Galápagos Islands

[ guh-lah-puh-gohs; Spanish gah-lah-pah-gaws ]

plural noun
  1. an archipelago on the equator in the Pacific, about 600 miles (965 km) W of and belonging to Ecuador: many unique species of animal life. 3,029 sq. mi. (7,845 sq. km).

  • Also called Colón Archipelago .
  • Spanish Ar·chi·pié·la·go de Co·lón [ahr-chee-pye-lah-gawthe kaw-lawn] /ˌɑr tʃiˈpyɛ lɑˌgɔ ðɛ kɔˈlɔn/ .

Words Nearby Galápagos Islands

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Galápagos Islands in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Galápagos Islands

Galápagos Islands

/ (ɡəˈlæpəɡəs, Spanish ɡaˈlapaɣɔs) /


pl n
  1. a group of 15 islands in the Pacific west of Ecuador, of which they form a province: discovered (1535) by the Spanish; main settlement on San Cristóbal. Pop: 18 640 (2001). Area: 7844 sq km (3028 sq miles): Official Spanish name: Archipiélago de Colón

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Galápagos Islands

Galápagos Islands

[ (guh-lah-puh-gohs, guh-lap-uh-gohs) ]


Groups of islands in the Pacific Ocean off South America, owned by Ecuador.

Notes for Galápagos Islands

The islands are known for their tortoises, penguins, marine iguanas, and other unusual animals.

Notes for Galápagos Islands

Charles Darwin visited these islands and gathered evidence that supported his theory of natural selection.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.