Galapagos
The province of Galápagos is located on the Pacific Ocean, approximately 1000 km west to the Ecuadorian coast. The province of Galapagos comprises all the islands, islets and rocks that make up the Galápagos Archipelago, as well as the waters that surround the archipelago. Approximately 97% of the land surface is protected by the Galapagos National Park and the remaining 3% is destined to human settlements in urban and rural areas in San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, Isabela and Floreana islands. The 100% of the waters surrounding the Galapagos Islands are protected by the Galapagos Marine Reserve. This reserve defines areas for tourism, fishing and absolute conservation/scientific research. Because of its pristine state, incredible scenic beauty and unique flora and fauna in the world, the Galapagos National Park was designed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. The Galapagos Marine Reserve was included in this designation in 2001 due to its great biodiversity. Finally, the Isabela Island Wetlands were declared a RAMSAR site in 2002.
