San Cristóbal Island ( es, Isla San Cristóbal) and named previously by the English as ''Chatham Island'', is the easternmost

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An isla ...

in the Galápagos archipelago, as well as one of the oldest geologically. It is administratively part of

San Cristóbal Canton San Cristóbal Canton is a canton of Ecuador in the Galápagos Islands archipelago and one of the oldest in this insular geological formation. It consists of Española, Floreana, Genovesa, San Cristóbal, and Santa Fe Islands. History Manue ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

. Its Spanish (and official Ecuadorian) name "San Cristóbal" comes from the patron saint of seafarers, St. Christopher. English speakers increasingly use that name in preference to the traditional English name of Chatham Island, derived from

William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, (15 November 170811 May 1778) was a British statesman of the Whig group who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768. Historians call him Chatham or William Pitt the Elder to distinguish ...

History

San Cristobal Island is composed of three or four fused volcanoes, all extinct. It is home to the oldest permanent settlement of the islands and is the island where Darwin first went ashore in 1835. A small lake called El Junco is the only source of fresh water in the islands. The availability of fresh water is what led to the early settlement of San Cristobal. A

penal colony A penal colony or exile colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general population by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory. Although the term can be used to refer to ...

was built on San Cristóbal Island in 1880 for prisoners from mainland Ecuador. This later turned into a military base for Ecuador and export center for the island's products including sugar, coffee, cassava, cattle, fish and lime. In April 1888 , a Navy-crewed research vessel assigned to the

United States Fish Commission The United States Fish Commission, formally known as the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries, was an agency of the United States government created in 1871 to investigate, promote, and preserve the fisheries of the United States. In 1 ...

, made landfall at an abandoned settlement on Charles Island.

Geography

San Cristóbal has an area of and its highest point rises to . The population is approximately 6000. San Cristóbal is the most fertile island of the archipelago and is the second most populated after Santa Cruz. The capital of the archipelago,

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno Puerto Baquerizo Moreno () is the Capital (political), capital of Galápagos Province, Ecuador. It is located on the southwestern coast of San Cristóbal (Galápagos Islands), San Cristóbal, the easternmost island in the archipelago, and is the c ...

, lies at the south-western tip of the island.

Air transport

The island is served by

San Cristóbal Airport San Cristóbal Airport is an airport on the island of San Cristóbal, in the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador. The airport is on the southwestern end of the island, with rising terrain to the northeast. Approaches to both runways are over the ocean ...

, with daily flights from Quito and Guayaquil.

Ecology

This island hosts

frigatebird Frigatebirds are a family of seabirds called Fregatidae which are found across all tropical and subtropical oceans. The five extant species are classified in a single genus, ''Fregata''. All have predominantly black plumage, long, deeply forke ...

Galápagos sea lion The Galápagos sea lion (''Zalophus wollebaeki'') is a species of sea lion that lives and breeds on the Galápagos Islands and, in smaller numbers, on Isla de la Plata (Ecuador). Being fairly social, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy ...

Galápagos tortoise The Galápagos tortoise or Galápagos giant tortoise (''Chelonoidis niger'') is a species of very large tortoise in the genus ''Chelonoidis'' (which also contains three smaller species from mainland South America). It comprises 15 subspecies ...

blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ...

and red footed boobies,

tropicbird Tropicbirds are a family, Phaethontidae, of tropical pelagic seabirds. They are the sole living representatives of the order Phaethontiformes. For many years they were considered part of the Pelecaniformes, but genetics indicates they are most cl ...

marine iguana The marine iguana (''Amblyrhynchus cristatus''), also known as the sea iguana, saltwater iguana, or Galápagos marine iguana, is a species of iguana found only on the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador). Unique among modern lizards, it is a marine rept ...

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the b ...

s and

swallow-tailed gull The swallow-tailed gull (''Creagrus furcatus'') is an equatorial seabird in the gull family, Laridae. It is the only species in the genus ''Creagrus'', which derives from the Latin ''Creagra'' and the Greek ''kreourgos'' which means butcher, al ...

s. It has been recognised as an

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Inte ...

(IBA) by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...

. Its vegetation includes '' Calandrinia galapagosa'', ''

Lecocarpus darwinii ''Lecocarpus darwinii'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is found only in Galápagos Islands, Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuad ...

'', trees such as ''Lignum vitae'', ''Matazarna''. In the waters nearby are

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachi ...

rays Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (gra ...

, and

lobster Lobsters are a family (Nephropidae, synonym Homaridae) of marine crustaceans. They have long bodies with muscular tails and live in crevices or burrows on the sea floor. Three of their five pairs of legs have claws, including the first pair, ...

s. The largest fresh water

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

in the

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Arch ...

, ''Laguna El Junco'', is located in a crater in the highlands of San Cristóbal, in the southern half of the island. The lake harbors a large population of birdlife, but reaching the lake requires a short uphill walk. Nearby, La Galapaguera is a breeding station and sanctuary for giant tortoises.

Economy

Most inhabitants of San Cristóbal Island make their living in government, tourism, and fishing. The majority of the residents of San Cristóbal live in the port city of

, which is the

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...

of Ecuador′s

Galápagos Province Galápagos () is a province of Ecuador in the country's Insular region, located approximately off the western coast of the mainland. The capital is Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. The province administers the Galápagos Islands, a group of tiny vol ...

