The Galapagos Yesterday and Today

The Galapagos archipelego  lies on the equatorial line of the Pacific Ocean, over 600 miles west of the mainland.  There are more than 13 major island, five of which are inhabited, six small islands, and more than 107 islets and rocks.  The islands were first described by a
Spanish monk in 1535.  Their colonization dates back to the middle of the 17th century, when they became a haven for pirates and buccaneers.  Norwegian whalers arrived later, and depleted the population of native tortoises to provide food for themselves and tortoise oil for lamps and fuel.  Over the years the islands have been used with varying degrees of success for penal colonies, sugar cane growth and milling, coffee cultivation and other agricultural pursuits.  Today fishing is second only to tourism in economic importance.

Sovereignty over the islands was claimed by the United States and various European countries prior to Ecuador officially taking possession in 1832.  During WWII, armed forces of the United States established a base on Baltra Island.  In addition to men, goats were imported to the island.  The goats destroyed much of the  natural habitat, depleting the food supply for native tortoises and other wildlife. The airport on Baltra now occupies the space.

In 1968 Galapagos National Park was created in order to preserve the biodiversity of the islands.  The islands and the Galapagos Marine Reserve are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Spanish is the primary language spoken. There's a surprising lack of English amongst those not directly involved in tourism.  The monetary unit is the U.S. dollar.  Change is given in paper bills and coins, with lots of Sacagawea dollar coins in circulation (they get rather heavy when given as change for "folding" money.