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19-556: Together, the islands are part of La Paz Municipality and are both a short boat trip from La Paz on the Baja California Peninsula . There was human presence of the island already about 9,000 years ago. Isla Espriritu Santo is located in the Sea of Cortez ( Gulf of California ), about 26 kilometres (16 mi) to its southern tip from the port city of La Paz , Mexico. Together with its sister island Isla Partida ,

38-541: A coalition of activists who were able to purchase part of the island from the ejido that was selling it to the casino resort developer. One-third of the funds came from Mexican funders, another third from American funders via the Nature Conservancy , and the rest through an anonymous gift to the World Wildlife Fund . Their subsequent donation of Isla Espiritu Santo to the nation is commemorated by

57-545: A famous sculpture of a dove on the boardwalk in La Paz. In 1994, Espiritu Santo, Partida, and the other Gulf of California Islands were declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO . The Mexican Government designated the Gulf of California Islands a flora and fauna protection area in 2000. UNESCO designated the Gulf of California Islands a World Heritage Site in 2005. In 2007, the marine area around Espiritu Santo and Partida islands

76-524: A handful of beautiful white sandy beaches, complemented by pristine aquamarine waters and sheer bluffs. Espíritu Santo, Partida, and the sea around them are in protected areas. The islands are part of the Islas del Golfo de California Flora and Fauna Protection Area (APFF-IGC), and is an important eco-tourism destination. It was declared part of a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1995. The islands are both uninhabited. Ensenada Grande beach, on Isla Partida ,

95-576: A land area of 15.495 kilometres (9.628 mi), and its highest elevation is 282 metres (925 ft) At its Northern edge, Espiritu is divided from Partida by a narrow strait. At certain times with the right tide, the strait is shallow enough to wade across. By itself, Espíritu is the twelfth largest island in Mexico. There are a number of smaller islets that accompany the two main islands, of which only four are named. They are Isla Lobos , Isla Ballena , Isla Gallo and Isla Gallina . The islands also contain

114-524: A location in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Biosphere Reserve Man and the Biosphere Programme ( MAB ) is an intergovernmental scientific program, launched in 1971 by UNESCO , that aims to establish a scientific basis for the 'improvement of relationships' between people and their environments. MAB engages with

133-524: A population of 250,241. Other than the city of La Paz, the municipality had 1,018 localities, the largest of which (with 2020 populations in brackets) were: Todos Santos (7,185 hab.), El Centenario (6,221 hab.), classified as urban, and El Pescadero (4,245 hab.), Chametla (3,045 hab.), Melitón Albáñez Domínguez (2,409 hab.) and Los Barriles (1,674 hab.), classified as rural. 24°00′N 110°45′W  /  24.000°N 110.750°W  / 24.000; -110.750 This article about

152-408: Is a municipality in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur . Its area of 20,275 km (7,828 sq mi) makes it the municipality in Mexico with the fourth-largest area. It had a population of 290,286 inhabitants in the 2015 census. Its municipal seat, also named La Paz , is the state capital. As of 2020, the municipality had a total population of 292,241. The city of La Paz had

171-717: Is defined by its main governing body, the International Coordinating Council. The MAB Council consists of 34 member states elected by UNESCO's General Conference. The council elects a chair and five vice-chairs from each of UNESCO's geopolitical regions, one of which functions as a rapporteur. These constitute the MAB Bureau. The MAB Secretariat is based at UNESCO's Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences, at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris. It works with field offices at national and regional levels. MAB

190-470: Is funded by UNESCO and mobilizes funds in trust granted by Member States, bilateral and multilateral sources, and extra-budgetary funds provided by countries, the private sector and private institutions. The first World Congress of Biosphere Reserves was held in Minsk, Belarus in 1983; the congress created an 'Action Plan for Biosphere Reserves' which was adopted the following year. The second World Congress

209-511: The IUCN classification system . The IUCN distinguishes between the biosphere core area, buffer zones, transition zones, and each individual biosphere reserve. Biosphere core zones were in IUCN category I; either Ia ( strict nature reserve ) or Ib ( wilderness area ). Biosphere buffer zones would fall into categories IV, V or VI, and transition zones would be categorized as either V or VI, if possible. In

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228-818: The international development agenda, especially the Sustainable Development Goals and the Post 2015 Development Agenda . The MAB programme provides a platform for cooperation in research and development. As of July 2024 , 759 sites across 136 countries, including 22 transboundary sites, have been included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves . The reserves cover more than 5% of the world’s surface and are home to over 260 million people. Biosphere reserves are areas comprising terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems. Its biosphere reserves are nominated by national governments and remain under

247-458: The 2020s, the zones are categorized as follows: core (category I-IV), buffer (category V-VI), transition (uncategorized). Participating countries establish MAB National Committees that define and implement each country's activities. MAB currently operates through 158 national committees established among the 195 member states and nine associate member states of UNESCO. The agenda of the MAB programme

266-649: The associated tools from Espíritu Santo Island, in the southern Gulf of California in Mexico, are similar to those found in Australia , along the Arabian Sea (Roth 1904, Allen 1996, Beech 2003, Méry et al. 2008), and in Valdivia (Meggers et al. 1965:147)." Similar fishhooks have also been reported from Cedros Island , also in Baja California. La Paz Municipality, Baja California Sur La Paz

285-440: The islands are a rock formation created by a series of violent earthquakes and volcanic activity. As such, volcanic ash and lava make up the majority of their geologic composition. With fairly straight high ridges and low valleys, the islands resemble a horizontal rainbow with earthy tones. Espiritu has a land area of 80.763 square kilometres (31.183 sq mi), and its highest elevation is 562 metres (1,844 ft). Partida has

304-437: The north tip of the islands; snorkeling with the females and young is a highlight of many tours. Conservation-minded eco-adventurers were not the only ones attracted to the island, and by the 1990s the pressure on Isla Espiritu Santo was intense: a real estate developer wanted to create a resort casino on the island. Tim Means , founder of Baja Expeditions, who since 1974 had been a leading conservationist based in La Paz, formed

323-499: The sovereign jurisdiction of the states where they are located. Their status is internationally recognized. Biosphere reserves are 'Science for Sustainability support sites'. Biosphere reserves have three zones: The first biosphere reserves were designated in 1976 in several countries including the US, UK, Uruguay, Thailand, Iran and Poland. In 1996, the IUCN and MAB published a guideline for how to assess UNESCO biosphere reserves in

342-491: Was declared a marine national park . Archipiélago Espíritu Santo National Park protects an area of 479.9 km. Early Holocene pearl oyster circular fishhooks, dating to 8750–8500 cal BP, have been discovered on Espíritu Santo Island. They've been found in Covacha Babisuri rock shelter on the island. This is one of the earliest known examples of shell fishhooks in the world. "The pearl oyster fishhooks and some of

361-717: Was voted the most beautiful beach in Mexico by The Travel Magazine and one of the top 12 beaches in the world. Sea kayaking is a popular activity around the island. Espíritu Santo is the only known habitat of the black jackrabbit ( Lepus insularis ) and Espíritu Santo antelope squirrel ( Ammospermophilus insularis ). The surrounding reefs are home to parrotfish , angelfish , trumpetfish , Moorish idols , and rainbow wrasse , while many other species pass nearby including sharks , rays , turtles , dolphins , and even whales . Birds include brown pelicans , great blue herons , snowy egrets , turkey vultures , and hummingbirds . A large sea lion colony resides on Los Islotes, off

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