Galapagos is a unique archipelago of volcanic origin. It is a living laboratory of evolutionary processes, still in progress. In addition to this, the archipelago addition to this, the archipelago contains a large number of animal and plant species that do not exist anywhere else in the world. These factors make the archipelago unique.
1959 marked the centenary year of the publication of Charles Darwin’s book The Origin of Species based on the observations made during his stays in these Ecuadorian islands. In the book, Darwin discussed the famous theory of evolution by natural selection.
Galapagos National Park was established the same year in memory of this ground-breaking publication. 97 per cent of the archipelago is now a national park. More than 45 species of endemic birds, 42 of reptiles, 15 of mammals and 79 fish species live in Galapagos in harmony with humans.
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Manu National Park in Peru is the only national park in Latin America to cover the full range of environments, from low, tropical jungle to cold, high grassland. It is located in the eastern sector of the Andes mountain range and borders the Amazon Basin. The tropical forest in the lower tiers of Manu is home to an unrivalled variety of animal and plant species.
Some 850 species of birds have been identified in the Park. Rare species such as the giant otter and the giant armadillo also find refuge there. In addition to this, 210 species of fish, 300 species of ants, 650 species of beetles, 136 species of dragonflies and more than 1300 species of butterflies have been reported in the Park so far. In 1977, UNESCO recognized it as a Biosphere Reserve and in 1987, as a World Heritage Site.
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