News: Ecuador is on alert due to the appearance of Chinese fishing boats off its Galapagos Islands.
Facts:
- Galápagos Islands: It is an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed on either side of the equator in the Pacific Ocean.It is administratively a province of Ecuador.
- Formation: The islands were formed at the meeting point of three tectonic plates—the Nazca, Cocos, and Pacific and are situated at the crossroads of three major Pacific currents.
- World Heritage Site: In 1978, the Galapagos islands was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Significance: The islands are known for their large number of endemic species such as land iguana, giant tortoise that were studied by Charles Darwin which contributed to the inception of Darwin’s theory of evolution.
