Guañape Islands

Guañape Islands
Islas Guañape  (Spanish)
Workers collecting guano at Guañape Norte Island.
Guañape Islands
Geography
Location Pacific Ocean
Coordinates 8°32′41″S 78°57′49″W / 8.54472°S 78.96361°W / -8.54472; -78.96361Coordinates: 8°32′41″S 78°57′49″W / 8.54472°S 78.96361°W / -8.54472; -78.96361
Major islands
  • Guañape Norte Island
  • Guañape Sur Island
  • Cantores Islets
  • Los Leones Islets
Area 0.6273 km2 (0.2422 sq mi)
Highest elevation 143 m (469 ft)
Administration
Region La Libertad
Additional information
Time zone

The Guañape Islands are an island group off the coast of northern Peru. It consists of four islands: Isla Guañape Norte, Isla Guañape Sur, Islotes Cantores and Islotes Los Leones.

The islands are heavily populated by seabirds, such as the Guanay cormorant. As result the islands are rich of guano, the excrement of those seabirds, which can be used as an organic fertilizer. Guano harvesting is the only economic activity on the islands.[1][2] In 2009 the islands were declared as a protected nature reserve area.

References

  1. ↑ "Peru's thriving bird poo business". bbc.com. BBC. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Peru mines new gold in guano". independent.co.uk. The Independent. Retrieved September 16, 2016.

Further reading

  • Ray, R.C. (1890). The West Coast of South America: Comprising Magellan Strait, Tierra Del Fuego, and the Outlying Islands. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 275.


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