<Tr> <Th> Extension </Th> <Td> 2001 and 2003 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Endangered </Th> <Td> 2007--2010 </Td> </Tr> <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 and their surrounding waters form the Galápagos Province of Ecuador, the Galápagos National Park, and the Galápagos Marine Reserve . The principal language on the islands is Spanish . The islands have a population of slightly over 25,000 . </P>

The galapagos islands are located 900 km off the coast of