More geography...

[hdtran]

Someone moved a couple of posts about the Galapagos Islands from Central/South America to Australia/Pacific Islands.

Now, admittedly, the Galapagos Islands are Islands. (Officially, Archipelago Colon, if memory serves me correctly). Furthermore, they straddle the equator, in the Pacific Ocean, about 1000 km W of the South American continent.

So, whoever decided to move the thread was geographically correct.

That said, IMNSHO (NSH is "not so humble"), the moderator who moved the thread was probably inhaling excessive nitrogen: Geographically (again), the Galapagos islands are much closer to the South American continent than to the Australian continent.

Biologically and tectonically speaking, the fish, coral, & tectonic plate are adjacent to the South American plate, and not the Australia plate.

Economically speaking, the only commercial flights into the Galapagos originate from Ecuador, which is in South America last time I looked.

So, would the thread mover be willing to explain his or her rationale? (I'm referring to topics http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=151452 and http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=136860)

Not that I want to be nominated to the geography police or anything...

 

[Walter]

I'm not a mod, so I obviously didn't do it, but many of the islands in the Pacific Ocean are closer to other continents than to the Australian continent. Why should that matter? The forum isn't "Australia and nearby islands" it's "Australia & the Pacific Islands." It looks to me like Australia is there because it's in the Pacific, not that the Pacific Islands are there because they're close to Austrailia.

Sounds like a good move to me.

 

[Bubble Junky]

Aren't the Galapagos part of Ecuador/under Ecuadorian rule (or whatever the PC term is) ???

 

[El Orans]

Aren't the Galapagos part of Ecuador/under Ecuadorian rule (or whatever the PC term is) ???

Yes.

 

[grazie42]

Originally Posted by Walter
"Australia & the Pacific Islands." It looks to me like Australia is there because it's in the Pacific, not that the Pacific Islands are there because they're close to Austrailia.

Shouldn´t Hawaii be in that forum as well then, or is it "Australia & the Pacific Islands." (except those belonging to USA or Mexico)...
there´s some overlap...of course arguing that threads should be put "where they make the most sense" is very arbitrary but I´d agree that galapagos belongs in S. America...

 

[Walter]

Shouldn´t Hawaii be in that forum as well then

Of course.

 

[Dee]

That said, IMNSHO (NSH is "not so humble"), the moderator who moved the thread was probably inhaling excessive nitrogen: Geographically (again), the Galapagos islands are much closer to the South American continent than to the Australian continent.

Since you asked so nicely :shakehead ......

I moved it because it belonged in that GEOGRAPHICAL forum. As for any others, I didn't see them or I would have moved them, too. At least now you know where to find them.

 

[OHGoDive]

... if that's the rationale, then shouldn't one expect to find information relating to Catalina Island in the Australia/Pacific Islands forums too? I think I'm with the original poster here, if I were looking for information on the Galapagos, I'd look under Central/South America. Isn't that right?

 

[Walter]

... if that's the rationale, then shouldn't one expect to find information relating to Catalina Island in the Australia/Pacific Islands forums too?

No. Santa Catalina is a coastal island. Big difference.

 

[Dee]

Look Guys....we can debate all the exceptions to the geographical lines all day. We went through this when we were trying to set it up. There's always going to be exceptions. We're damned if we do and damned if we don't!

Personally, it some piece of land is in the Pacific Ocean, that's where I hunt for it so the move made sense to me. But if ya'll want to look elsewhere, it doesn't matter to me. I'll move it back so ya'll can find it.:shakehead