BALTRA ISLAND

also called South Seymour Island, one of the smaller of the Galpagos Islands, with an area of 8 square miles (21 square km). It lies in the eastern Pacific Ocean, about 600 miles (1,000 km) west of Ecuador. Before volcanic faulting occurred, the island was a part of Santa Cruz (Indefatigable) Island. During World War II, Ecuador granted the United States permission to establish an air base there (defunct since 1946). With the growth of tourism, the Ecuadoran government renovated the airfield, which is now the main point of entry for visitors to the islands.