (“The Enchanted”), and in his writings he marveled at the thousands of large galápagos (tortoises) found there. Numerous Spanish voyagers stopped at the islands from the 16th century, and the Galapagos also came to be used by pirates and by whale and seal hunters. The area had been unclaimed for almost 300 years before colonization began on what is now Santa María Island in 1832, when Ecuador took official possession of the archipelago. The islands became internationally famous as a result of their being visited in 1835 by the English naturalist Charles Darwin; their unusual fauna contributed to the groundbreaking theories on natural selection presented in his On the Origin of Species (1859). here
The electoral system of Ecuador comes to play every four years, during a referendum or when an election occurs. The main functions of the electoral branch are to organize, conduct, and control elections and punish those who infringe on the electoral laws. The National Electoral Council is made up of seven members drawn from political bodies with most votes and enjoys financial and administrative autonomy. The National Electoral Council and the Electoral Court form the Electoral Branch.
Ecuador is a representative democratic republic located in the South America. The country covers the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific. Ecuador has had 87 governments and 17 constitutions within its 159 years of independence with only twenty of those governments resulting from a democratic election. The Republic of Ecuador is a multi-party state governed by a a president and a unicameral parliament elected on a four-year term The president and the legislators may be re-elected while Suffrage is universal and compulsory for literate people aged 18 to 65. The government of Ecuador is composed of;
The executive branch of the government of Ecuador is headed by the president who is for a four-year term with a possibility or re-election but only once. The president is responsible for a public administration which includes the appointment of government officials like national coordinators, the cabinet, ambassadors, and high commissioners among other appointments. The executive branch is made up of the president and his vice, 28 ministers, provincial governors and councilors. The executive branch is charged with the responsibility of defining foreign policies, appointing chancellor of the republic, and protecting the territory and the sovereignty of Ecuador. The current president of Ecuador is Rafael Correa.