Tortugas Gigantes from Galápagos

Postcard

The Galapagos Islands lie six hundred miles off the coast of Ecuador and belong to Ecuador. There are thirteen major islands, six smaller islands, and hundreds of tiny islets. 28,000 people live there on four islands.

The islands are geologically young and famed for their vast number of endemic species, which were studied by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle. His observations and collections contributed to the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.

The islands were discovered in 1535 by Bishop Tomas de Berlanga of Panama. They were annexed by Ecuador in 1832. The islands were colonized throughout the 1800s, and primarily used as a penal colony by Ecuador.

More than 100,000 visit Galapagos each year.

Stamps

(right)  International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction, from a series of four stamps: floods.

(left)  2011 A year dedicated to people of African Descent, from a series of four stamps: Guasa (an African musical instrument).