San Cristóbal Canton
Encyclopedia
San Cristóbal Canton is coterminus with San Cristóbal Island
the easternmost island Ecuador
's Galápagos Islands
archipelago
and one of the oldest in this insular geological formation. This island, famous for its tides, has an area of 558 square kilometre.
. In 1904, the workers, who were tired of abuse from their master, revolted and killed him. The revolting workers were in fact inmates that were placed initially under Antonio Gil Quezada's orders, but later the Ecuadorian authorities worked together with Manuel Julián Cobos to take the inmates as laborers.
Nowadays, their descendants remain on the isle, both Cobos (descendants from Cobos' son Manuel Cobos Tomalá) and his workers. However, some of Cobos descendants (descendants from his daughter Josefina Cobos Baquerizo (universal and rightful heir according to his last will) remained on the continent (in Ecuador and México) and are spread even into Europe (The Netherlands).
s live. There are also impressive sights such as El Junco, a fresh water lake in the crater of a volcano, the Leon Dormido, the Isla Lobos and the Cerro Tijeretas, which lie near Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
, the provincial capital. Near Puerto Baqerizo Mareno there is also an Interpretation Centre with exhibits about the history, culture, flora and fauna of the island.
There are also animals which are unique to the island, such as a species of mockingbird, and the lava lizard; there are also unique plants such as the Calandrinia galapagosa
and the Lecocarpus darwinii
. Large, colourful birds and sea lions can also be seen.
San Cristóbal Island
San Cristóbal is the easternmost island in the Galápagos archipelago, and one of the oldest geologically.Its Spanish name "San Cristóbal" comes from the patron saint of seafarers, St. Christopher...
the easternmost island Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
's Galápagos Islands
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
and one of the oldest in this insular geological formation. This island, famous for its tides, has an area of 558 square kilometre.
History
Manuel Julián Cobos, a cruel and despotic man, founded a sugar cane plantation and sugar refinery shortly after 1869. He built a fortune after the sugar production and contributed to the San Cristobal settlement. He took the produce to sell in GuayaquilGuayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
. In 1904, the workers, who were tired of abuse from their master, revolted and killed him. The revolting workers were in fact inmates that were placed initially under Antonio Gil Quezada's orders, but later the Ecuadorian authorities worked together with Manuel Julián Cobos to take the inmates as laborers.
Nowadays, their descendants remain on the isle, both Cobos (descendants from Cobos' son Manuel Cobos Tomalá) and his workers. However, some of Cobos descendants (descendants from his daughter Josefina Cobos Baquerizo (universal and rightful heir according to his last will) remained on the continent (in Ecuador and México) and are spread even into Europe (The Netherlands).
Tourism
The island has white coral and shell beaches and is popular with tourists. One place frequented by tourists is the area where the famous giant Galápagos tortoiseGalápagos tortoise
The Galápagos tortoise or Galápagos giant tortoise is the largest living species of tortoise, reaching weights of over and lengths of over . With life spans in the wild of over 100 years, it is one of the longest-lived vertebrates...
s live. There are also impressive sights such as El Junco, a fresh water lake in the crater of a volcano, the Leon Dormido, the Isla Lobos and the Cerro Tijeretas, which lie near Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
Puerto Baquerizo Morno is the capital of the Galápagos Province, in Ecuador. It is located along the southwestern coast of San Cristóbal, the easternmost island in the archipelago....
, the provincial capital. Near Puerto Baqerizo Mareno there is also an Interpretation Centre with exhibits about the history, culture, flora and fauna of the island.
There are also animals which are unique to the island, such as a species of mockingbird, and the lava lizard; there are also unique plants such as the Calandrinia galapagosa
Calandrinia galapagosa
Calandrinia galapagosa is a species of plant in the Portulacaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Mauchamp, A. et al. 2000. . Downloaded on 20 August 2007....
and the Lecocarpus darwinii
Lecocarpus darwinii
Lecocarpus darwinii is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.-Source:* Mauchamp, A. et al. 2000. . Downloaded on 20 July 2007....
. Large, colourful birds and sea lions can also be seen.