Isabela Island (Galápagos)

Coordinates: 00°30′S 91°04′W / 0.500°S 91.067°W / -0.500; -91.067
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
'Santa Isabela Island' redirects here. For the island in the Solomons, see
Santa Isabel Island
.
Isabela Island
(Albemarle Island)
Galápagos Province
Demographics
Population1,748[1]
Pop. density0.47/km2 (1.22/sq mi)
Ethnic groupsEcuadorians

Isabela Island (Spanish: Isla Isabela) is the largest of the Galápagos Islands, with an area of 4,586 km2 (1,771 sq mi) and a length of 100 km (62 mi). By itself, it is larger than all the other islands in the chain combined, and it has a little under 2,000 permanent inhabitants. The island straddles the equator.

Names

The original

first voyage, its eponym changed to Columbus's patron Queen Isabella I of Castile.[4] Isabela and nearby Fernandina Island—honoring Isabella's husband Ferdinand II of Aragon—also preserve the names bestowed on the third and fourth islands encountered by Columbus during his voyage.[5]

The former English name Duke of Albemarl's Island[6] or Albemarle Island[7] was bestowed by English buccaneer Ambrose Cowley in 1684 in honor of Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle.[8]

Geography

Isabela Island is the largest of the Galápagos Islands, with an area of 4,586 km2 (1,771 sq mi)[9] and a length of 100 km (62 mi). Almost four times larger than Santa Cruz, the second largest of the archipelago, Isabela is larger than every other island in the Galápagos combined.[10]

Geology

Volcanic rocks of the island in Elizabeth Bay
Darwin Lake near Tagus Cove

One of the youngest islands, Isabela is located on the western edge of the

tuff cones at Tagus Cove, and Pulmace on Alcedo and Sierra Negra
, one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

Wildlife

Galápagos Hawk
on Isabela Island

Isabela is also interesting for its flora and fauna. The young island does not follow the vegetation zones of the other islands. The relatively new lava fields and surrounding soils have not developed the sufficient nutrients required to support the varied life zones found on other islands. Another obvious difference occurs on Volcan Wolf and Cerro Azul; these volcanoes loft above the cloud cover and are arid on top.

Isabela's rich bird, animal and marine life is beyond compare. Isabela is home to more wild tortoises than all the other islands. Isabela's large size and notable topography created barriers for the slow-moving tortoises; apparently the creatures were unable to cross lava flows and other obstacles, causing several different sub-species of tortoise to develop. Today, tortoises roam free in the calderas of Alcedo, Wolf, Cerro Azul, Darwin,[11] and Sierra Negra.

Introduced

Charles Darwin Foundation in 2006-2007.[14]
Since then, the vegetation has recovered greatly.

Other noted species include

Galápagos hawks, Galápagos doves
, and very interesting lowland vegetation. The west coast of Isabela in the Bolivar Channel is the best place in Galápagos for viewing whales and dolphin.

History

The settlements of Puerto Villamil and Santo Tomás were founded in 1893. By 1905, the population of the island was 200. Exports at the time were sulfur mined from fumaroles and lime made from coral. Tortoises were used for meat and oil.[15][16] Puerto Villamil, the third-largest settlement of the archipelago, is located at the southeastern tip of the island.[17]

Attractions

The island's attractions include the Wall of Tears (el Muro de las Lágrimas), built by prisoners when the island was a penal colony, and the Flamingo Lagoon, named for the flamingos found there. Both are on the south of the island.[citation needed]

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^ "Isabela". Galapagos Conservancy.
  2. ^ De la Fuente, Vicente (1744), Nueva y Correcta Carta del Mar Pacifico ó del Sur... [New and Improved Map of the Pacific or Southern Sea] (in Spanish), Madrid.
  3. ^ "Elisabetta (Isabella) di Portogallo [Elizabeth of Portugal]", Dicastero delle Cause dei Santi [Dicastery for the Causes of Saints] (in Italian), Vatican City: Holy See, 2023.
  4. ^ "Isabela Island". Galapagos Conservation Trust. 21 June 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  5. ^ Major (1870), p. 2.
  6. ^ McEwen (1988), p. 235.
  7. ^ Kitchin, Thomas (1797), "South America", Kitchin's General Atlas..., London: Laurie & Whittle.
  8. ^ McEwen (1988), p. 236.
  9. ^ "Isabela Island". Quasar. 24 October 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  10. ^ "Isabela Island". Voyagers Travel Specialists. 4 August 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Darwin". www.volcanodiscovery.com. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
  12. ^ "Galapagos Islands - Urbina Bay". www.visitgalapagos.travel. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
  13. ISSN 1385-1101
    .
  14. ^ "History and Achievements". Charles Darwin Foundation.
  15. ^ "Human Discovery: Galapagos Colonists". Galapagos Conservancy. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  16. ^ White, W. M. "Colonization, Destruction, and Preservation". GALAPAGOS GEOLOGY ON THE WEB. Cornell University. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  17. ^ "The largest Island of Galapagos". Retrieved 1 February 2021.

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Isla Isabela (category)
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