. Island tourism sites nearer the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno include the ''Cerro Tijeretas'', a nesting colony for frigate birds, and a statue of

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended ...

, marking the original site where he first disembarked in the Galápagos Islands during the second voyage of HMS ''Beagle'' on 16 September 1835.Keynes, R. D. ed. 2001, ''Charles Darwin's Beagle Diary'', p
351
''La Loberia'', a colony of sea lions, lies about ten minutes by bus from the town. Local boat tours also take visitors to two popular nearby dive sites. "Kicker Rock" (the Spanish name is "León Dormido") is the remains of a

lava cone Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or und ...

, now split in two. Isla Lobos ("

Sea Lion Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear flaps, long foreflippers, the ability to walk on all fours, short and thick hair, and a big chest and belly. Together with the fur seals, they make up the family Otariidae, eared seals. ...

Island") is also a nesting site for blue-footed boobies.

Fauna

File:Paisaje en Cerro Brujo, isla de San Cristóbal, islas Galápagos, Ecuador, 2015-07-24, DD 115.JPG, Beach in Cerro Brujo, San Cristóbal Island. File:Araña zig zag (Argiope aurantia), Punta Pitt, isla de San Cristóbal, islas Galápagos, Ecuador, 2015-07-24, DD 44.JPG, Yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia), Punta Pitt. File:Delfín mular (Tursiops truncatus), isla de San Cristóbal, islas Galápagos, Ecuador, 2015-07-24, DD 86.JPG, Common bottlenose dolphin (''Tursiops truncatus'') in San Cristóbal island. File:Lagartija de lava de San Cristóbal (Microlophus bivittatus), Punta Pitt, isla de San Cristóbal, islas Galápagos, Ecuador, 2015-07-24, DD 17.JPG, San Cristóbal lava lizard (''

Microlophus bivittatus ''Microlophus bivittatus'', the San Cristóbal lava lizard, is a species of lava lizard endemic to San Cristóbal Island in the Galápagos Islands. The species is commonly attributed to the genus '' Microlophus'' but has been attributed to the g ...

''), Punta Pitt. File:Langosta grande pintada (Schistocerca melanocera), Punta Pitt, isla de San Cristóbal, islas Galápagos, Ecuador, 2015-07-24, DD 18.JPG, Large Painted Locust (''Schistocerca melanocera''), Punta Pitt. File:Libélula (Tramea sp), Cerro Brujo, isla de San Cristóbal, islas Galápagos, Ecuador, 2015-07-24, DD 146.jpg, Libélula (''Tramea sp''), Cerro Brujo. File:Lobo marino (Zalophus californianus wollebaeki), Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, isla de San Cristóbal, islas Galápagos, Ecuador, 2015-07-24, DD 164.JPG, Sea lion (''Zalophus californianus wollebaeki'') lying on a bench in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristóbal Island. File:Lobo marino (Zalophus californianus wollebaeki), isla de San Cristóbal, islas Galápagos, Ecuador, 2015-07-25, DD 29.JPG, Sea lion (''Zalophus californianus wollebaeki'') in the coast of San Cristóbal Island. File:Pelícano pardo de las Galápagos (Pelecanus occidentalis urinator), Cerro Brujo, isla de San Cristóbal, islas Galápagos, Ecuador, 2015-07-24, DD 154.JPG, Galápagos brown pelican (''Pelecanus occidentalis urinator''), Cerro Brujo. File:Piquero patiazul (Sula nebouxii), Punta Pitt, isla de San Cristóbal, islas Galápagos, Ecuador, 2015-07-24, DD 49.JPG, Chick of blue-footed booby (''Sula nebouxii''), Punta Pitt. File:Piquero patiazul (Sula nebouxii), Punta Pitt, isla de San Cristóbal, islas Galápagos, Ecuador, 2015-07-24, DD 66.JPG, Adult blue-footed booby (''Sula nebouxii''), Punta Pitt. File:Tortuga gigante de San Cristóbal (Chelonoidis chathamensis), isla Santa Cruz, islas Galápagos, Ecuador, 2015-07-26, DD 03.JPG, San Cristóbal Galápagos tortoise ('' Chelonoidis chathamensis''). San-Cristobal-pano

Climate

San Cristóbal Island has a

tropical climate Tropical climate is the first of the five major climate groups in the Köppen climate classification identified with the letter A. Tropical climates are defined by a monthly average temperature of 18 °C (64.4 °F) or higher in the cool ...

with warm, dry winters and hot, humid summers with more precipitation than in winter. The following table shows the variation of precipitation in different places of

Santa Cruz Island Santa Cruz Island ( Spanish: ''Isla Santa Cruz'', Chumash: ''Limuw'') is located off the southwestern coast of Ventura, California, United States. It is the largest island in California and largest of the eight islands in the Channel Islands ...

References

*Historical Ecology in the Galapagos Islands: I. A Holocene Pollen Record from El Junco Lake, Isla San Cristoba, by Paul A. Colinvaux, Eileen K. Schofield. ''The Journal of Ecology'', Vol. 64, No. 3 (Nov., 1976), pp. 989–1012, .

External links

*
San Cristóbal Island – galapagosonline.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:San Cristobal Island Islands of the Galápagos Islands Volcanic crater lakes Former penal colonies Important Bird Areas of the Galápagos Islands Seabird colonies