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Galapagos ClassificationLife in the Galapagos Islands can be divided into three main types of species be they animal or plant life. The First Type are the oldest remaining species such as flightless Cormorants, giant tortoises, land and marine iguanas, fur seals as well as some plant life which are all endemic to the Galapagos Islands meaning that they exist only inside of this Archipelago and nowhere else on Earth. The Second Type are migratory in nature such as Frigate Birds, Galapagos Boobies and some types of Mangrove and although newer than the former have still played a large part in developing the ecosystem of the Galapagos Islands. The Third Type are plants such as fruit trees (raspberry and guava). Galapagos plants started maybe by seeds stuck to feet and plumage of migratory birds, or passed through their digestive system. Or perhaps via chunks of vegetation rushed to the sea by overflowing rivers and conducted throughout the ocean by the marine currents. Galapagos flora can be grouped into three major zones of location: the coastal zone, mid-level dry areas, and upper-level humid areas. The Galapagos Islands are also famous for its tropical seabirds, of which there are 19 breeding species, 5 of these are endemic. Mot of the seabirds you will see include boobies, cormorants, pelicans, frigatebirds, tropic-birds, albatrosses, shearwaters, gulls, and penguins. The Galapagos Islands are home to some of the highest levels of endemism (species found nowhere else on Earth). About 80% of the land birds you will see, 97% of the reptiles and land mammals, and more than 30% of the Galapagos Vegetation is endemic. Favorites include the giant Galapagos tortoise, marine iguana, flightless cormorant, and the Galapagos penguin (the only penguin species to be found in the Northern Hemisphere). The Galapagos Islands are an important scientific and natural treasure. These Islands have an incredible volume of information on unique species and evolutionary processes. With their sparkling blue waters and jet-black cliffs, the Galapagos Islands are a magnificent sight to behold. They are located in the eastern Pacific Ocean, 600 miles to the west of Mainland Ecuador The Galapagos classification can also be referred to the size of each Island that composes this Archipelago. Therefore there are 13 large Islands, 6 smaller ones and more than 100 smaller islets and rocks which were formed by underwater volcanoes millions of years ago. The Galapagos Islands are located on the Nazca tectonic plate. This perpetually moving plate is heading eastward over the Galapagos hot spot and has formed the chain of Islands. The Islands were formed through the layering and lifting of repeated volcanic action. This geographic movement is correlated to the age of the Islands, as the eastern Islands are millions of years older than the western Islands of Galapagos. Galapagos International RecognitionsIn 1959 the Galapagos Islands became Ecuador's first national park, and in 1978 the area was declared a World Heritage Site.In 1984, the Galapagos Archipelago was added to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Program.
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