Every island in the Galapagos is different from the other, and all this is due to how they were formed. If the 4,600 million years of Earth's history were simulated in 24 hours, the Galapagos Islands would have formed in the last two minutes of that day. The 19 islands and 219 islets were created by successive volcanic eruptions over a hot spot on the Nazca Plate's seafloor. The first emerged in the middle of the Pacific Ocean about 5 million years ago. The islands are settled on the Nazca Plate and move about 5 centimeters a year eastward. That is why the oldest islands of the archipelago are about 200 kilometers east of the youngest islands that are still above the hot spot. In this sense, all the islands have different ages and geological conditions. The very volcanically active young islands are still in the process of formation, and the oldest islands, farthest from the hot spot, are undergoing different methods of erosion. The various geological ages, altitudes, and ocean currents that affect them make each island's ecosystems, flora, fauna, landscapes, colors, and geology different.
