<P> The Galápagos Islands ( official name : Archipiélago de Colón , other Spanish name : Islas Galápagos , Spanish pronunciation : ( ˈizlaz ɣaˈlapaɣos ) ) , part of the Republic of Ecuador , are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed on either side of the Equator in the Pacific Ocean surrounding the centre of the Western Hemisphere , 906 km ( 563 mi ) west of continental Ecuador . The islands are known for their vast number of endemic species and were studied by Charles Darwin during the second voyage of HMS Beagle , as his observations and collections contributed to the inception of Darwin 's theory of evolution by means of natural selection . </P>
<P> The Galápagos Islands ( official name : Archipiélago de Colón , other Spanish name : Islas Galápagos , Spanish pronunciation : ( ˈizlaz ɣaˈlapaɣos ) ) , part of the Republic of Ecuador , are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed on either side of the Equator in the Pacific Ocean surrounding the centre of the Western Hemisphere , 906 km ( 563 mi ) west of continental Ecuador . The islands are known for their vast number of endemic species and were studied by Charles Darwin during the second voyage of HMS Beagle , as his observations and collections contributed to the inception of Darwin 's theory of evolution by means of natural selection . </P>
the galapagos islands are located 900 km off the coast of
the galapagos islands are located 900 km off the coast of
continental Ecuador
continental Ecuador